World Whaling
Introduction / MAP - Aotearoa - Canada - Caribbean - Faroe Islands - Greenland - Iceland - Indonesia - Japan - Norway - Philippines - Russia - USA
Faroe Islands
Salting pilot whale meat in preparation for storage.
hunt; catch limits are determined with these in mind, ensuring a sustainable harvest for the future, and a healthy pilot whale population.
The Faroese pilot whale drive fishery is a communal activity; schools of
pilot whales (abundant in the N. Atlantic and currently estimated at 778,000
whales) are herded into one of 22 bays authorized for whale beaching. As the
community's boats slowly and gently direct the school of whales towards shore,
community members (men, women and children; most are given time off from work
whenever a drive occurs) wait for the whales to beach. Once on the beach,
the pilot whales are killed quickly, in traditional fashion, by making a deep
incision behind the blowhole with a long knife, instantly severing the spinal
cord. Contemporary veterinary research has indicated that within seconds,
the average whale is unconscious; after losing consciousness, most if not
all are dead within 30 seconds, some in as little as 5 seconds.
In recent years, the Faroese people adopted an alternate method in response
to concerns raised by animal rights groups. It was soon determined, however,
that the traditional method ensured a quicker, more humane kill and it was
immediately re-instated using a new and improved knife for severing the spinal
cord.
The large numbers of people involved in the kill ensure that no whale suffers
in the shallows for long. Within ten minutes of beaching, up to 200 pilot
whales have been killed and the cleaning and butchering has begun. All members
of the community are entitled to a free share of the meat and blubber; it
is eagerly taken, ensuring all have access to a healthy, reliable source of
food. In a place where most vegetables will not grow, the Faroese, like many
coastal peoples, view the sea as their garden. At the present time, 30% of
all locally produced meat is obtained from the pilot whale drive.
In conjunction with the insight their ancient records provide, the Faroese
have implemented a management system, which takes into account both the natural
behaviour of pilot whales and the relative demand in each district for meat
and blubber.
Drives do not occur according to any set schedule; only when a school of pilot
whales appears close to land, in weather and sea conditions appropriate for
driving them to shore, does a drive fishery take place. In addition, districts,
which already have adequate supplies of meat and blubber, will be closed to
further whaling until these supplies are low, and a need exists. Faroese whaling
is based on community needs, and food security.
Along with limited sheep farming, potato farming and imported foods, pilot
whale meat forms a significant component of the Faroese diet. The annual take
is small in relation to the whale population size. For the last decade it
has been around 1000 pilot whales per year, which represents less than 0.2%
of the local pilot whale population. Despite the disproportionate amount of
focus placed on Faroese pilot whaling by animal rights groups, the harvest
is minute and represents no threat to this abundant species.
As the whale meat wind-dries in the traditional fashion, the Faroese rest assured that as the hard winter comes and autumn's storms lash their islands, they will not go hungry. Pilot whaling is no more or less important than the other aspects of the complex subsistence of Faroese people; it is, however, essential to the 47,000 people living on these North Atlantic islands.
For more information on whaling in the Faroe Islands, visit: http://www.whaling.fo/
or the
High North Alliance web site.