A record 1,428 dolphins have been killed in the Faroe Islands - video

In the Faroe Islands, residents killed a record 1,428 dolphins as part of the local Grindadráp festival.

Farriers surrounded the animals with boats and drove them into the shallows of Skálabotnur Bay in the Faroe Islands. The people gathered there then butchered all the grindwhales(Globicephala) as part of the local Grindadráp festival.

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According to figures provided by Sea Shepherd, this was the largest dolphin hunt in Faroese history. The previous one, similar in size, took place in 1940. The Faroese killed 1 200 grinds then.

Sea Shepherd members have been trying to stop the Grindadráp festival since the 1980s. However, and this is noteworthy, this year’s slaughter of grinds was carried out brutally and incompetently. So much so that expressions of protest and outrage have also come from the local media, local whaling supporters and Faroese politicians.

Hunters broke the law

Farers, who provided Sea Shepherd with photos and videos illustrating this year’s slaughter, pointed out that during the hunt, participants broke many of the rules that govern the Grindadráp. Among the violations, they listed the fact that the permit was issued by a person who did not have such authority.

Another infringement of the rules is that many participants in the hunt did not have a licence. Such a document is required in the Faroe Islands. Obtaining one involves undergoing specialised training in the rapid killing of grinds and dolphins. However, video footage shows that many of the dolphins were still alive and moving, even after they had been pulled ashore.

Published photographs also show that many dolphins were trampled by speedboats. The animals were severely injured by the screws of the boats, resulting in their slow and painful death. Local residents have reported that they have notified the police due to the above violations.

Usually, the meat obtained during the Grindadráp festival is divided among the participants and any leftovers among the inhabitants in the district where the hunt takes place. However, it turned out that there was more dolphin meat than anyone needed. Now the organisers are offering it in other regions, hoping that they will not have to throw it away.

Voices of objection

Danish newspaper Ekstra Bladet has published a number of interviews with local residents. They show how many Farers are angry about what happened during this year’s Grindadráp. Some of them are demanding that Prime Minister Mette Fredriksen intervene and break with the “barbaric tradition” that dates back to the 9th century.

The local Faroese press, usually reluctant to post anything against traditional hunting, published a statement by Hans Jacob Hermansen, former president of the Faroese Grind Association, who said the killing was unnecessary.

Businessmen and people involved in local fisheries have also spoken out. They are concerned that pictures and films of the slaughter of dolphins of this magnitude will be circulated all over the world, which may have a negative impact on the export of salmon from the Faroe Islands to the UK, the US, Russia and other countries.

Every year there are more and more people demanding a break with tradition and an end to the local Grindadráp festival. While until recently it was mainly pressure from organisations such as Sea Shepherd and the international community, recently the brutal hunt has increasingly divided the Faroese people.

In this situation, it is possible that soon the pictures of hundreds of slaughtered dolphins and the blood-soaked waters of the bay will be just a nightmarish memory.

Photo. Sea Shepherd UK