Hunting marine mammals such as whales or dolphins is a centuries-old tradition in the Faroe Islands, a remote area owned by Denmark, but last Sunday’s record catch of 1,400 “white-faced dolphins” caused a backlash in the region, according to the BBC.
According to data provided by the Faroe Islands government, an average of 600 whales are caught annually in this area, with lower numbers in the case of dolphins (35 in 2020 and 10 in 2019).
But the recent capture of 1400 dolphins in one day n the largest fjord in the North Atlantic, whose corpses were dragged ashore and handed over to residents for food, was considered excessive and left many people in the region shocked by the blood trail at sea, while hundreds of people watched the brutal hunt from the beach.
“It was a big mistake,” Olavur Sürdarberg, president of the Faroe Islands Whaling Association, admitted in an interview with the BBC, adding that only 200 dolphins participated in the hunt, not 1,400. But he made it clear that the seizure was authorized by the local authorities and no laws were violated.
According to proponents of this traditional activity in the region, whaling is a sustainable way of foraging in nature and an important part of the cultural identity of the Faroe Islands. But animal rights activists have long disagreed with hunting mammals, calling it “cruel and unnecessary killing.”
For Surdur Skaale, a Danish MP for the Faroe Islands, killing white-faced dolphins is “nice but unpopular.” deputy visited Skalabotnur Beach on Monday to speak with locals, noting that the people were “furious and shocked” by the scale of the hunt.
However, the Danish MP defended that hunting for mammals is possible if it is done “correctly”. “From an animal welfare standpoint, this is a good way to provide meat with meat – and much better than keeping cows and pigs locked up,” said Sjurdur Skaale.
These claims were challenged by the Sea Shepherd group, which argued that “as dolphin hunting can turn into a protracted and often disorganized slaughter. “
Criticism of whale and mammal hunting in the Faroe Islands has had its ups and downs over the years, and the hunt has garnered increasing attention since the Netflix screening of the documentary Sea Piracy, released in early 2021.
