&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "1,000-year-old Viking tradition sees over 700 whales and dolphins massacred")
Hundreds of whales and dolphins were captured and slaughtered off the coast of the Faroe Islands in a sickening tradition where innocent animals are hunted for meat as people watch. The sea turned red with blood, as disturbing pictures show carcasses lined up on the shore. Locally known as ‘the grind’, the annual hunt is a Viking tradition in which pilot whales and dolphins are driven into shallow waters with boats. Nearly 700 of them were killed with hooks and knives after being beached. Children were among those gathered who watched as their bodies were slashed open. The carcasses were piled and hauled off, strung up and mutilated.
The scenes from the 27 May hint show fishermen moving through red water as dozens of carcasses lie dead on beaches. Valentina Crast, campaign director for the Faroe Islands at global marine conservation organisation Sea Shepherd, said there was pure chaos on the day. He urged European governments to call for a ban on the practice. According to Sea Shepherd, 402 pilot whales and four bottlenose dolphins were killed in Tórshavn, 168 white-sided dolphins were killed in Skalabotnur, and 132 white-sided dolphins were killed in Hvalvik, taking the total to 706.
PETA on whale hunt in Faroe Islands
Elisa Allen, vice president of programmes at PETA, told The Independent, "The animals cry out in pain. Whole families are slaughtered, and some animals are seen swimming around in their family members’ blood for hours. Whales and dolphins are highly intelligent and feel pain and fear every bit as much as humans do."
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Animal rights activists say the 1,000-year-old practice is outdated and barbaric, while the Faroese state, an autonomous territory of Denmark, argues the hunt is a key part of the region’s cultural identity and provides free food for the community. Supporters say whaling is a sustainable way of gathering food and an important part of local identity. Activists claim that the practice causes considerable stress to the animals, who are intelligent, social animals.
The Faroe Islands says modern methods reduce stress on animals
However, authorities maintain that the hunt is carefully regulated and the methods used ensure minimal suffering. They further claim that pilot whale populations in the North Atlantic remain healthy. The Faroese parliament this year voted unanimously to protect whalers from prosecution for welfare violations. They ensured local hunting regulations took precedence over the territory’s animal welfare laws.
