Dear MEL Topic Readers,
Faroe Islands: Anger over killing of 1,400 dolphins in one day
The Faroe Islands are located about halfway between Norway and Iceland. It is an autonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark, just like Greenland. There are a little over 53,000 inhabitants in the small territory of just 1,400 square kilometers. Though Faroe sheep is the basis of many meals for the islanders, seafood is of course an important part of their diet, including whales. In fact, about 600 pilot whales are caught each year by a non-commercial community organization. While most of the islanders think whaling is a sustainable way to get food from nature and is part of their local culture, animal rights activists say it is cruel and unnecessary. On September 12, the islanders caught over 1,400 dolphins and killed them all. They say they hadn’t realized the size of the catch until they started killing them. Did they need to catch and kill that many dolphins in a day just for 53,000 stomachs? Were they happy to see the record number of dolphin slaughters along the shore where the water turned red with blood? By the way, in Japan, a catch quota of about 1,800 dolphins has been issued this particular hunting season. Dolphin hunting still seems to continue for some time.
Read the article and see the photos of slaughtered dolphins by the Faroe Islanders, and think why sea mammals are still being hunted while activists are trying to save them.
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