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On July 19, 2010, a pod of 236 pilot whales was "ruthlessly" slaughtered in the town of Klaksvik in the Danish Faeroe Islands, the anti-whaling group Sea Shepherd claimed today.
Sea Shepherd says it has documented the slaughter through the efforts of an undercover operative living among the locals in order to capture footage of "the grind." Sea Shepherd says the grind (or grindadrap in the Faroe dialect) is a cruel method of whaling that involves stranding pods of cetaceans in coves before severing their spinal chords with knives.
Faroe islanders have been whaling since the islands were first settled by the norse. It is regulated by local authorities but not by the International Whaling Commission. The Faroese claim to kill about 950 Long-finned Pilot Whales a year.
Animal-rights groups have criticized the hunt as cruel, while locals say that critics lack sufficient knowledge of the catch methods.
Sea Shepherd says its member Peter Hammarstedt, also First Mate of Sea Shepherd's vessel, the Bob Barker, had been living undercover with the islanders for one week when he heard news of a grind happening in Klaksvik over the radio. Hammarstedt documented the bloodshed upon arrival.
"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. The Faroese government claims that the deaths of these whales are quick and painless, but the newly released grisly footage shows otherwise, he said.
"One whale had five to six brutal chops to her head," reported Hammarstedt. "The islanders basically used her as a chopping board. Her death would have been slow and extremely painful. Some whales are hacked repeatedly for up to four minutes before they finally die." It was equally apparent that the grind is indiscriminate and ruthless, he claimed.
Pilot whales are classified as "strictly protected" under the Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats. By allowing the slaughter to continue in the Faeroes, Denmark fails to abide by its obligations as a signatory of the Convention, Sea Shepherd says.
Sea Shepherd has been actively opposing and confronting the Faroese grind since 1985 and remains one of the foremost advocates for the whales.
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Comments
Misleading headline. 1. It
Misleading headline.
1. It makes it sound as if it is a secret ritual being kept from the world. It is not. In fact, it is done in broad daylight where anyone can see, or even participate if they want. If it is difficult to document the event, it is because of the rapid nature of it. You have to be present when it happens, or get to the location within minutes, in order to actually see it unfold.
2. It is not a mass culling. Both words, ie. "mass" and "cull", are incorrect. 1000 whales a year out of a population of 800.000 is a mere fraction of the whole. And cull is a word used for purposefully reducing a population of a certain species of animals based on a set of criteria.
Further more, when you can learn about a subject by simply asking anyone you meet on the street, being undercover seems rather pointless. And believe me, you are either delusional or you have a superiority complex if you think of yourself as being undercover in the Faroe Islands...
It really does not matter
It really does not matter how many of these whales are in the world. Its a matter of animal abuse we outlawed animal fighting and there are still millions of dogs and chickens in the world. The fact is if something is wrong or cruel it must be stopped killing almost a thousand animals is crazy and all uncalled for. These creatures deserve to live a peaceful life. The fact of the matter is there is truely no way to humanely kill whales dolphins. I don't want to hear bs about it being someones culture as a excuse any longer for far to long people have hid behind it as a reason to abuse torture and kill both people and animals. If we truely such a great species it darn time we act like it and grow up. I for one am sick of it!
To Svem of Faroe For a
To Svem of Faroe
For a European country, you guys are supposed to be the 'Enlightened' ones...but unfortunately you're all still living with the cruel and heathen practices of the 'Dark Ages' If it's not a cull... then we, down-under here in the Pacific, would have to enlighten you in saying that this is nothing more than a BARBARIC act of CRUELTY that neither you nor your own kind would care to admit. You're very much mistaken and deluded if you think that the rest of the world accepts this kind of backward mentality... no thanks. This is certainly something that we could all live without...thank you very much.
It's only a matter of time now anyway, when your kind will become irrelevant amongst the global communities...as there is only afew of you left in numbers.
All WHALES, are beautiful creatures that deserve to live in peace as we all do.
It seems to me your blowing
It seems to me your blowing alot of crap outta your won blow hole.It's savage,cruel, and inhuman. Perhaps you need to learn about the human side of nature and see that most "human's" see it as simply put..an abortion on the behalf of the Faroe Islanders , upon the mass amount of strongly protected whales. Cause.. Yea...we love seeing that! Stop nit picking words and take the time to see what is going on in this world, then put your words into action to stop sensly killing.
As for the undercover person..useles?? How the hell do you call it useless when it now is spread all over the world what they do, and how?! Take your rainbow colored glasses off, and see the real world..mate!
I understand where you are
I understand where you are coming from but do you have to be so unpleasant and childish? I mean no offense.
I pick nits because the headline is so obviously misleading and sensationalist. It is not right to mislead people, even when you have good intentions.
Killing animals for consumption is not inhuman. I have two comments to this. One, humans are omnivores. It is just simply incorrect to state otherwise. It is also either naïve or incredibly arrogant to expect all the people on earth to opt for a vegetarian diet. The vast majority of the world would die of hunger or malnutrition if they were not allowed to eat meat. Two, whales are mammals, just like cows and pigs. The fact that they live in the ocean and look cute does not change that. If it does, then you are anthropomorphising the animal in question.
Yes, this article is available pretty much to anyone. But I think you are overestimating the effect it will have. Biased reporting is, by definition, only interesting to people who already agree. Also, the environmental movement have targeted the Faroes for at least 2 decades and they have been almost entirely ineffective. The changes that have ocured have been implemented by the Faroese people on their own accord.
It is exactly this type of
It is exactly this type of denial and rationalization that has led to the devastation of species and rainforests. These whales are protected. They are endangered by man. This practice is illegal and should be stopped.
"Pilot whales are classified
"Pilot whales are classified as "strictly protected" under the Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats. By allowing the slaughter to continue in the Faeroes, Denmark fails to abide by its obligations as a signatory of the Convention"
This killing of whales is
This killing of whales is intentional, planned and cruel. Those days are gone when man had to hunt for food, now you can find food at the supermarket. This isn't a need, or a fulfillment of hunger, it's a hunt, an event, which is continued due to tradition, not any other reason. If the hunger is so severe, maybe one or two whales could be enough to fill in the hungry stomachs? This is the intended destruction of a race of animals, not caring whether they are carrying off-springs or not. We call it ethnic cleansing when a race of humans is being specifically targeted to be killed. How is this any different? In the long run it will also result in ecological disorder.
'Nowadays you can find food
'Nowadays you can find food at the Supermarket'. Yeah right - look at the labelling - much of this 'food' is now being imported from China.
And you want to eat that ??????
Killing of vegetables is
Killing of vegetables is intentional, planned, and cruel. Vegetables carry incredible spiritual energy and have extra-dimensional emotions that should not be raped by selfish vegetarians and vegans. As humans, we should just think we are cancers of this earth and opt to exterminate ourselves through hunger. Killing of any living being is inhumane. So please, do the earth a favor and stop eating anything and everything.
Whaling is cruel and
Whaling is cruel and completely unnecessary. I don't care if 1,000 is a fraction of the entire population - it is a gruesome and horrible death.
"Whaling is cruel" If the
"Whaling is cruel"
If the killing is organized properly and everything goes as planned, then whaling isn't any crueler than killing pigs and cows.
"These creatures deserve to live a peaceful life."
If whales do, then why don't fish, cows, pigs etc. also deserve that right? (I'm not saying whales don't deserve to live, I'm simply stating the obvious; that human kind kill and eat what they are surrounded by, in the case of the Faroe Islands it's fish, whales and birds)
"now you can find food at the supermarket.
Are you saying that if the Faroe Islands put whale meat in the supermarket it would be ok? You're saying that as long as aren't hungry you perhaps shouldn't eat the food you'd like to have. It's like asking Americans not to eat fast food (even though they like it) just because they can get some other food from the supermarket.
Sverri - I agree, the
Sverri - I agree, the headline here is both misleading and sensationalist. In New Zealand, we have 30 million or so sheep. They are cute and wooly, yet we probably slaughter ten million a year. We have tens of millions of cattle, which are likewise killed for food, as well as taking away their babies not long after birth and inhumanely keep them lactating, so we can gather their milk. In India, cows are scared and can't be abused like this, yet we don't stop farming and harming them.
There are also untold millions of possums, which we routinely trap, poison and kill, even though they're totally protected in Australia, and regarded as cute by millions of Australian children.
We project our Gaian utopia onto whales at the same time as we buy supermarket meat packs, divorced from the reality of the death and suffering of animals we legitimately farm for meat.
I eat meat, I know where it comes from, I'm an unashamed omnivore. Let the Faroe Islanders follow their culture!
Usual Sea Shethead
Usual Sea Shethead BULLCRAP!
Everything they say or do is Deceitful Misleading or Dead Bollocks!
Standard Operating Procedure for their Movie Company.
But its all about MOneH.....A Whole lot of Spending Moneh ....and as usual it is taken from the Ignorant of society that have pathetic Judgment as can be seen by those whining above hypocritically about Holy Sea Cows that Kill animals all day long but don&t defend Cows that don't.
The Whales harvested are not endangered at the levels taken nor are they any more special than other animals people like Pete Bethune EAT.
And they are certainly less innocent than Cow that are Truly Vegetarian as Whales are mainly CARNIVOROUS!!!
BTW an Excellent and
BTW an Excellent and Merciful sounding Killing Method..
I'm impressed at the intelligence and compassion of these people.
Cows are not depleted..like
Cows are not depleted..like the buffalo, the white man decided to endangered..whales are also extinct. You have no comparison to make an argument for. As far as the Sea Shepherd volunteers go...at least they care what is taking place in the ocean..and trying to keep "researchers" from abolishing the remaining whales. They get no pay, they live on bare neccessties, and put their lives at stake to save what is left on this planet. No one is perfect..yes there are many causes out there in the world that need help, and they choose this one. There are too many good people that are commited to keeping this world out of harms way, and God Bless each and every one of them. We need more good people to volunteer for what appeals to their heart.If saving the ocean is what Sea Shepherds do..then offer your best wishes for them and others like them.It takes different people to make a difference in this world, and be thankful that there are some that do..like Pete Bethune. May I ask..what have you volunteered for lately? You need to look at the good of the people ,not put them down..
Thank you
Boni
Sea Shepherd Volunteer
Boni, 1000 from 800,000 is a
Boni,
1000 from 800,000 is a minuscule amount. Your argument that this in some way contributes to "abolishing the remaining whales" seems at best fatuous, if not laughable.
Given the results of fishing for human consumption has already lowered the available food stocks further up the feeding pyramid in the seas an argument could easily be made for controlling the numbers of predators, such as pilot whales, in order to prevent unbalancing of the remaining ecosystem.
We are overwhelmingly eaters of meat, as part of our diets. Unless you can convince the majority of humans to forsake a large part of their dietary intake, we will, as a species, continue to harvest food from the carcasses of other animals. These pilot whales are not endangered, the Faroe Islanders have a long tradition of harvesting them. Sea Shepherd has no legitimate business there.
Thank you for your
Thank you for your reply..but you still didn't answer my question..what have YOU volunteered for lately? Your just side stepping the question with your useles facts.