Fishing is the main livelihood in these small communities in North Norway, but whaling still comprises 30% of their income. Even though whaling is a small industry, the locals are dependent on it for their survival. They are also dependent on there being enough whales in the sea, so it is not in their interest to over-fish the minke whale, which is the only species they catch. It is estimated that there are 87.000 minke whales in the North East Atlantic. Norway has an annual catch quota of 670 minkes. All whalers have to pass ability tests every year and Norway has introduced a law whereby every boat has to include a government inspector and vet on board. This is to ensure that the whales are killed quickly and humanely and to register all catches. The Norwegian Ministry of Fisheries argues that a good reason to allow whaling is to aid the balance in the food chain. A government spokesman says: "Whales, of which there are approximately 75 species, are a part of the marine ecosystem. They either eat fish or they compete with fish for their food. Most whales need to eat the equivalent of approximately five per cent of their body weight every day." The minke whale eats up to 200kg of fish a day. "Over-harvesting any species is undesirable, but to achieve an optimum balance in the food chain, the whale species which occur in large enough numbers should be harvested".