MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 17th September, 2021) The government of the Faroe Islands has decided to evaluate regulations on the catching of Atlantic white-sided dolphins, after 1,428 dolphins were slaughtered in the largest single hunt of dolphins or pilot whales in Faroese history, Prime Minister Bardur a Steig Nielsen said.
On average, the Faroe Islands hunt only around 250 white-sided dolphins a year. Whale and dolphin hunts in the islands are considered sustainable. But the scale of the hunt on September 12 has shocked many locals and even drawn criticism from groups involved in the practice.
"We take this matter very seriously. Although these hunts are considered sustainable, we will be looking closely at the dolphin hunts, and what part they should play in Faroese society. The government has decided to start an evaluation of the regulations on the catching of Atlantic white-sided dolphins," the prime minister said.
The pilot whale hunt, also known as "grind," is an ancient and integral part of Faroese food culture. But Atlantic white-sided dolphin hunts "have not been a part of Faroese tradition to the same degree and do not have the same cultural legitimacy," the government said in a press release.
The Faroe Islands cooperate on the conservation of whales and dolphins and the management of whaling through the North Atlantic Marine Mammal Commission.
