On Thursday 9th August, a pod of 40 pilot whales was driven ashore at Hvannasund in the Faroe Islands. The terrified whales then suffered blunt hooks thrust into their blowholes so they could be dragged into the shallows. There, men with knives cut down through the flesh and blubber semi-decapitating the whales in order to sever the major arteries to ensure the animals would bleed to death. The previous day, 196 whales were killed in Vagur, making a grim total of over 230 whales killed that week alone, with a total of 467 pilot whales killed by the Faroese this year.
A staggering 2,306 pilot whales and 210 dolphins have been driven ashore and cruelly slaughtered since 2008 alone. Incredibly, that same year, Faroese health leaders warned that the whale meat, blubber and organs were not safe to eat because of the mercury and other toxic contaminants that accumulate in the whales through the oceanic food chain.
In June this year, Campaign Whale returned to the Faroe Islands to attend a conference on ‘Hunting and Protecting of Marine Mammals – A clash of Cultures?’ in the capital of Torshavn on the 4th and 5th of June. While that conference was underway 125 pilot whales were driven ashore and slaughtered on a neighbouring island just a few miles away. Some graphic film footage taken after this hunt can be seen below:
Campaign Whale is working to end Faroes whaling which is a cruel tradition and an unfolding tragedy for both the whales and the people that eat them.
For more information, including how you can help our campaign, please click here