Oslo  - Norwegian whalers have caught five minke off north- western Norway since the whaling season officially opened April 1, reports said Friday.

The online edition of the newspaper Fiskeribladet Fiskaren which reports on fishing and related matters reported that three minke whales were caught in Vestfjorden off the Lofoten Islands, off north- western Norway.

One was caught Thursday, two others earlier this week, the report said.

Two other whales were caught off Andenes on a nearby group of islands, the newspaper said.

Hunting conditions are impacted by weather conditions as well as high fuel costs, and contributed to the delay in the start this year.

In February, the Fisheries Ministry said the whaling quota was set at 1,052 minke whales for 2008.

The quota was the same as in 2007, and included 97 whales that were not caught during the whaling seasons from 2004 and 2007.

The ministry said 900 whales would be allowed to be caught in coastal areas including the North Sea, the Barents Sea and the area around Svalbard.

Norway resumed whaling in 1993, arguing that hunting was necessary to prevent the minke whale population from growing so large that it threatens fish stocks.

Minke whales are the smallest of the seven great whales. They are up to 11 metres long, and can weigh about 8 tons. (dpa)