Seas turn red as whales are brutally slaughtered by Faroe Islanders

The coastline scarlet with blood, Faroe Island locals take part in a brutal annual whaling event. More than 180 of the animals were slaughtered in the town of Hvalvik”s annual event this year, called “grindadráp”, which translates literally as “grind”, locally as “pilot whale kill”. The whaling process involves crowding the animals into a bay or fjord with a wide semicircle of boats before killing them.

The tradition, which also exists in Iceland, has long been criticised by animal rights campaigners, who have called it cruel and unnecessary.

But local whalers claim that outsiders are ignorant of the catch methods and economic significance of the tradition.

In 1932 regulations were enforced over whaling in the Faroe islands for the first time.

The current rules both institutionalise old customs as well as replace old customs deemed inappropriate.

But it is the pilot whale meat that has caused almost as much controversy in recent years, due to the level of toxins in the animals.

Many of the 5,000 islanders have suffered and even died from the effects of the high mercury levels in the meat, and reports allege alarmingly high numbers of mentally retarded children.

In November last year Faroe Island medical chiefs recommended that the animals were not considered fit for human consumption.

 

(From dailymail.co.uk)