Since May this year, more than 500 dolphins have been killed in a traditional hunt called “grindgráp” in the Faroe Islands, a Danish archipelago between Iceland and Norway.
The marine protection organization Sea Shepherd UK published pictures in which, in addition to several slaughtered dolphins, the sea water also appeared red due to the animals’ blood. The practice is at the center of the criticism of the nonprofit organization.
The “grindadráp” is a hunt that has been going on for centuries and is performed every summer by the islanders. The hunters form a semicircle with their fishing boats, surround the pilot whales, a species of dolphin, and lead them to an area of shallow water. There the animals are stranded and killed with knives. The activity is considered legal on the territory of the Faroe Islands.
According to Sea Shepherd UK, two hunts took place in the archipelago on Wednesday July 14th resulting in the deaths of 269 pilot whales off Vestmanna and 178 off Leynar. It was the fourth and fifth hunt of 2023, killing a total of 570 animals since May 1st.
The annual hunt has sparked outrage from animal rights activists, who have condemned the practice. However, grindadráp is still very popular in the Faroe Islands, as the animals provide food for the local population and represent a centuriesold tradition.
In 2022, the Faroese government set a limit of 500 Atlantic whitefaced dolphins that can be killed per year. The measure was taken after an unusual incident in which 1,400 animals were killed, prompting protests and criticism.