The sea has turned red with blood after Faroese islanders slaughtered pilot whales once again, driving hundreds of them into the shallows and butchering them with knives in a gruesome hunt for ‘grindadrap’.
Fishermen resumed the controversial hunt in May and since then the self-governing territory of Denmark in the North Atlantic has killed more than 500 long-finned pilot whales, officials there said today.
In the 1,000-year-old Faroese tradition known as ‘grindadrap’, or ‘grind’ for short, hunters surround pilot whales and dolphins with a wide semicircle of fishing boats and herd them into a shallow bay where they become stranded.
The fishermen then brutally slaughter them with knives on the shore.
Every summer, images of the bloody hunt make headlines around the world, but the tradition is strongly condemned by outraged animal rights advocates who consider the practice barbaric.
The sea has turned red with blood after the Faroese islanders killed pilot whales yet again yesterday.
The tradition that takes place each summer is widely condemned by animal rights groups.
The hunters surround the pilot whales and dolphins with a wide semicircle of fishing boats and herd them into a shallow bay where they are beached and slaughtered.
A spokesperson for the Faroese government confirmed today: ‘There were two routines yesterday, one with 266 catches and the other with 180, according to early reports.’
The two ‘grinds’, which involved a species of dolphin known as a pilot whale, brings the number of ‘grinds’ to five so far this season.
John Hourston, founder of the Blue Planet Society, condemned the latest hunt, calling it “a horrible day even by ‘Faroese standards.’ He described it as ‘unimaginable and unnecessary cruelty’.”
Speaking to MailOnline, Mr Hourston added: ‘It’s unsustainable and unnecessary. This rich country no longer needs to kill whales to feed its population. We are in the midst of a climate and biodiversity crisis. It is time for international sanctions against this ecocide.’
Meanwhile, Danny Groves of Whale and Dolphin Conservation described the routine as a “harrowing and cruel hunt that can last for hours and from which very few whales manage to escape.”
He told MailOnline: ‘More than 20,000 whales and dolphins have been killed in the last 20 years. Pilot whales live in close-knit social groups and many are killed in front of their family members.
“Once driven ashore, blunt-tipped metal hooks inserted into their blowholes are used to drag the whales onto the beach or into the shallows.
“In recent years, concerns have also been raised about the health implications of eating whale meat which may contain high levels of contaminants. It is a senseless killing.
In 2022, the government limited the number of Atlantic white-sided dolphins that could be killed per year to 500.
The unusually large slaughter of more than 1,400 pilot whales last year sparked protests, including among locals.
The two ‘grinds’, which involved a species of dolphin known as a pilot whale, bring the number of ‘grinds’ so far this season to five
Danny Groves of Whale and Dolphin Conservation described the routine as a “harrowing and cruel hunt that can last for hours and from which very few whales escape.”
The environmental NGO Sea Shepherd, which managed to stop the 2014 hunt with its boats, criticized the fact that the Danish navy ships are allowed to intervene to prevent environmentalists from interrupting the hunt.
But the hunt still enjoys broad support in the Faroe Islands, where supporters say the animals have fed local people for centuries and accuse foreign media and NGOs of disrespecting culture and traditions. local.
They usually kill around 800 pilot whales a year.
In 2022, the government limited the number of Atlantic white-sided dolphins that could be killed per year to 500, after an unusually large kill of more than 1,400 sparked protests, including among locals.
Shocking images have surfaced once again this year of the sea transformed into deep red waters from the blood of slaughtered pilot whales.
Dozens of fishermen could be seen jumping into the water, while others dragged lifeless bodies ashore.
Dozens of fishermen could be seen jumping into the water, while others dragged lifeless bodies ashore.
“Yesterday there were two routines, one with 266 captures and the other with 180, according to the first reports,” a Faroese government spokesman said.
Dozens of fishermen gather to participate in the long tradition of 1000 years in the autonomous territory of Denmark
The environmental NGO Sea Shepherd, which managed to interrupt the 2014 hunt with its boats, condemned the latest killings.
Dozens of dead pilot whales were seen hanging from boats and washed up on shores after more routines continued this year.
The slaughter is a cultural pillar of the Danish autonomous territory that is carried out to supply the archipelago with meat for the coming year.
Sea Shepherd has condemned the killings in a series of tweets, accusing the fishermen of killing pilot whales and pregnant calves.
“This has to end,” they added.
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