Sophia College Journalism Project: the flip side.

Thursday 22 March 2012

the flip side.

The Faroese follow this tradition of pilot whale hunting.

It involves all the inhabitants of the 17 islands (1 island is uninhabited).

This tradition dates back to the time of the Norse settlers and it because it so culturally significant to the Faroese cultures not much has been done to stop it.

This process of pilot whale hunting is non commercial and is organised at community level.

Around 950 long finned pilot whales are killed annually.

The killing is regulated by Faroese authorities but not by the international whaling commission who has its disagreements with this process.

The hunts, called "grindadráp" in Faroese

A majority of animal rights groups criticize the hunt, calling it cruel and unnecessary.

In 2008 the chief medical officer of the islands stated that pilot whales were no longer fit for consumption due to the high toxins in their flesh.

So how do they hunt these massive whales and it’s not just one that they kill, the entire community gathers together, the men that is, to kill these whales.

So what is the process?

1. The first sighting of the school, calls for a lit bonfire to warn neighbouring islands and messenger who is sent to inform the other Faroese.This system dates back to the Norse settlers. Now of course information is spread through cell phones etc.

2. In order to drive this school of whales towards the shore the men with their boats gather behind the whales and slowly drive them to shore, which is usually a bay or a fjord.

3. The whales then beach themselves and the ones who are still alive are stabbed in the blubber with a sharp hook called a gaff. Allegations of animal cruelty have now forced the Faroese to use a blunt gaff, which they use to pull the whale ashore by their blowhole. Ouch!

Although the Faroese have legal permission to practice this tradition it is heavily looked down upon.

Greenpeace and the whale and dolphin conservation society are active in trying to ban this activity.

Because of the gutting of the whale the sea near the shore turns a bright red from the blood that spews out of the cut arteries of the whales.

Faroese terrain doesn’t allow for a wide growth of vegetables etc so it during the winters the Faroese used to resort killing these whales and dolphins as a way of survival, thus being an important source of nutrition for them.

500 tons of the whale meat is distributed equally to Faroese households, the meat is not sold in supermarkets as it is not a commercial activity.

The whale meat and blubber is then stored and prepared.

(the black meat is the whale meat,the blubber is the stuff in the middle,served with dry fish and potatoes)

Whale meat and blubber are a Faroese delicacy and is prepared in a variety of ways.

If u feel like trying do note that these whales are now considered toxic as they consume a lot of toxic material in the sea.

The "grindadráp" is an important motif in Faroese art and literature.

"The grindadráp paintings by Sámal Joensen-Mikines rank internationally as some of his most important. They are part of a permanent exhibition in the Faroese art museum in the capital Tórshavn. The Danish governor of the Faroe Islands Christian Pløyen wrote the famous Pilot Whaling song, a Faroese ballad written in Danish entitled "A New Song about the Pilot Whale Hunt on the Faroes". It was written during his term of office (1830–1847) and was printed in Copenhagen in 1835.The Danish chorus line is Raske drenge, grind at dræbe det er vor lyst. In English: Tough boys, to slay the grind that's our desire. These old verses are rarely sung by the Faroese today."