No, Norwegian, Japanese and Icelandic does not NEED additional protein.
However whale meat is delicious and very healthy (and great on the barbecue)
None of the whale species that are hunted today are endangered, on the other hand they eat plenty of fish, but so does seals, another of the, far form endangered, species that are to cute to be hunted.
“It takes more than an emotional oh-but-they’re-so-CUTE argument to justify interfering with a nation’s imperative to feed its population, and this article does not provide one.”
Well, I hardly think any of the countries that hunt whale absolutely require whale meat to feed its population, but it is a part of their culture.
On the other hand the whales are cute and have plenty of rich friends that want to save them.
