78 pilot whales were slaughtered near a cruise ship carrying marine conservationists

Passengers aboard a U.K.-based cruise ship watched as 78 pilot whales were slaughtered in the Faroe Islands, a Danish territory, as a part of a local tradition.

The whales hunt: The 150 people in small boats and jet skis herded the whales, including nine calves, to a beach before the slaughter, which took around 20 minutes.
* The hunt was seen by conservationists from ORCA, a marine life advocacy group, who were on the cruise ship to educate tourists about marine wildlife.
* The whales, which are actually a species of dolphin and not an endangered species, are easy targets due to their social structure.

Cruise line reaction: The cruise line, Ambassador Cruise Line, voiced its strong objection to the hunt and apologized to the passengers.
* It also discouraged its guests from supporting the hunters by purchasing local whale and dolphin meat.
* Ambassador has partnered with ORCA since 2021, inviting their staff on cruises to educate passengers and collect data on marine animals.

Faroe Islands’ tradition: The tradition of whale-hunting, or “grindadrap,” is considered by the Faroese as central to their culture and a sustainable food-gathering practice.
* The killing is carried out under supervision, and the catch is mostly distributed free within the local community.
* The government insists the average catch of 800 animals has no significant impact on the pilot whale population of about 778,000.

Response from ORCA: ORCA’s CEO, Sally Hamilton, criticized the Faroese authorities for allowing the hunt to occur in clear view of cruise ship passengers.
* Hamilton argued that the authorities must decide if the value of marine life for tourists is greater when these animals are alive rather than being killed.

View original article on NPR

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