Over 100 pilot whales were slaughtered on a remote Atlantic island earlier today (May 29), turning the sea red with blood.
Villagers from the Faroe Islands slaughtered between 130 and 150 pilot whales and between 10 and 20 dolphins as the animals migrated north for the summer.
The whales were lanced with specialised hunting spears before they were brought ashore, sending blood flying through the air and turning the sea a horrifying colour of red.
The hunt took place earlier today in the city of Torshavn, capital of Streymoy Island in the Faroe Islands, the MailOnline reports.
Fishermen travelled on boats to bring the pilot whales and dolphins towards the shore, with the slaughter being described as ‘brutal’ and ‘cruel’ by the Blue Planet Society campaign group.
Posting on their Facebook page, the group wrote:
130-150 pilot whales and 10-20 white-sided dolphins were brutally and cruelly slaughtered in the Faroe Islands today. Approximately 500 cetaceans have now been killed ‘for food’ in these islands since the beginning of 2019.
The Faroe Islands are part of the Kingdom of Denmark (an EU country). Both pilot whales and white-sided dolphins are protected in the EU.
Spectators on the island gathered on the beach to watch the hunt, even helping the fishermen pull the slaughtered cetaceans out of the blood stained water.
This practice dates back centuries and involves residents herding pods of whales into shallow waters, after which they’ll be killed using a ‘spinal lance’. This is inserted through the animal’s neck to break its spinal cord.
Residents on the island slaughter the whales in the open, and go on to eat the meat, blubber, and other body parts with the local government stating this practice ensures the Faroe Islands remain as self-sufficient as possible.
A spokesperson for the Blue Planet Society states more than 100,000 dolphins and small whales are hunted and killed each year, with most hunts being ‘unregulated, illegal and unsustainable with unknown impacts on populations’.
The organisation has set up a petition to stop the hunt of dolphins and small whales for good, which you can sign here.
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A Broadcast Journalism Masters graduate who went on to achieve an NCTJ level 3 Diploma in Journalism, Lucy has done stints at ITV, BBC Inside Out and Key 103. While working as a journalist for UNILAD, Lucy has reported on breaking news stories while also writing features about mental health, cervical screening awareness, and Little Mix (who she is unapologetically obsessed with).