The mass dolphins killing took place during a traditional whale hunting. It enraged thousands of people and brought the island under international supervision.
FAROE ISLANDS, DENMARK – On Sunday 12 September, around 1400 white sided dolphins were killed in the Faroe Islands. Local authorities later reported that this mass killing was a result of the traditional whale hunting festival.
The news of this mass dolphin killing soon went out and an international outrage started. Multiple authorities also criticized the event. ‘Sea Shepherd’ a marine conservative group said that the event is a brutal and badly mishandled massacre. This dolphin killing was also termed by them as the largest single hunt in the territory’s history.
The Sea Shepherd also gave out details about the event. They said that fishermen corralled a super pod of 1,428 Atlantic white-sided dolphins by speed boats and jet skis near Estuary. They then killed the dolphins and gathered them at the shore.
The Whale Hunting Festival and people’s opinion about it
The Faroe Islands is Denmark’s autonomous territory, located between Scotland and Iceland in the Atlantic. Annual whale hunting or locally known as ‘Grindadráp’ is going on for centuries now. This ancient festival mainly involves hunting of pilot whales.
In previous centuries people used to do this for food, the tradition however has carried on. Marine activists groups actively oppose the festival, the Faroese locals however defend it and carry out whale hunting each year.
Soon after the mass whale killings different locals were interviewed. A Faroese local when asked about it said that he has been a part of whale hunting since he was 7, however his village ‘Fuglafjørður’ never targets dolphins.
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Criticizing the recent dolphin killing he said, “As long as it has been for food only, I have supported it. But this recent catch that was this weekend, I’m against how it went on”. He is just one of many locals that are against the dolphin killing on Sunday.
People claiming the dolphins killing to be a mistake
Soon after the event, hunters came out and gave their statements regarding the mass dolphin killing. Mr. Sjurdarberg, a local that did not participated in the event said, “When the pod was found. They estimated it to be only 200 dolphins”. However he said that it was during the killing process that they found out the true size of the pod. “Somebody should have known better”, he said.