Faroe Islands: 'Massacre' of over 1,400 dolphins as part of tradition triggers backlash

The practice of dolphin hunting in the self-governed Faroe Islands triggered a backlash after roughly 1,426 of the mammals were killed in what is believed to be a record catch. According to BBC News, the pod of white-sided dolphins was first herded by boatmen into shallow waters in Eysturoy and then slaughtered with knives. The carcasses were then pulled ashore and distributed to locals for consumption. 

On Denmark’s Faroe Islands, hunting of sea mammals-known as the grind - is a tradition practised for centuries. According to the Faroese government, more than 600 pilot whales are killed annually as a part of the hunt. Notably, the number of white-sided dolphins is comparatively less with only 35 of them being hunted last year.

'Massacre of most intelligent beings' 

However, on Sunday, the numbers surpassed 1,400, irking many international conservation groups, locals and even those involved in the tradition called 'grind'. Pictures that surfaced online showed hundreds of corpses lying on the beach as the sea turned red with blood. Other gruesome photographs showed dolphins cut by boat propellers. 

For such a hunt to take place in 2021 in a very wealthy European island community just 230 miles from the UK with no need or use for such a vast quantity of contaminated meat is outrageous, said Rob Read, COO at Sea Shepherd, a Canada based marine conservation organisation. 

A superpod 1,428 white-sided dolphins were cruelly slaughtered in the Faroe Islands last night. There is nothing in recent grindadráp records that match this. The closest we could find is 430 white-sided dolphins butchered on 13-08-2013 in Hvalba. Denmark and the EU need to take action NOW to save protected dolphins from these utterly irresponsible Faroe Islanders, Blue Planet society wrote on Facebook calling for immediate action. 

Drawn though I am to things northerly, I will never set foot on the #FaroeIslands as long as they continue to murder our most intelligent fellow beings for kicks. #BoycottFaroeIslands,” British novelist Gregory Norminton tweeted. 

The population of the Faroes is almost 50,000. The average weight of an Atlantic White-sided Dolphin is 200 kg. Assume 50% muscle = 100kg meat/dolphin. 1400 dolphins means 140,000 kg ie almost 3kg of dolphin muscle for each inhabitant. I hope they enjoy it," naturalist Alick Simmons wrote on Twitter. 

Image: Paul Watson/ Blue Planet Society