Death Toll Rises in the Faroe Islands
Another hunt (grind) occurred in the Faroes on September 22nd, in Hvalvik on the Island of Streymoy, resulting in the death of 120 pilot whales. This is not the first hunt of the season that has taken place in the bay of Hvalvik. On August 27th, 51 pilot whales were killed there.
The largest hunt of pilot whales occurred on July 30th in Fuglafjordur, Esturoy where an exceptionally large pod of 267 individuals were killed. Another hunt occurred in August and involved the killing of 430 white-sided dolphins in Hvalba, making it the largest single slaughter of dolphins since 1994.
In total, 901 pilot whales have been killed in the 2013 season so far, up from the total number killed in 2012 (713).
Over 3,000 pilot whales have been killed since the beginning of 2010, raising serious human health, animal welfare and conservation concerns. The magnitude of these numbers is staggering when considering the whale and dolphin families lost to these cruel hunts. WDC continues its work to end these horrible hunts through outreach within the Faroes, engagement with authorities, and other positive initiatives.