Faroe Islands - Pilot Whale(Dolphins) Slaughter

[Pez68]

So, my daughter forwarded me this email she got, and I looked into it because most of these are almost entirely fiction. I was pretty ashamed to be a member of the same species as these people in the Faroe Islands after I did my digging. If you want to see the pictues and really get more detail on it, you can google it. But, basically, the people of the Faroe Islands herd large pods of these extremely intelligent mammals onto shore with boats, and then slaughter them with large knives. They suffer greatly, and they scream like babies when it happens. They also drag them into the shallows by hooking them in their blubber or in their blowholes if they aren't herded close enough onto shore. From what I understand this is done as a part of their culture, but they also do this for food. Which, God willing, will eventually wipe them out. The meat from these mammals contains about 100 times the amount of mercury that normal fish contains, and it has already shown to be causing neurological damage in the children of the Faroe Islands.



It's just disgusting how barbaric our species still is at times. This is a mammal that will actually approach human beings in a playful manner. They are extremely intelligent, much like bottlenose dolphins. You know, the same mammals that have rescued people from shark attacks? This is pretty much identical to the dolphin "whaling" that still happens in Japan. You would think we would have more respect for a creature that rivals human beings in intelligence, but I guess they're still "just a fish" to some people.

 

[bri]

I know this is part of their culture, but it breaks my heart to see anything suffer like that. As a little girl I loved whales and dolphins. I just recently found a book on them that someone had given me and am trying to pass it on to someone else who would enjoy it.

 

[TSD]

I was watching a show on language (I dont know how they determine this) but they said whales and dolphins communication form is more advanced than our own.

 

[winos5]

The images/vidoes are indeed brutally graphic. Taken at face value it seems horrific.



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grindadráp



Its estimate the annual harvest is less than .1% of the total population of the whales which are not endangered. No one knows for sure the exact number of them.

In defense of the Faroese, there is vitually no farming on the islands and very few areas that would support it. The bulk of their diet is sheep, fish and whale meat/blubber. The whaling is not commmercial. The meat and blubber are divided up between the villagers. They harvest animals that have lived free in the ocean, not spent their time in a pen or cage. Kills are annual events and part of the culture.



What is a humane way to kill something?



How do you measure intelligence in animals?



The average person has become too distanced from the origins of their grub.

Good thing no one seens to care about how cows, pigs (also deemed intelligent by many that own them as pets), sheep, chickens, turkeys spend their lives and meet their demise.



If you care to open your eyes a bit their is an excellent documentary "Our Daily Bread" that provides an eye opening visit into the world of animal slaughter houses.

 

[Pez68]

There are much better sources for food.... Whales, dolphins, sharks, are at the top of the food chain, and as such, are LOADED with mercury.

 

[supraman]

To be honest since they are using the animals as food. I really don't have an issue with it. And to clarify if by food the use the entire animal then yeah that's nature. On the other hand I strongly disagree with shark finning which yes is for food (very expensive soup actually) but it wasted over 90% of the shark.