Torshavon: More than 700 whales and dolphins have been killed in the Faroe Islands, Denmark, in the North Atlantic Ocean, it has been reported.
Every year, humans hunt them in a process known as grind drop. According to reports by global environmental conservation organizations ‘Sea Shepherd’ and ‘OceanCare’, a total of 706 pilot whales and dolphins have been brought ashore in three separate recent hunts.
The incident has created widespread positive pressure in international forums on the global fight against animal cruelty and the balance between traditional practices.
The hunts, which were carried out in three major bays, including the island’s capital, Tórshavn, were carried out in the last week of May, with the lack of modern equipment to quickly immobilize the animals, delaying the process and causing prolonged stress to the animals, according to the report.
Viking tradition The nearly 1,000-year-old Viking tradition is defended by the local government and its supporters as an important ‘cultural identity’ of the island and a natural source of food for the community. However, animal rights activists are now demanding that the Faroe Islands, now a modern and advanced economy, find environmentally friendly alternatives to such old practices.