Faroe Islands – First Whale Hunt of the Year – 40 reported killed
Whilst springtime across much of Europe brings signs of new life, in the Faroe Islands it has just brought the sad news of the first whale hunt of the season. On May 4th, a pod of pilot whales was spotted from Trøllanes, one of the most northerly villages in the archipelago, and they were then driven south by a line of motor vessels and killed at Klaksvik, the island’s second largest town. The body count is reported as 40.
The whales were reported as sighted at 8.30am and all killed by 3.30pm. It is not clear how long the whales were chased before they were finally herded into the shallows to be secured by placing a round-ended gaff in their blowholes and then killed using a ‘spinal lance’ which was driven deep behind their heads to sever their spinal cords and associated blood vessels.
At the same time as the news of this first hunt breaks, a report from the islands tells that the Whalers Organisation there means to promote whaling to young people and children via a planned educational film. The aim is that this will be an educational resource used in schools and it will include sections on driving, killing and butchering the whales.
Background
For more information about the Faroes Hunts please see the report “Unraveling the truth: Whale killing in the Faroe Islands” from OceanCare and its allies.