[MARINE_BIOLOGY_INTERNATIONAL] Faroe Islands "grind:" Humans behaving badly

 

(Examiner.com/national)

After a grind, many pilot whales are left slaughtered and their babies are left defenseless
(Photo shows pregnant female whale cut open with her placenta and unborn calf lying on the ground)
Credits:
Sea Shepherds Conservation Society
Enchanted Isles with a Dark Twist

By Donnetta Campbell, Philanthropic Travel Examiner
There are few places on the planet as enchanting, as the Danish Protectorate Faroes, an archipelago of 18 islands separated by sounds and fjords. Located in the North Atlantic, North of Scotland and halfway between Norway and Iceland, the islands offer one of the most amazing ecosystems that the world has to offer. The Faroes are known for their dramatic glaciated landscapes, steep cliffs, and crystal clear oceans. Voted "The Most Appealing Destination" by The National Geographic Traveler, the Faroes are given a glowing review, described as "lovely, unspoiled, islands, a delight to the traveler". [1]

Each year 40,000 tourists flock to the islands to enjoy the beauty and old style traditions of the Faroese, Viking settlers who have inhabited the islands for 1100 years. Because of their remote location the Faroese have always prided themselves on their self sustainability. Prior to modern times the Faroese diet consisted of fish, dolphin meat, sheep and puffins. The Faroese carefully dried the meat, fish and dolphin to carry them through their winters.

The North Atlantic surrounding the Faroe islands is rich with life that would enrapture any tourist. One amazing creature of the North Atlantic Sea is the long finned pilot whale. The largest members of the dolphin family, the male can reach up to 25 feet and 5000 pounds while the female is much smaller at 19 feet and 2900 pounds. Led by a matriarch, pilot whales are extremely social, traveling in large pods ranging from 20 to 1000 in numbers. Much like the Faroese, the pilot whales have strong cultural traditions and a language they can call their own. They whales are known for their characteristic use of echolocation, whistles, buzzes, and click trains where a group of pilot whales direct sound in order to catch their prey. The long finned pilot whale eats primarily squid, and small schooled fish like mackerel. They are extremely maternal, having the longest gestation period of any dolphin at 12-16 months. The calves nurse and stay at their mothers side for 2 years, and families stay together for a lifetime.[2] Today some scientists believe dolphins should be reclassified as non-human persons, "Dolphins have been declared the second most intelligent creatures after man, with scientists suggesting they should be given non-human person status". [3]

During the winter and fall months, the pilot whales stay in deeper waters. As spring and summer approach, they seek out warmer waters, specifically along the coastlines. The Faroese go to great lengths during this time of year to spot the pilot whales. The pods move more slowly as they are hindered by pregnant females and newborn calves. Unlike the Shetland islands where spotting a pod means a whale watching excursion, in the Faroe Islands spotting pilot whales means time for a hunt or grind, "grindadráp". The community is alerted via cell phone and radio of a grind. The boats move out to sea and surround the whales. Once surrounded the hunters use sound to confuse the whales sonar. They then drive them to the shallow harbors. Once in the shallow waters, large hooks are pierced through the blubber and muscle and inserted into the sensitive blow hole. The whales are then dragged onto the shore by men and young men under going a right of passage. Each whale is systematically slaughtered by cutting behind the blowhole and then removing the spine. Many images show small children frolicking in the blood red ocean as pilot whales thrash in the background. The Faroese claim that the slaughter is painless for the whales and only takes minutes. Activists claim the opposite saying these sentient creatures sometimes suffer for hours before death takes them.

During 2011 three grinds have already taken place, killing hundreds of helpless pilot whales. During 2010, over 1000 pilot whales were slaughtered; their pods history, gone forever. Two groups have gone undercover during 2010 Faroe grinds. Juergen Ortmueller of the Wal und Delphinschutz Forum and Andreas Morlok of ProWol Sheet Piling managed to infiltrate themselves into the Faroese during a grind. They took a boat out to sea, where they placed pings omitting the sound of Orca's which warned the pilot whales to take a different route. [4] The Sea Shepherds Conservation Society (SSCS) sent activist Peter Hamerstadt undercover in the Faroe Islands as a Swedish film student to document the massacre in August of 2010. The graphic images he took would shock the world forever, "Pilot whales are known to travel in pods of 200-300 members. Two hundred and thirty-six pilot whales were slaughtered last night in Klaksvik: bulls, pregnant and lactating females, juveniles, and unborn babies still attached to their mothers by the umbilical chord. An entire pod that once swam freely through the North Atlantic has been exterminated in a single blood bath," said Hammarstedt.[5]

Despite all the health issues related to dolphin meat, the Faroese refuse to stop eating the mercury and PCB tainted dolphin meat. On November 26, 2008, two Medical Officers of the Department of Public Health, Doctors Høgna Debes Joensen and Páli Weihe, warned the islanders to stop consuming the dolphin meat as it is no longer fit for human consumption due to high levels of mercury and PCB's stored in the meat and blubber which are proven to cause developmental problems in children and Parkinson's disease in older adults. [6]The Faroese government rejected their recommendation and instead use the standards set by the Food and Veterinary Agency. On June 1, 2011 new standards were issued by the Food and Veterinary Agency, adults should only eat the meat and blubber once monthly. Women planning to have children should abstain from the blubber completely. Women who are breast feeding or pregnant should abstain completely. The kidney and liver should not be eaten.[7]

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So why do the Faroese continue to practice a tradition that is harming the population and causing criticism from ocean conservationists and whale and dolphin activists world wide? The roots of Faroese tradition run deep. When a grind occurs, it is a gathering of the people and a right of passage for young men. Many Faroese have stopped eating the pilot whale meat. They believe the grind will end eventually because of pollution and activist intervention. They feel the choice to end the grind should be their own, but activists disagree.

Ocean conservationists are calling for an end to the grind on legal grounds, arguing that "the killing of whales in the Faroe Islands is a violation of the European Union, specifically the Berne Convention but the Faros as a Danish Protectorate are not a member of the EU although they directly benefit through Denmark from the EU. Denmark should be held accountable but apparently they are not. While there is a little bit of gray area, the convention clearly states, all signatories are responsible for coordinating their efforts for the protection of migratory species in Appendices II and III whose range extends into their territories. Long –finned pilot whales are classified under Appendix II and the Faroe Islands are a territory of Denmark. The Faroese have so-called "home rule", but Denmark is responsible for Faroese policy." [8]

The Faroese determination to continue practicing the grind has not dampened the passion and determination of ocean conservationists to end it. This summer islanders will see stronger opposition to the grind than ever before. Each day more supporters are joining their efforts to end the senseless slaughter of the amazing pilot whales. SSCS is heading to the Faroe Islands to film begin filming "Whale Wars," for the upcoming season. "We will have crew on the beaches, on the water, under the water, and in the air," said Captain Watson from Australia. "It is time to blow this horror show out of the water once and for all. The killing is a violation of the Berne Convention and Denmark needs to be brought to task. If the Faeroese are going to enjoy the benefits of the European Union, they need to abide by the laws of the European Union." [9]

What you can do to help? Let the Faroe Board of Tourism know that the grind makes travel seem unattractive in the Faroe Islands, and will eventually drive visitors away. Why risk a flourishing tourism business for a tradition that is best left in the past. Urge the Faroe board of tourism to embrace marine eco-tourism, and celebrate the pilot whales. Let them know the sensitive, intelligent, pilot whales are worth so much more living than they will ever be dead, or worse yet, extinct.

For more information on the grind, visit: www.seashepherd.org or contact the Tourism Board directly:

Samvit - Faroe Islands Enterprise
Bryggjubakki 12, P.O.Box 118
FO-110 Tórshavn, Tel. 306900, Fax 306901
tourist@tourist.fo, www.tourist.fo
www.visit-faroeislands.com, www.samvit.fo

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