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Every place has its own unique customs and traditions. A town called Ivrea in Italy, for example, celebrates the ‘Battle of the Oranges’ festival by throwing the fruit at each other. The Faroe Islands (an autonomous part of Denmark) also have an age-old tradition by the name of grindadráp or the whale hunt.
What exactly is Grindadráp? Why is it important to the locals?
Two mass slaughters of cetaceans occurred in the Faroe Islands today. The first grindadráp was in Tórshavn where about 145 long-finned pilot whales were killed by the Faroese followed by a second one in Skálafjørður where at least 7 Atlantic white-sided dolphins were slaughtered. pic.twitter.com/5hQefMQDZ4
— Quad Finn (@Quad_Finn) May 30, 2019
Every year, the Danish locals indulge in ‘whaling’ or killing pilot whales and white-sided dolphins by hand. Business Insider quoted the government statement saying,
“The meat and blubber of pilot whales have long been – and continue to be – a valued part of the national diet. Catches are shared largely without the exchange of money among the participants in a whale drive and residents of the local district where they are landed. Each whale provides the communities with several hundred kilos of meat and blubber – meat that otherwise had to be imported from abroad.”
The Government and environmental activists are at loggerheads over the tradition. While the former claims it is sustainable, the latter declares it barbaric slaughter.
462 pilot whales & 7 Atlantic white sided dolphins have been killed so far this year in the Danish Faroe Islands during 7 grindadráp hunts.
Over the previous 10 years, a total of 7,744 small cetaceans of 5 species were killed. Read more at: https://t.co/qSrDBfCIE6 pic.twitter.com/a4wW2Ok6uY— Sea Shepherd UK (@seashepherd_uk) May 31, 2019
According to the official government reports,
“The pilot whale hunt in the Faroe Islands is sustainable. The long-term annual average catch of pilot whales in the Faroe Islands represents less than 1% of the total estimated stock.”
The graphic images show how the waters have turned red with blood.
The Faroese whalers have struck again, this time killing 61 pilot whales, including infants and pregnant females. The 5th grind this year took place in Hvalba The whales were spotted late yesterday evening and were slaughtered during the night. #Grindadrap #VisitFaroeIslands pic.twitter.com/TmtFcgJoZj
— SeaShepherd_LA (@SeaShepherd_LA) May 27, 2019
The locals’ claim that all meat involves the slaughter of animals is a fair point. So is self-sufficiency of the islands. But with increased awareness about protecting our oceans and the EU imposing a ban on capture/killing of whales and dolphins, shouldn’t the custom be revisited? What do you think?
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