POLL: Should Faroe stop the grinadrap?
The Faroese tradition of hunting pilot whales has come under the spotlight again this week.
As reported earlier today, thousands of people have called for the International Islands Games Association not to hold the 2027 event in Faroe in order to pressure the government to end the practice.
Known as the grindadráp (or grind) the tradition dates back more than a thousand years.
It sees groups of pilot whales driven to shore where they are slaughtered and bled out, which turns the waters red.
The Faroese government said the tradition had enabled the islands to remain relatively self-sufficient in terms of local food production.
It claims it makes “economic and environmental good sense” to make the most of natural resources locally available.
Internationally, however, the practice is widely condemned. It is the focus campaigns by wildlife charities such as Whale and Dolphin Conservation, Sea Shepherd, and World Animal Protection.
They describe the practice as “senseless slaughter” and claim that there is no longer demand for the meat.
The latest campaign has been led by Nicky Edgar, of Guernsey, with the intention to stop “the grindadráp”.
Almost 35,000 people have signed the Change.org petition.
However, when The Shetland Times reported on the petition, it was criticised for trying to “promote hate towards our closest neighbours”.
What do you think? Should the Faroese stop the grindadráp? Or should they be left to continue the tradition?