The Faroe Islands, located in the North Atlantic between Scotland and Iceland, are the location of the grindadràp – an annual mass slaughter of pilot whales and white-sided dolphins.
Up to 1,000 of these animals are driven into a bay by boats, metal hooks are inserted into their blowholes, and ropes are used to drag them alive to near the shore, where their spinal cords are slashed with a spear or knife.
© Sea Shepherd - Faroe Islands
Whenever cultural traditions involve cruelty to animals, they must evolve.
Locals claim these drive hunts are part of their cultural heritage, yet the younger generation rejects the killing and eating of whales and dolphins. In a survey of Faroese adults, just 17% of respondents said they consumed pilot whale meat and blubber regularly, 47% said they rarely or never ate them, and no women under 40 were among those who ate them regularly. Research has shown that pilot whale meat contains dangerous toxins, which, when consumed, can cause permanent health issues and hinder children's development. As a result, Faroese chief medical officers have recommended that islanders do not eat it.
The hunts also drive tourists away from the Faroe Islands. As the government is keen to attract visitors, the grindadràp must be replaced with an activity that respects animals and allows them to be observed in nature, where they belong.
You can help stop this slaughter. Please urge the prime minister of the Faroe Islands to implement a ban on this bloody massacre.