_________________________________________________________I'm no fan of barbaric slaughter of harmless animals for the sake of entertainment but I am also not a radical fanatic or have any motivation to hop on the bandwagon with Greenpeace and start blasting jets of water at fishermen either. Since I haven’t witness this killing myself and since I am trying to be neutral and fair as I can be, I did some study at the local library and came up with a few facts that may interest you. So here’s what I have to say.
The Hunt
The people of Faroe been hunting whales for more than four hundred years now and whaling plays a significant role in their economy and because of that, whaling became a part of the Faroes' culture, a tradition they hold with great pride.
Although there are some forms of authority to regulate the whale hunts, it doesn’t have a major influence over the hunting process. The authority however does ban the use of spears, harpoons and hooks for whaling as these tools are considered inhumane. Causing an animal unnecessary or excessive pain and discomfort is prohibited by the Faroese law. However hunting whales is legal.
Around 1000 pilot whales are killed annually during the summer in a mass hunt they call grindadrap, a non commercial hunt organized on a community level where everyone can join. Some local folks consider this event as a coming of age for the participating youngsters. We as foreigners see this as a barbaric slaughter but could the Faroes be misunderstood?
The hunters will first drive the whales to shore with their boats. Once at the shoreline the pilot whale is pulled to land with a blunt gaff called blásturongul inserted through the whale’s blowhole. The whale is then killed by cutting the dorsal area through to the spinal cord with a special whaling knife, a grindaknivr. Death can be expected within seconds to a few minutes. Contrary to popular belief the people do not waste time randomly stabbing the whales on sight or attempt to drown the whales. The hunters kill the whales for food and they all share the same idea of doing it as quickly and with as little suffering as possible for the animal. They are not monsters wanting to kill or torture the whales for pleasure.
The aftermath of the hunt usually trigger public outcry. During the cut of a pilot whale's spine, their main arteries also get cut. Because of this the surrounding sea tends to turn a spectacular bloody red. This vivid imagery is often used by anti-whaling groups in their campaigns against the hunt. These images of a blood red sea can often have a shocking effect on bystanders. Spearing and harpooning and drowning leaves lesser blood although those actions are more cruel and more stressful and painful to the animals.
The Whales
The meat of the whales is distributed and consumed domestically and is not available for exports or for sale in supermarkets.
Pilot whales are not endangered and the actual population size of the whales is still a subject of debate. Although grindadrap is widely condemned as a significant threat to the population of the pilot whales, reports from North Atlantic Marine Mammal Commission and IUCN suggest that the whale hunt represents a little more than 0.1% of the population, which is considered sustainable.
Because of the harsh Faroese climate, grain and vegetables have not been able to grow very well. During winter the Faroese’s only option was to mostly eat salted or dried food. Therefore the pilot whale has been an important source of food and vitamins to the isolated population on the
Ironically consumption of Pilot whale meat in the long run can only lead to more bad and good. Research shows that Pilot whale meat contains high level of mercury, PCBs and environmental poisons. Consume the meat excessively and you are gonna die of poisoning. So I guess you folks at Faroe should take it easy with the whale meat. Let’s all hope that the reduced consumption of the meat may lead to lesser deaths during grindadrap.
My Thoughts
I do not support grindadrap but I personally feel that protests and demands that
Quite a few celebrities around the world have actually stepped a foot in to oppose grindadrap. But I guess an increase in publicity for these celebs would be prioritized rather than any real action to stop the hunt. I personally feel that the reaction to grindadrap is greatly based on emotional reaction that shadows facts, truth and fairness to the people of Faroe. Like the great Jacques Cousteau once commented on the seal hunting issue:
"The harp seal question is entirely emotional. We have to be logical. We have to aim our activity first to the endangered species. Those who are moved by the plight of the harp seal could also be moved by the plight of the pig - the way they are slaughtered is horrible."
I agree.
From left: Fausta, Italo, Alex, Eric, Sannah, I'm-gettin-fat, Ying and Feng
