Activists Call On EU To Stop Dolphin Killing In Faroe Islands After Another Mass Hunt

The OceanCare marine conservation organization urged the European Union member states and the European Commission to take measures against whale and dolphin hunting in the Faroe Islands, following another mass killing of pilot whales

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 23rd September, 2021) The OceanCare marine conservation organization urged the European Union member states and the European Commission to take measures against whale and dolphin hunting in the Faroe Islands, following another mass killing of pilot whales.

On September 12, over 1,400 white-sided dolphins were slaughtered in the largest single hunt of dolphins or pilot whales in Faroese history. The scale of the hunt shocked many locals and international activists, drawing criticism even from the groups involved in the practice and the Faroese government. However, only 10 days later, 52 pilot whales were killed in another drive hunt.

"The marine conservation organization calls on governments of EU Member States and the EU Commission to react immediately and to convince both Denmark and the regional Faroese government to cease the whale and dolphin drive hunts right away," the NGO said in a statement.

After the September 12 mass hunt, the Faroese government pledged to re-evaluate regulations on the hunting of Atlantic white-sided dolphins. However, the current hunt targeted a different dolphin species, pilot whales, which are strictly protected by EU species conservation legislation.

The Faroe Islands are a part of Denmark, but not of the EU, the NGO noted, so the island nation does not need to abide by EU protection rules.

"The Faroese drive hunts, which wipe out whole schools of dolphins, undermine all efforts by governments to protect these small cetaceans, which are already suffering from a wide range of threats. Anyone who is not indifferent to biodiversity loss has to do everything to end these practices," Fabienne McLellan, OceanCare spokesperson, stated.

To stop the practice, the NGO urged EU countries and the international community to make a public condemnation of the hunt, engage in negotiations toward banning whale and dolphin hunting, introduce incentives to the Faroe Islands to assist with ending whale and dolphin killings, and enforce a moratorium on direct hunts of all cetaceans in European waters.

The pilot whale hunt, also known as "grind," is an ancient and integral part of Faroese food culture. However, the scale of the hunts has increased drastically over time due to modern equipment, prompting NGOs and activists to question the future of the tradition.

The Faroe Islands cooperate on the conservation of whales and dolphins and the management of whaling through the North Atlantic Marine Mammal Commission.