Killed pilot whales on the beach in the village Hvalba on the most southern Faroese island Suðuroy, 11 August 2002.

Whaling in the Faroe Islands has been practised since at least the tenth century.^[1] It is strongly regulated by Faroese authorities and is approved by the International Whaling Commission (IWC). Around 950 Long-finned Pilot Whales (Globicephala melaena) are killed annually, although mainly during the summer. Occasionally, other species are hunted as well, such as the Northern Bottlenose Whale and Atlantic White-sided Dolphin. The hunts, called grindadráp in Faroese, are non-commercial and are organised on a community level; anyone can participate. The hunters first surround the pilot whales with a wide semi-circle of boats. The boats then drive the pilot whales slowly into a bay or to the bottom of a fjord. Image File history File links Killed_pilot_wales_in_hvalba,_faroe_islands. ... Image File history File links Killed_pilot_wales_in_hvalba,_faroe_islands. ... Hvalba, looking towards Lítla Dímun island Hvalba is one of the larger villages in the Faroe Islands. ... Suðuroy (literally south island) is the southernmost and fourth largest island of Faroe. ... August 11 is the 223rd day of the year (224th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For album titles with the same name, see 2002 (album). ... International Whaling Commission Logo The International Whaling Commission (IWC) was set up by the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling (ICRW)[1] on December 2, 1946 to promote and maintain whale fishery stocks. ... Binomial name Globicephala macrorhynchus Short-finned Pilot Whale range Binomial name Globicephala melas Long-finned Pilot Whale range A Pilot Whale is one of two species of cetacean in the genus Globicephala. ... It has been suggested that this article be split into multiple articles accessible from a disambiguation page. ... Binomial name Lagenorhynchus acutus (Gray, 1828) Atlantic White-sided Dolphin range The Atlantic White-sided Dolphin (Lagenorhynchus acutus) is a distinctively coloured dolphin found in the cool to temperate waters of the North Atlantic Ocean. ... In geography, a bay or gulf is a collection of water that is surrounded by land on three sides. ... Fjord in Sunnmøre, Norway Fjords are very long inlets from the sea with high steeply sloped walled sides. ...

Most Faroese consider the hunt an important part of their culture and history, and arguments about the topic rarely fail to raise strong emotions. Animal rights groups criticize the hunt as being cruel and unnecessary.^{[2] [3]} The hunters claim in return that most journalists do not exhibit sufficient knowledge of the catch methods or its economic significance.^[4] With the ongoing marine pollution from large industrial nations, some speculate that the Faroese people will be without this source of food.

The meaning of the word "grind"

Pilot Whales

In Faroese grind has different meanings. The expression "ein grind", can both mean a school of pilot whales as well as pilot whale meat. The plural form grindir, means several schools of pilot whales. But grind is also the actual event, defining the whole affair and the associated culture. The word grind derives from the Old Norse language. A pilot whale is in Faroese grindahvalur or grindafiskur the latter meaning grind”fish”. Dráp means to kill or slaughter. Therefore, literally translated, "grindadráp" means pilot whale kill or pilot whale slaughter. However, a commonly encountered, neutral, translation is "pilot whaling". This photo of two Long-finned Pilot Whales is taken from http://nmml. ... This photo of two Long-finned Pilot Whales is taken from http://nmml. ... Culture (from the Latin cultura stemming from colere, meaning to cultivate), generally refers to patterns of human activity and the symbolic structures that give such activity significance. ... Old Norse is the Germanic language spoken by the inhabitants of Scandinavia and their overseas settlements during the Viking Age, until about 1300. ...

The cry grindaboð, which historically took place when a school of pilot whales was sighted, are the two words grind and boð the latter meaning message. Literally translated it therefore means grind message. A better translation could be: news of grind.

The origins of the pilot whale hunt

Whale hunting has been a common phenomenon for a long period of time. It is known to have existed on Iceland, in the Hebrides, and in Shetland and Orkney. This article is about the Hebrides islands in Scotland. ... Shetland (formerly spelled Zetland, from etland, Scottish Gaelic: ) formerly called Hjaltland, is one of 32 council areas of Scotland. ... Location Geography Area Ranked 16th  - Total 990 km²  - % Water  ? Admin HQ Kirkwall ISO 3166-2 GB-ORK ONS code 00RA Demographics Population Ranked 32nd  - Total (2005) 19,590  - Density 20 / km² Politics Orkney Islands Council http://www. ...

Archaeological evidence from the early Norse settlement of the Faroe Islands c. 1200 years ago, in the form of pilot whale bones found in household remains in Gøta, indicates that the pilot whale has long had a central place in the everyday life of Faroe Islanders. The meat and blubber of the pilot whale has been an important part of the islanders staple diet. The blubber, in particular, has been highly valued both as food and for processing into oil, which was used for lighting fuel and other purposes. Parts of the skin of pilot whales were also used for ropes and lines, while stomachs were used as floats. Norseman redirects here; for the town of the same name see Norseman, Western Australia. ... Norðragøta is a village on Eysturoy, Faroe Islands. ... Mortal Kombat character, see Meat (Mortal Kombat). ... Remains of seventeenth century blubber cauldrons at the abandoned Dutch settlement of Smeerenburg in Svalbard, Norway This article is about the body tissue. ... Natural olive oil Synthetic motor oil An oil is any substance that is in a viscous liquid state (oily) at ambient temperatures or slightly warmer, and is both hydrophobic (immiscible with water, literally water fearing) and lipophilic (miscible with other oils, literally fat loving). This general definition includes compound classes... In zootomy and dermatology, skin is the largest organ of the integumentary system made up of multiple layers of epithelial tissues that guard underlying muscles and organs. ... Coils of rope used for long-line fishing A rope (IPA: ) is a length of fibers, twisted or braided together to improve strength for pulling and connecting. ... Lines (aka ColorLines) is a Computer puzzle game, invented by Oleg Demin and first introduced as a video game by the Russian company Gamos in 1992. ... There are several meanings of float: an air-filled vessel that floats on water, such as some types of lifeboats buoyancy float (project management) floating currency floating exchange rate floating point, a datatype in computer science free float of company stock insurance (investable policyholder funds) root beer float: ice cream...

Rights to whales have been regulated by law since medieval times. References are found in early Norwegian legal documents, while the oldest existing legal document with specific reference to the Faroes, the so-called Sheep Letter from 1298, includes rules for rights to, and shares of both stranded whales as well as whales driven ashore.^[5]

The institutions of the pilot whale hunt and the killing process

The sighting

The pilot whale hunt has a well-developed system of communication. Reverend Lucas Debes made reference to the system, which means that it had already developed by the seventeenth century. Historically the system takes place as such: When a school of pilot whales has been sighted, messengers are sent to spread the news among the inhabitants of the island involved (the Faroe Islands have 17 inhabited islands). At the same time, a bonfire is lit at a specific location, in order to inform those on the neighbouring island, where the same pattern then is followed. Lucas Jacobsøn Debes (born in Stubbekøbing, Denmark, in 1623; died 1675) was a minister in the Faroe Islands, about which he also wrote. ... For the AC/DC box set, see Bonfire (album) For the German band called Bonfire, see Bonfire (band) A bonfire (commonly mispronounced bombfire) is a large controlled outdoor fire made from bales of straw or wood. ...

It is believed that the system is one of the oldest elements concerning the pilot whale hunt. This is because a rather large number of boats and people are necessary to drive and kill a school of pilot whales. Today, however, the news of a sighting is relayed via mobile phones and other modern methods of communication.

The locations

The small village of Hvalvík (in English Whale Bay) on the island Streymoy is a well-known place for beaching pilot whales.

The location must be well-suited to the purpose of beaching whales. It is against the law to kill pilot whales at locations with inappropriate conditions. The seabed must gradually slope from the shore out to deep water. Given such conditions, the chances are good that the whales can be driven fully ashore or close enough to the shore that they can be secured and killed from land. When a school of pilot whales is sighted, boats gather behind the whales and slowly drive them towards the chosen authorized location, usually a bay or the end of a fjord. There are 17 towns and villages that have the right conditions, and therefore legal authorisation, for beaching whales. These are Bøur, Fámjin, Fuglafjørður, Syðrugøta, Húsavík, Hvalba, Hvalvík, Hvannasund, Klaksvík, Miðvágur, Norðskáli, Sandavágur, Sandur, Tórshavn (in Sandagerði), Tvøroyri, Vágur and Vestmanna. These towns and villages have featured most heavily in the statistics for whaling in the Faroes since 1854. Image File history File links Sundini_with_Hvalvík_Streymoy_in_the_winter,_faroe_islands. ... Image File history File links Sundini_with_Hvalvík_Streymoy_in_the_winter,_faroe_islands. ... Population: 181 Postal code (Zip): FO 430 Location: 62° 11′ 23″ N 7° 1′ 51″ W Municipality: Hvalvikar Hvalvik is located in a valley on Streymoy?s east coast. ... Streymoy is the largest island of the Faroe Islands. ... The seabed (also sea floor, seafloor, or ocean floor) is the bottom of the ocean. ... Shore A shore or shoreline is the land at the edge of a large body of water, such as an ocean, sea, or lake. ... In geography, a bay or gulf is a collection of water that is surrounded by land on three sides. ... Fjord in Sunnmøre, Norway Fjords are very long inlets from the sea with high steeply sloped walled sides. ... Bøur is a villige in the Faroe Islands. ... Fámjin Fámjin is a village in the Faroe Islands. ... Faroese stamp FO 550: Fuglafjørður Date of issue: 13 February 2006 Fuglafjørður Fuglafjørður is a village on Eysturoys east coast in the Faroe Islands. ... Syðrugøta is a village on southwest of the Faroese island of Eysturoy in the municipality of Gøta. ... Disambiguation, see also Húsavík, Faroe Islands Location in Iceland County Suður-Þingeyjarsýsla Constituency Northeast Area 270 km² ( 104. ... Hvalba, looking towards Lítla Dímun island Hvalba is one of the larger villages in the Faroe Islands. ... Population: 181 Postal code (Zip): FO 430 Location: 62° 11′ 23″ N 7° 1′ 51″ W Municipality: Hvalvikar Hvalvik is located in a valley on Streymoy?s east coast. ... Hvannasund is a settlement in the Faroe Islands. ... View over Klaksvík; the island in the background is Kunoy. ... Miðvágur (Danish name: MidvÃ¥g) is a village in the Faroe Islands on Vágar. ... The Sundini sound at Norðskáli, Faroe Islands Norðskáli is a settlement in the Faroe Islands on the island of Eysturoy at . The population is 249. ... Stamp FO 511 of Postverk Føroya Issued: 7 February 2005 Artist: Eli Smith The town of Sandavágur lies on the south coast of the Faroese island of Vagar, and has been voted the most well-kept village in the Faroes. ... In geology, a sandur is a phenomenon found mostly in Iceland. ... The peninsula Tinganes is seat of the Faroese Government in Tórshavn. ... Population: 1195 Postal code (Zip): FO 800 Location: 61° 33′ 21″ N 6° 48′ 12″ W Municipality: Tvoroyrar Football team: TB (Tvøroyrar Bóltfelag) Tvoroyri lies picturesque on the north side of the Trongisvagsfjordur-inlet on the east coast of Suduroy. ... Typical dramatic light scenery in the Faroe Islands: The town of Vágur, winter 2004 Church of Vágur on Suðuroy Christmas Stamp FO 503 Artist: Jákup Pauli Gregoriussen Issued: 20 Sept 2004 Vágur (Danish name: VÃ¥g meaning Bay) is a town on the Faroe Island... Vestmanna is a town in the Faroe Islands on the west of the island of Streymoy. ...

The whaling regulations

At the beginning of the nineteenth century, proposals to begin regulation of the whale hunt began to be proposed in the Faroese legislature. On 4 June 1907, the Danish Governor (in Faroese amtmaður) as well as the sheriff sent the first draft for whaling regulations to the Office of the Exchequer in Copenhagen. In the following years, a number of drafts were debated, and finally in 1932 the first Faroese whaling regulations were introduced. Since then, every detail of the pilot whale hunt has been carefully defined in the regulations. This means that the institution of the pilot whale hunt, which had previously largely been based on tradition, became an integrated part of society´s legal structure. In the regulations one has institutionalized old customs and added new ordinances when old customs have proved insufficient or inappropriate.^[6] June 4 is the 155th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (156th in leap years), with 210 days remaining. ... 1907 (MCMVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Wednesday of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... For other uses, see Governor (disambiguation). ... Look up Sheriff in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... For other uses, see Copenhagen (disambiguation). ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ...

The whaling districts

Since 1832, the Faroe Islands have been divided into several whaling districts, although there is reason to believe that these districts already existed in some form prior to this date. These whaling districts are the basis for the distribution of the meat and blubber of the pilot whales caught. The catch is distributed in such a way that all the residents of the whaling district are given the same amount of the catch, regardless of whether or not they took part in the hunt. Local government areas called districts are used, or have been used, in several countries. ... Mortal Kombat character, see Meat (Mortal Kombat). ... Remains of seventeenth century blubber cauldrons at the abandoned Dutch settlement of Smeerenburg in Svalbard, Norway This article is about the body tissue. ...

Supervision

Before the enactment of home-rule in 1948, the Danish governor had the highest responsibility of supervising a pilot whale hunt. Today, supervision is the responsibility of the Faroese government. The government is charged with ensuring that the Pilot whaling regulations are respected and otherwise answer for preparations. In practice, this means that it is the local legislative representative, who holds the highest command in a pilot whale hunt. It is his responsibility to both supervise the hunt and to distribute the catch.

The hunt and drive

In accordance with the regulations, men gather on the shore to kill the beached whales, here in the town Vágur on Suðuroy, June 28, 2004.

Whale hunting equipment is legally restricted to hooks, ropes, and assessing-poles for measurement. A boat that has been equipped in such a manner is a pilot whale boat. The pilot whale boat is not a traditional small Faroese rowing boat, neither is it a vehicle used by the coastal navigation, and it does not include the modern Faroese factory fleet. A pilot whale boat simply describes the temporary condition of a small boat during a hunt, which is otherwise used for line fishery or leisure purposes. Image File history File links Grindadrap_vagur,_faroe_islands. ... Image File history File links Grindadrap_vagur,_faroe_islands. ... Typical dramatic light scenery in the Faroe Islands: The town of Vágur, winter 2004 Church of Vágur on Suðuroy Christmas Stamp FO 503 Artist: Jákup Pauli Gregoriussen Issued: 20 Sept 2004 Vágur (Danish name: Våg meaning Bay) is a town on the Faroe Island... Suðuroy (literally south island) is the southernmost and fourth largest island of Faroe. ... June 28 is the 179th day of the year (180th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 186 days remaining. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Look up Hook in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Coils of rope used for long-line fishing A rope (IPA: ) is a length of fibers, twisted or braided together to improve strength for pulling and connecting. ...

When the whalers have met the requirements specified above, the pilot whales can be driven. Whale drives only take place when a school of whales is sighted close to land, and when sea and weather conditions make them possible. The whaling regulations specify how the school of whales is to be driven ashore. The drive itself works by surrounding the pilot whales with a wide semi-circle of boats. On the whaling-foremans signal, stones attached to lines are thrown into the water behind the pilot whales, thus the boats drive the whales towards an authorised beach or fjord, where the whales then beach themselves. It is not permitted to take whales on the ocean-side of the rope. A pilot whale drive is always under supervision of local authorities. The whaling foreman is in Faroese known as a grindaformaður. ... The Beach in Calella, Spain. ... Fjord in Sunnmøre, Norway Fjords are very long inlets from the sea with high steeply sloped walled sides. ... Supervision can refer to: SuperVision Videogame system A tutorial in Britain This is a disambiguation page — a list of pages that otherwise might share the same title. ...

The pilot whales that are not beached were often stabbed in the blubber with a sharp hook, called a gaff (in Faroese sóknarongul), and then pulled ashore. But, after allegations of animal cruelty, the Faroese whalers started using blunt gaffs (in Faroese blásturongul) to pull the whales ashore by their blowholes. Today, the ordinary gaff is only being used to pull killed whales ashore. The blunt gaff became generally accepted since its invention in 1993, and it is not only more effective, but it is also more humane by comparison to the other gaff. However, anti-whaling groups such as Greenpeace and the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society (WDCS) claim that the partial blocking and irritation of the airway hurts and panics the animal. Remains of seventeenth century blubber cauldrons at the abandoned Dutch settlement of Smeerenburg in Svalbard, Norway This article is about the body tissue. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Gaff rig. ... A blowhole is a cavity formed in the ground at the inland end of a sea cave. ... ... Greenpeace protest against Esso / Exxon Mobil. ... The Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society (WDCS) is the most prominent environmental organization that dedicates itself to conservation and welfare of all whales, dolphins and porpoises. ...

Furthermore, in 1985 the Faroe Islands outlawed the use of spears and harpoons in the hunt, as it considers these weapons to be unnecessarily cruel to animals. Hunting spear and knife, from Mesa Verde National Park. ... For other uses, see Harpoon (disambiguation) Harpoon gun redirects here. ...

Once ashore the pilot whale is killed by cutting the dorsal area through to the spinal cord with a special whaling knife, a grindaknívur. Given the circumstances during a pilot whale hunt, the whaling knife is considered the safest and most effective equipment with which to kill the whales. Naturally since the whales are killed manually death cannot, by definition, be instantaneous. The length it takes for a whale to die varies between a few seconds to a few minutes, with the average time being 30 seconds.^[7] In anatomy, the dorsum is the upper or back side of an animal, as opposed to the ventrum. ... The Spinal cord nested in the vertebral column. ... Grindaknívur or a whaling knife, is the Faroese pilot whale hunts most distinguished equipment. ...

Impression

The sea turns a spectacular bloody red

Two dead Northern Bottlenose Whales with necks that have been cut with the grindaknívur in the bay of Nes in Vágur on Suðuroy.

During the cut of a pilot whale's spine, their main arteries also get cut. Because of this the surrounding sea tends to turn a spectacular bloody red. This vivid imagery is often used by anti-whaling groups in their campaigns against the hunt. These images of a blood red sea can often have a shocking effect on bystanders. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1280 × 960 pixel, file size: 323 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Beach of Hvalba during a Grindadráp, Faroe Islands Photo: Erik Christensen (Website - Contact) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1280 × 960 pixel, file size: 323 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Beach of Hvalba during a Grindadráp, Faroe Islands Photo: Erik Christensen (Website - Contact) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this... Image File history File links Killed_pilot_wales,_faroe_islands. ... Image File history File links Killed_pilot_wales,_faroe_islands. ... It has been suggested that this article be split into multiple articles accessible from a disambiguation page. ... Grindaknívur or a whaling knife, is the Faroese pilot whale hunts most distinguished equipment. ... Nes is: A municipality in the county of Akershus in Norway, see Nes, Akershus. ... Typical dramatic light scenery in the Faroe Islands: The town of Vágur, winter 2004 Church of Vágur on Suðuroy Christmas Stamp FO 503 Artist: Jákup Pauli Gregoriussen Issued: 20 Sept 2004 Vágur (Danish name: Våg meaning Bay) is a town on the Faroe Island... Suðuroy (literally south island) is the southernmost and fourth largest island of Faroe. ... Section of an artery An artery or arterial is also a class of highway. ... Red is any of a number of similar colors evoked by light consisting predominantly of the longest wavelengths of light discernible by the human eye, in the wavelength range of roughly 625–750 nm. ...

Since no harpoons or spears or firearms may be used, the men must be located in ice-cold water and struggle with each individual animal. Those who take part describe it as being particularly arduous as well as requiring a high level of concentration. Those who take part gain free food for themselves and their families.

Chairman of the Faroese Pilot Whaler’s Association Ólavur Sjúrðaberg from Leirvík describes the pilot whale hunt in such a way: "I'm sure that no one who kills his own animals for food is unmoved by what he does. You want it done as quickly and with as little suffering as possible for the animal."^[8] Faroese stamp FO 551 issued 13 February 2006 Leirvíkar kommuna on the map of the Faroer. ...

The pilot whale as a source of food

All of the meat and blubber of the pilot whale is consumed. This fact is sometimes denied by animal rights organizations.

Most part of traditional Faroese food consists of meat. Because of the harsh Faroese climate, grain and vegetables have not been able to grow very well. During the winter months the Faroe Islanders´ only option was to mostly eat salted or dried food (this includes meat, pilot whale meat, seabirds and fish). This means that over the centuries, the pilot whale has been an important source of food and vitamins to the isolated population on the North Atlantic archipelago. The word grain has several meanings, most being descriptive of a small piece or particle. ... The Sooty Tern is highly aerial and marine and will spend years flying at sea without returning to land. ... A giant grouper at the Georgia Aquarium Fish are aquatic vertebrates that are typically cold-blooded; covered with scales, and equipped with two sets of paired fins and several unpaired fins. ... Isolation can refer to: Isolation as a psychological phenomenon. ...

The pilot whale meat and blubber is stored, prepared and eaten in the Faroese households. This also means that meat is not available at supermarkets. Although the Faroe Island's main export is fish, this does not include pilot whale meat or blubber. An annual catch of 956 pilot whales^[9] (1990-1999) is roughly equivalent to 500 tonnes of meat and blubber, some 30% of all meat produced locally in the Faroe Islands. A household refers to those who live in the same house, who may or may not make up a family. ... Exterior of a typical British supermarket (a Tesco Extra) Exterior of typical North American supermarket (a Safeway) This Flagship Randalls store in Houston, Texas is an example of an upscale supermarket. ...

Food preparation

Whale meat and blubber is a Faroese specialty. Well into the last century meat and blubber from the pilot whale meant food for a long time. Everybody got their share, as is the custom to this day.^[10] The meat and blubber can be stored and prepared in a variety of ways such as Grind og spik. When fresh, the meat is boiled or served as steaks. A pilot whale steak is in Faroese called grindabúffur. Whale meat with blubber and potatoes in their skins are put in to a saucepan with salt and then boiled for an hour. Thin slivers of the blubber are also a popular accompaniment to dried fish. Grind og spik is a typical dish of the Faroe Islands. ... A steak (from Old Norse steik, roast) is a slice from a larger piece of meat, typically beef. ... Binomial name Solanum tuberosum L. The potato (Solanum tuberosum) is a perennial plant of the Solanaceae, or nightshade, family, grown for its starchy tuber. ... cast-iron iron enamel stainless steel The cooking pan is a type of food preparation utensil commonly found in the kitchen which includes many more specific cooking vessels such as saucepans and frying pans (or fry pans). ... A magnified crystal of a salt (halite/sodium chloride) Salt covering the floor of Bad Water in Death Valley, CA, the lowest point in the US. A salt, in chemistry, is defined as the product formed from the neutralisation reaction of acids and bases. ... Stockfish is unsalted fish dried naturally by sun and wind on wooden racks called hjell, or in special drying houses. ...

The traditional preservation is by salting or outdoor wind-drying. Today the meat and blubber is often kept in the freezer. The traditional way of storage is still being practised however, particularly in the villages. Salting is the preparation of food with salt. ... A freezer is a home appliance, usually found above the refrigerator that keeps foods frozen. ...

Tourists in the Faroe Islands, who would like to try pilot whale meat and other Faroese food specialities, can do as such at different cultural events which are mostly organized in the summer period.

Cultural importance

The pilot whale hunt is an integral part of Faroese social culture. Faroese men often say that grindadráp makes them feel Faroese. Women do not actively take part in grindadráp, but are bystanders or onlookers. This is part of the traditional division of labour concerning grindadráp that is centuries old, and has not changed over time. Although the term social is a crucial category in social science and often used in public discourse, its meaning is often vague, suggesting that it is a fuzzy concept. ... Culture (from the Latin cultura stemming from colere, meaning to cultivate), generally refers to patterns of human activity and the symbolic structures that give such activity significance. ... Division of labour is the specialisation of cooperative labour in specific, circumscribed tasks and roles, intended to increase efficiency of output. ...

In Faroese literature and art, grindadráp is an important motive. The grindadráp paintings by Sámal Joensen-Mikines rank internationally as some of his most important. They are part of a permanent exhibition in the Faroese art museum in the capital Tórshavn. The Danish governor of the Faroe Islands Christian Pløyen wrote the famous Pilot Whaling song, a Faroese ballade written in Danish entitled "A New Song about the Pilot Whale Hunt on the Faroes". It was written during his term of office (1830-1847) and was printed in Copenhagen in 1835. Rasmus Rasmussen and Símun av Skarði In the Middle Ages many poems and stories were handed down orally. ... The Faroe Islands are a self-governing part of Denmark, and are an isolated group of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean. ... Sámuel Joensen-Mikines (1906-1979) was a Faroese painter. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... The peninsula Tinganes is seat of the Faroese Government in Tórshavn. ... Kvæði (Kvaedi)At kvøða (To kvoeda) Is the national dance of the Faroe Islands. ... For other uses, see Copenhagen (disambiguation). ...

The Danish chorus line is: Raske drenge, grind at dræbe det er vor lyst

In English: Strong young lads, to kill the grind that's our joy The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ...

These old verses are rarely sung by the Faroese today. To many in the outside world (including Denmark) they are seen as a backward cliché about the culture of the islands. To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

Pilot whale catches in The Faroe Islands

Whaling in 1854 in Vestmanna

Atlantic White-sided Dolphins on a concrete-floored dock in Hvalba, 26 August 2006

Records of the drive exist in part since 1584, and continuously from 1709.^[11] - the longest period of time for statistics existing for any wild animal harvest in the world. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Vestmanna is a town in the Faroe Islands on the west of the island of Streymoy. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 533 pixel Image in higher resolution (2560 × 1704 pixel, file size: 1. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 533 pixel Image in higher resolution (2560 × 1704 pixel, file size: 1. ... Binomial name Lagenorhynchus acutus (Gray, 1828) Atlantic White-sided Dolphin range The Atlantic White-sided Dolphin (Lagenorhynchus acutus) is a distinctively coloured dolphin found in the cool to temperate waters of the North Atlantic Ocean. ... Hvalba, looking towards Lítla Dímun island Hvalba is one of the larger villages in the Faroe Islands. ...

The catch is divided into shares known in Faroese as a skinn, which is an age-old measurement value that derives from agricultural practices. 1 skinn equals 38 kg of whale meat plus 34 kg of blubber: in total 72 kg.

• Long-term annual average catch 1709-1999: 850
• Annual average catch 1900 - 1999: 1,225
• Annual average catch 1980 - 1999: 1,511
• Annual average catch 1990 - 1999: 956

A threat to the whale population?

There is a raging debate about whether the pilot whale hunt represents a significant threat to pilot whale populations.

In its Red List of Threatened Species the IUCN lists both the Long-finned and Short-finned Pilot Whales as "Lower Risk: Conservation dependent". The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (also known as the IUCN Red List and Red Data List), created in 1963, is the worlds most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of plant and animal species. ... The World Conservation Union or International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) is an international organization dedicated to natural resource conservation. ...

But the size of the Northeast Atlantic Pilot Whale population is a subject of debate between different organizations.

The figure accepted by the International Whaling Commission's Scientific Committee is the 778,000 animals obtained by the North Atlantic Sightings Survey in 1992. Those in favour of whaling, such as the North Atlantic Marine Mammal Commission (NAMMCO) in their 1997 and 1999 report on the hunt,^[12] say that this is a conservative estimate, whilst those opposed to the hunt, such as the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society (WDCS) say the figure is over-estimated. If the figure is accepted, then the average kill from 1990-1999 of 956 animals per year, represents a little more than 0.1% of the population, which NAMMCO insist is sustainable. The North Atlantic Marine Mammal Commission (NAMMCO) is an international body for co-operation on conservation, management and study of marine mammals in the North Atlantic. ...

Controversy

Regularly circulating photographs in the media of the pilot whale hunt display a red coloured sea, in combination with motives of dead pilot whales. These strong images move engaged whale protectors world-wide. This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ...

Pro

Most Faroese maintain that it is their right to catch pilot whales, as they have done for centuries. The Faroese whalers justify themselves before international animal protection organizations, like for example Greenpeace, with the fact that grindadráp is not a hunt as such, but a dráp meaning a kill. This implies that Faroese whalers do not regularly take to sea in order just to hunt for pilot whales. But instead they only kill the pilot whales which are sighted swimming to close at land. Secondly, the Faroese continue to state that the pilot whale hunt does not exist for commercial reasons, but for internal food distribution among households. Thirdly, most Faroese do not believe the pilot whale to be an endangered species. It is rare to hear critical voices in the Faroe Islands, but in the last few years they have become more frequent. The opponents often argue on an emotional level, in particular hallmarking the bloody kill on the fjord bank. The Faroese response to this allegation is, that a bloody beach is by no means a problematic issue concerning whale catching. The problem is that a large part of the civilized population has been alienated from the basic consequences of animal food production. In comparison to the conditions in a modern slaughterhouse, in which the average meat consumer is unfamiliar with, whale catching is harmless and humane. A further argument is that the pilot whale lives its whole life in liberty in its natural habitat, the Atlantic Ocean, and then dies in a few minutes, in contrast to many commonly held livestock, such as cows, pigs and chickens, the meat from which one finds in most modern supermarkets. These often live in captivity in far too small environments for their whole lives, and are then subject to lengthy transportation and other stressful events before their final slaughter. It is obvious that the Faroese react to criticism and are continuing search for better killing methods, which can cause the animal less pain. Furthermore, causing the animal unnecessary or excessive pain and discomfort is prohibited by the Faroese animal rights law. This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Food distribution is a vital factor in public nutrition. ... The household is the basic unit of analysis in many microeconomic and government models. ... Workers and cattle in a slaughterhouse. ... ... Liberty is generally considered a concept of political philosophy and identifies the condition in which an individual has immunity from the arbitrary exercise of authority. ... Look up habitat in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Sheep are commonly bred as livestock. ... Supermarket produce section A supermarket is a store that sells a wide variety of goods including food and alcohol, medicine, clothes, and other household products that are consumed regularly. ...

Con

Animal rights activists argue that the pilot whale hunt is not only particularly cruel, but in view of today's supply situation of the Faroes, completely unnecessary. Additional argumentation is supplied by the Faroese Ministry of Health, which warns of excessive consumption of pilot whale meat, since it is enriched with mercury, PCBs and environmental poisons.^[13] In practice this means that pilot whale meat and blubber can only be consumed once a month by the Faroese. This is a much smaller quantity compared with previous decades. In the recent history of the Faroes, the catch methods have changed fundamentally. When the Faroese used rowing boats out on the sea in order to circle and drive a school of whales, the whales had a relatively large chance of escaping. Today they don't stand a chance against what is practically a small fleet of motorboats. Although, according to statistics the number of pilot whales caught recently has downsized from previous decades. In the Faroe Islands, international criticism is often felt as interference into national affairs; many Faroese have the opinion that pilot whaling is a concern only to the Faroese themselves. On the other hand pilot whaling, in spite of its traditions and justifications, might hurt the prestige of the country, something that the Faroese could do without. This latter attitude is by no means marginal in the Faroese society. Many governments, both national and more local, have a Department of Health. This article is about the British one. ... General Name, Symbol, Number mercury, Hg, 80 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 12, 6, d Appearance silvery Standard atomic weight 200. ... PCB may refer to: Brazilian Communist Party (in Portuguese, Partido Comunista Brasileiro) Communist Party of Bolivia (in Spanish, Partido Comunista de Bolivia) Pakistan Cricket Board PCBoard, a bulletin board system software Police Complaints Board, which oversaw the system for handling complaints made against police forces in England and Wales until... A 1962 Rebel. A wooden speedboat with an outboard engine. ...

See also

• Whaling

The crew of the oceanographic research vessel Princesse Alice, of Albert Grimaldi (later Prince Albert I of Monaco) pose while flensing a catch. ...

Notes and references

The Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society (WDCS) is the most prominent environmental organization that dedicates itself to conservation and welfare of all whales, dolphins and porpoises. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... December 5 is the 339th day (340th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... December 5 is the 339th day (340th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... The Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society (WDCS) is the most prominent environmental organization that dedicates itself to conservation and welfare of all whales, dolphins and porpoises. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... December 5 is the 339th day (340th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... ABC News is a division of ABC television and radio networks (ABC), owned by The Walt Disney Company. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... July 28 is the 209th day (210th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar, with 156 days remaining. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... December 5 is the 339th day (340th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... A panoramic photo of Nuuk taken in October 2006 Location of the Nuuk municipality in Greenland Nuuk (The Cape in Greenlandic) (Danish: Godthåb, which translates to Good Hope in English, and was the name of the ship which brought the settlers) is the capital and largest city of the... The High North Alliance is an umbrella organisation of several fishing, whaling and Nordic municipal councils. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... December 5 is the 339th day (340th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... December 4th redirects here. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... December 5 is the 339th day (340th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... December 5 is the 339th day (340th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... December 5 is the 339th day (340th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... December 5 is the 339th day (340th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Whaling in the Faroe Islands

• Whaling.fo - English website from the Faroese Gouvernment
• Museum of Natural History Faroe Islands Tagged pilot whales
• Information page from the High North Alliance
• The North Atlantic Marine Mammal Commission
• International Whaling Commission
• Sámal Mikines' Grindadráp-Paintings
• Torkilsheyggi Images from a pilot whale hunt in Gøtu 2006
• Torkilsheyggi Images of pilot whale meat being prepared for storage in Gøta 2006
• www.portal.fo Images of the butchering after a Grindadráp drive in Hvannasund 2007
• BBC BBC Report on the drive
• CNN CNN Report on the drive