Faroe Island Whale Massacre

Every year in the Faroe Islands, a commonwealth of Denmark, close to 2,000 pilot whales are rounded up near the shore where they come for feeding and then they are brutally slaughtered and eaten.  It is a gruesome spectacle of human cruelty what is done on the shores of this island. The Faroese people defend themselves by saying that this is a tradition that dates back to the 16th century, and a practice that has helped the people survive the harsh winters. 

The whale meat is not sold but divided among the community.  The salughtering has become more intense since the collapse of the fishing industry in the region.  They say they need to continue this barbaric butchering of whales or the community will starve.

In an ironic twist, chief medical officers of the Faroe Islands are recommending that pilot whales no longer be considered fit for human consumption because they are toxic.  Apparently the whale meat contains too much mercurey, as well as high levels of PCBs and DDT derivatives, all unsafe for humans. According to this article, research on the impact of the pollutants on the Faroese people, has shown that mercury especially has caused lasting damage.  Such as damage to fetal neaural development, high blood pressure, and impaired immunity in children, as well as increased rates of Parkinson's disease, circulatory problems, and possibly infertility in adults.

This is an example of the unsustainable lifestyles people have adopted throughout the ages in order to survive.  It is now time for the Faorese people to reconsider their practices and possibly adopt a new way of life.  One that respects the animals in the ocean, and one that will not put themselves at the risk of extinction from consuming poisoned wildlife.