Fishermen in the Faroe Island have continued their horrifying annual tradition of slaughtering whales, turning the sea red with their blood.
On the shore of Torshavn, the capital city of the Faroe Islands, Pilot whales were driven toward waiting hunters, beginning the annual slaughter. So far, up to 150 pilot whales as well as 20 white-sided dolphins have already been killed, and since the beginning of this year, an estimated 500 of the animals had been killed "for food".
This comes via the Blue Planet Society, who gave followers these statistics via Facebook post, urging readers to sign a petition to stop the whales being slaughtered, arguing they are protected under EU law (the Faroe Islands are part of the kingdom of Denmark).
"More than 100,000 dolphins and small whales are hunted and killed every year. Most hunts are unregulated, illegal and unsustainable with unknown impacts on populations," says a statement on Change.org, written by Blue Planet Society founder John Hourston.
"I founded Blue Planet Society to conserve our amazing marine wildlife - and I'm determined to help save dolphins and small whales. I'm urging Shinzo Abe, Prime Minister of Japan, and Aksel V. Johannesen, Prime Minister of the Faroe Islands, to stop the hunt of dolphins and small whales."
According to Sea Shepherd UK, this particular brand of hunting is especially brutal. The whales are lured to the shore where blunt hooks are beaten into their blowholes, and they're dragged onto land and their spinal cords sliced.
But the Faroe Islands are sticking by their traditions; the official tourism page says that whaling in the Faroe islands is something they've done for "a century".
"The Faroese have eaten pilot whale meat and blubber since they first settled the islands over a century ago. Today, as in times past, the whale drive is a community activity open to all, while also well organised on a community level and regulated by national laws.
"Records of all pilot whale hunts have been kept since 1584 and the practice is deemed sustainable, as there an estimated 778,000 whale in the eastern North Atlantic region. Approximately 100,000 swim close to the Faroe Islands, and the Faroese hunt an average 800 pilot whales annually."
"The meat and blubber from the hunt is distributed equally among those who have participated," added Visit Faroe Islands.
