Almost 100 dolphins, including an unborn baby and a young calf, have been killed in the Faroe Islands. The mass slaughter is considered the largest bottlenose dolphin hunt in more than 120 years. The Faroese killed 98 adults as well as an unborn baby and a young calf, according to conservation group Sea Shepherd. Experts believe the dolphins were washed ashore on the island of Skálafjørðuras and killed with knives, spears or other sharp weapons. The water turned red with blood after this week’s murders. Such hunts are a traditional part of Faroese history, but are widely condemned by wildlife groups. Sea Shepherd, which filmed the latest slaughter, said in a statement: “This hunting of dolphins, and indeed the killing of all pilot whales and dolphins in the Faroe Islands, is simply disgraceful and will rightly provoke further national and international anger. “Once again, some of the animals show cut marks from boat propellers where boats have crashed into or onto them.” Sea turned red after dolphin slaughter (Image: SWNS/Metro) Anti-hunting petitions have gathered millions of signatures (Image: SWNS/Metro) Last year, Metro.co.uk exclusively revealed how 1,428 white-sided dolphins were slaughtered on the same island. The animals were driven ashore before having their throats slit as part of the centuries-old tradition. So many were killed that the excess mass was transported by dump trucks to an incineration facility. Despite widespread horror at last year’s slaughter – some have suggested the UK cut trade relations with the Faroe Islands in retaliation – the hunt continues. Islanders are said to be divided over the practice, known as grindadráp hunting. The mass slaughter is considered the largest bottlenose dolphin hunt in more than 120 years. (Image: SWNS/Metro) Sea Shepherd filmed the latest massacre (Image: SWNS/Metro) Fishing remains a key industry for the locals, and whales and dolphins killed during the grindadráp are intended to be dispersed within the community rather than exported. Many have urged fighters to respect their culture and vowed to continue the hunt. Due to the remote nature of the islands in the North Atlantic Ocean – northwest of Scotland and halfway between Iceland and Norway – many traditions have remained unaffected by modern society. But the hunting of dolphins and pilot whales has been condemned by animal rights groups and described as “barbaric”.
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Speaking to Metro.co.uk last year, Blue Planet Society volunteer John Hourston argued that the delivery was no longer necessary. He said: “The justification we have on an ongoing basis is that it is about food, despite the fact that the Faroe Islands are one of the richest countries in the European Economic Area. “They have supermarkets everywhere.” Contact our news team by emailing [email protected] For more stories like this, check out our news page.
