
The scale of the hunt is being described as possibly the largest single hunt of cetaceans ever recorded worldwide.
On 12 September, a super-pod of 1428 Atlantic white-sided dolphins were ambushed and slaughtered as part of an illegal hunt, international marine conservation organization Sea Shepherd reported.
According to the non-profit, the scale of the hunt is possibly the largest single hunt of cetaceans ever recorded worldwide.
Local whalers in the Faroe Islands herded the pod into shallow waters at Skalabotnur beach in Eysturoy, where they were killed with knives. Around 500 hunters and 50 boats signed up to be a part of the hunt.
Grindadráp
Hunting for sea mammals in the Faroe Islands — an autonomous territory of Denmark located between Norway, Scotland and Iceland — is an ancient custom that dates back to Viking times.
Known as a Grindadráp, or just “the grind,” the controversial practice involves cornering pilot whales, the second largest species of dolphins following the orcas, and other dolphins into fjords before being stabbed to death.
According to officials, the hunting practice is fully regulated and helps to sustain communities through locally sourced means.
‘A big mistake’
Over the past two decades, around 600 pilot whales and 250 white-sided dolphins have been caught each year on an average. However, with the scale of the slaughter that took place on Sunday even those who support the practice expressed concern over this year’s event.
Olavur Sjurdarberg, the chairman of the Faroese Whalers Association, told the BBC: “It was a big mistake.”
“When the pod was found, they estimated it to be only 200 dolphins.”
He added that only when the killing process started did they find out the true size of the pod.
“Somebody should have known better,” Sjurdarberg said. “Most people are in shock about what happened.”
Backlash
Graphic images of the bloody, lacerated corpses left lined up on the beach has sparked a huge outcry from animal activists and the public alike.
The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society described the killings as a “massacre”.
The group reported: “We have seen dolphins slashed to pieces by boat propellers.
“We have seen dolphins struggling and fighting while the whalers were cutting through their bodies.
“There simply are no words to describe [the] horror.”
Captain Alex Cornelissen, Sea Shepherd Global CEO, added : “Considering the times we are in, with a global pandemic and the world coming to a halt, it’s absolutely appalling to see an attack on nature of this scale in the Faroe Islands,”
“If we have learned anything from this pandemic is that we have to live in harmony with nature instead of wiping it out.”
Condemning the incident, Barbara J. King, an anthropologist and emerita professor of anthropology at the College of William and Mary, said : “This atrocity requires our voices raised in protest.
“This isn’t local custom and it’s not a mere ‘error’ of scale. The devastation to dolphin families is and will be immense.”
Response
Prime Minister Bárður á Steig Nielsen in response to the aftermath and the widespread outrage said: “We take this matter very seriously. Although these hunts are considered sustainable, we will be looking closely at the dolphin hunts, and what part they should play in Faroese society.
“The government has decided to start an evaluation of the regulations on the catching of Atlantic white-sided dolphins.”
Share this story: 1428 dolphins killed in an illegal hunt
Lifestyle
Vegan culture, food, beauty & more
Gordon Ramsay Ditches Vegan Hate and Backs Flora’s Plant-Based Butter in New ‘Skip the Cow’ Campaign
- Totally Vegan Buzz Team
- 28th January 2025
Celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay, once infamous for his digs at vegans, has taken a sharp turn in the kitchen. Ramsay has teamed up with Flora, the famous UK-based spread brand, as its global ambassador, marking a bold new chapter in Flora’s “Skip the Cow” campaign. Flora, established in 1964, has long been a household name …
The Top 10 Vegan-Friendly Places in Latin America
- Totally Vegan Buzz Team
- 27th January 2025
Latin America is experiencing an extraordinary rise in plant-based dining options. A new study, spearheaded by Veganuary in partnership with the food discovery platform HappyCow, reveals that Latin America now boasts over 10,000 vegan, vegetarian, and vegan-friendly restaurants—an impressive 21.6% jump compared to last year. Brazil takes the crown as the number one country, with …
Continue reading “The Top 10 Vegan-Friendly Places in Latin America”
VEGAN MEMES
NEED A LAUGH?
QUIZZES
All the quizzes you love to binge!
QUIZ: If you score 11/12 on this quiz, you’re a verified vegan food expert
- Marlon Farrugia
- 10th January 2020
How much vegan knowledge do you have stored away? Do you have to Google your way through a shopping trip, or do you have all the bad E-numbers memorised? Find out now with this quiz. [wpViralQuiz id=27203]
QUIZ: What is your perfect Vegan Halloween Costume?
- Marlon Farrugia
- 13th October 2019
Spook Season approaches. There will be ghosts, goblins, ghouls, and glucose. You need a costume, and you want to it to show off your personality, which means VEGAN. But what to choose? Take our quiz to find out your perfect outfit. [wpViralQuiz id=33494]
QUIZ: What kind of vegetable are you?
- Marlon Farrugia
- 26th September 2019
“If you were a vegetable, what kind would you be?” A question that has tormented humanity throughout the ages – until now. [wpViralQuiz id=31281] Read: QUIZ: If you score 19/20 on THIS quiz, you’re a Vegan God