Many people from the states have asked me about the article circling the internet which talks about the "Denmark Dolphin Slaughter". ... I have three corrections - the Faroe Islands is not Denmark, they are short finned pilot whales, and it is a culling, not a slaughter.
Yes, whale culling's occur in the Faroe Islands. They have for hundreds of years. The whale culling is a very old cultural tradition for Faroese people. Because of the harsh North Atlantic weather, many fruits and vegetables are not able to grow on the islands, so hundreds of years ago the Faroese people used everything they could from the islands' nature - potatoes, fish, sheep, and pilot whale. That is the traditional Faroese diet. Now the Faroe Islands regularly receive all kinds of fruits, vegetables, meat, etc. by boat, but the whale culling continues with modern adjustments to preserve a part of the old Faroese culture.
The culling's can occur all year round, but they tend to occur in the end of summer and early fall, as that's when the short finned pilot whale migrates through the part of the ocean surrounding the Faroe's. The Calderon Dolphin, or long finned pilot whale, is the animal that is referred to in many false articles regarding the culling. The short finned pilot whale is the only whale killed in the Faroese whale culling. The population of the short finned pilot whale is plentiful and thriving, and the Faroese people hunt about 0.1% of the species per year. International marine organizations have deemed the culling harmless to the population.
The meat harvested from the culling is not put up for sale. Traditionally the harvest would be split into thirds - one third to the church to give to the poor, one third to the people who were involved in the culling, and one third to the people who reside in the village where the culling took place. Nowadays, half goes to the people involved and half goes to the village.
A whale culling starts when a group of whales are spotted close to the islands. The spotter then calls the police, and the police announces it on the national radio. The spotter traditionally gets half of the biggest whale, and the first boat out to sea gets the other half. Only trained men are allowed to actually hunt the whales. The whale is killed with a cut to the spine and is dead within a matter of seconds. The animal is killed in the ocean, and as a result, the water spreads the blood around. This is why the pictures look so shocking, even for the Faroese people.
The Faroese whale culling represents community and tradition. I believe that the culling is a huge part of the Faroese culture. The way they are executing the hunt today is a humane way to preserve their hundred year old tradition.
Nowadays, the cultural aspects of many countries are getting washed away. The Faroe Islands is a country that, despite today's modern advances, is still extremely rich in culture. The Faroese people are proud of that, and I am more than proud to be having my exchange year here.
Thanks for reading,
Katie
