Traditional dolphin slaughter off Denmark’s Faroe Islands sparks outrage

By Ahmet Gencturk

ANKARA (AA) - The tradition of slaughtering dolphins off of Denmark’s Faroe Islands is sparking new outrage.

The annual hunt, known locally as grindadrap, during which whale hunters kill masses of white-sided dolphins, took place on Saturday and Sunday, said French news outlet News 24.

The remote islands, a Danish autonomous territory, remain the last place in Europe allowed to hunt sea mammals, as the hunt is considered an example of indigenous whaling.

Citing local sources and the Blue Planet Society, a volunteer group aiming to end overexploitation of the world’s oceans, News 24 said over 1,400 white-sided dolphins were killed in this year’s hunt.

The Blue Planet Society has urged the EU, Danish and local authorities in Faroe Islands to end the tradition.

Saying that this year’s hunt could be the largest ever recorded, the group said on Twitter: “There is nothing in recent grindadrap records that matches this. The closest we could find is 430 white-sided dolphins butchered on 13-08-2013 in Hvalba.”