I came across this highly controversial subject through a post on Facebook, there was an image of a bloodied ocean and the bopping heads of whales slaughtered with gaffs. It stirred such an emotion in me that I just couldn't shake off.
I had heard of this "tradition", "massacre", "hunt", "right of passage" years before and it was highlighted once again when my relocation took place in Denmark as the Faroe islands are closely related to Denmark;
an island group situated between the Norweigan sea and the North Atlantic Ocean. The islands form a self-governing country under the sovereignty of the Kingdom of Denmark. The total area is approximately 1,400 km² (540 sq mi) with a 2010 population of almost 50,000 people.
I passed the television the other night and those haunting images revived themself on the television screen; once again capturing my fascination, confusion and anger. The documentary displayed the actual event of whaling, showing speedboats cornering tormented creatures further towards the shoreline where shallow waters allowed a clear "hit" or "slay' with spear headed object called gaffs. This traumatic scene showed whales crying and adament barbaric faces of the hunters hacking into everything that meandered past them, the ocean turned into a blood bath and the commotion eventually subsided with a semi dead whale head emerging here and there. Spectators lined the shoreline of the Faroe island (woman, children and men)
I was stricken and just so very confused. We are currently in 2012, yet this imagery felt like I was being subjected to a History documentary of a million years ago
I couldn't shake this confusion and immediatly hopped onto my ipad for further explanation. Was I missing something?, why wasn't something being done about this?.I was so engrossed in the subject to say the least.
My immediate response was hatred towards these uneducated people and their actions and then I remembered; I had moved to Denmark and been exposed to all kinds of new things that were uncommon to me; woman wearing fur, strange delicacies, harsh climate and a different culture. I took all these factors into consideration and decided a rash conclusion on my part would be immature. I needed to understand more before I just spat out my grievences and disgust on his matter.
I read various articles, a thesis on whaling and a comparitive study featuring the island of St Vincent and the Faroe island, searched images and had a healthy debate with my partner on the subject.
After my tired eyes could see no more and my mind was crammed with facts and understanding, I decided to write this Post for those interested.
My own personal conclusion will be placed at the end, i choose to give relevent information and you can decide for yourself on the matter at hand.
Some background:
Around 950 long finned pilot whales are killed during Summer in the Faroe island each year
The killing is regulated by Faroenese administration and not by the IWC (International Whaline Commission)
The killing is called Grindadrap which in tern means the Grind.
Pilot whales have been registered as an unfavourable species to consume as the mercury levels in this whale are highly toxic.
The hunt is regarded as an age old tradition on the Faroenese island, dating 1200 years back. Records of hunting date back to 1584.
The meat and blubber is part of the islanders staple diet, other elements of the whale are used to make rope, lines, floats and oil
Gaffs are used to hook the whale and lead it to shore, regulations now insist on blunt gaffs being used as this is more humane, the gaff is struck down, with the end splitting into the blowhole of the creature, the gaff and rope are used to bring it to shore whereby the throat is slit and the final kill takes place.
The catch is distributed amongst locals whether or not they took part in the "traditional" act
The hunt is not secluded to just the pilot whale, bottlenose dolphins and other species are hacked too, basically any creature that comes close enough to shore.
- The consumption of this meat has shown a reduction in the island population over the past few years and an increase in mental retardedness in child births
My impression;
Where does one start when you see such brutality, so much blood, baby dolphins crying out in anguish, such viciousness. At one stage I was speechless when these images entered and were stored away in my mind but after lengthy research and investigation I can honestly say I am well informed.
I read through a thesis done on whaling involving two islands, St Vincent in the Carribean and the Faroe islands, both practice this gruesome act. When one looks deeper into the culture, the history and tradition; it all comes down to survival. We eat to survive. Who am I to question a tradition, a culture, a way of life... These people do not see these whales as friends, they are a food source, a staple and the killing is a way of living, as simple and appreciated as you and I going to the grocery store.
Back in the day, whales were categorised as sea monsers, - killers, - a threat and so it makes sense that the uninformed civilisations of way way yesteryear would feel no emotion or regret in killing these unknown creatures but it is 2012, we live in a world where information is at our fingertips, where a perspective is usually a semi informed one based on the fact that we are exposed to so much, so much technology, understanding and documentary work that stipulates the intelligence of these beings, their communicative ways, their family pods and structures and how they care for their young. They are not sea monsters!!! they are a creation to be treausered and further understood.
As I keep on insisting; we live in 2012. The Faroe island imports a large variety of products and resources as the island does not have a large farming area to capitalise on or an array of resources to extract fro for livelihood, so whaling is a form of nutrition and stability. But does it have to be so gruesome?, so many killed?, so much blood?, does it have to be an occasion whereby spectators line the shore to watch this circus act? From the posts, review, and sites; many people are against this tradition and countries vehemenently view the Faroenese in such an evil shadow and show lack of sympathy for their savageness. How can a population still revert to such antiquated methods and portray the event with such enthusiasm?. I have seen many images whereby children are involved, men are excited with testosterone running high and a animal intensity in their eyes. So why wouldnt I associate such violence with that of the Faroe island, its what I visualise when I think of them and that in turn cannot be good press for them let alone do their tourism industry a world of good. Do a search just on Faroe island and on the first page; Google will list the associated killings.
I grew up watching Free Willy, crying into my popcorrn at his capture and emotionally disturbed. I made the decision years ago to not contribute or support circuses and events whereby animals are exploited and trained, dolphin shows and so on. No creature should be subjected to being a performer for the entertainment of mere mortals, who do we think we are!? Yes, I am emotionally attached to these creatures of the majestic ocean, I dont eat whale with wine or salt and pepper my dolphin fillet but the Faroenese do.
With facts such as endangered species lists, poor Faroenese tourism and bad reputations to take into account, the inedibility of the meat as the toxin levels are so high, the extreme number of whales getting killed, the methods used; rope and gaffs, the rotting of whale meat on the shore and so much excess waste of such a remarkable creature, the ever growing list of extinct animals, the torment these trusting creatures go through, the disregard for baby whales and their isolation and seperation from their mothers; left to fend for themselves. None of this makes sense in this day and age.
So make up your own mind, look at the images and remove emotion and consider the raw facts if you can.
After all of this, I do not agree with this massacre, i take all factors into consideration but the end result is not sustainable and it is NOT RIGHT.
We live in a world of rapid depletion, stricken lands and global catastrophies...why add to this evil?
