Not Japan this time.... and a little late picking up on the story due to my broadband problems...

Activists arrested after trying to save pod of 33 pilot whales in Denmark’s Faroe Islands

Large numbers of the mammals are slaughtered each year on the Faroe Islands, an autonomous territory within the kingdom of Denmark. The method involves the mammals being forced into a bay by flotillas of small boats before being hacked to death with hooks and knives.

Many locals defend the hunt as a cultural right, but animal rights campaigners have denounced it as a “brutal and archaic mass slaughter”.

Eight French citizens, two South Africans, one Australian, one Italian and a second Spaniard were arrested.

Unfortunately, they failed to save them :(

Also: Norway whale catch reaches highest number since 1993

The yield for 2014 remains far below the country's annual quota of 1,286 whales.

"There's a bottleneck in the market and the distribution. We must rebuild demand for whale meat, subject to tough competition from meat (from land animals) and fish".

Greenpeace believes whaling in Norway is bound to die out due to lack of demand.

I hope they're right! :(

Thank Anniet i did not know they where also killing the whales ..I have no problem with people killing them for food but not to sell on the open market or exports .

i talking about the Enuit people that kill seals and what ever they can as they only take what they need for them self's not to feed everyone else around the world .

I am very shocked by this i thought they where a bit smarter and modern that that .

---

Large numbers of the mammals are slaughtered each year on the Faroe Islands, an autonomous territory within the kingdom of Denmark. The method involves the mammals being forced into a bay by flotillas of small boats before being hacked to death with hooks and knives.
Many locals defend the hunt as a cultural right, but animal rights campaigners have denounced it as a “brutal and archaic mass slaughter”.

From Swedish press.

Whaling in the Faroe Islands in the North Atlantic has been practiced since about the time of the first Norse settlements on the islands. It is regulated by Faroese authorities but not by the International Whaling Commission, there are disagreements about the Commission's legal expertise for small cetaceans. Approximately 950 long finn pilot whales (Globicephala melaena) are killed annually, mainly during the summer.
Faroe Islands, belonging formally Denmark, but has extensive autonomy. They are not a member of EU, but has entered into a fishing and trade agreements with the EU. The main reason for the Faroe Islands to refrain from participating in the EU is an attempt to prevent the EU from interfering in their fisheries policies. The slaughter of whales is illegal in the EU.

Less then 50.000 Føroyingar lives in the Faroe Islands.
They dont need so much whale meat every year to celebrate their 1000 year long tradition.
Killing soon endagered spieces for profit! Disgusting

Skäms Färingar. Shame on you Føroyingar.

I wonder Jan weather we should have a talk to our Queen Mary , I'm shore she would not be liking this as a Australian and now Crown princess of Denmark although it sounds like she mite not be able to do anything from what your saying .

---

Still awake?
First i wondered who Queen Mary is.
Yes Australia are going to be monarchist again.
Do Australia still have Queen Elisabeth II on their stamps?

Queen Margrethe II still 'rules' Denmark.
There is problem though.
Faroe Islands is not part of the EU. I didnt know that.

I'm quite certain that Denmark doesn't like this.
Definite not Margrethe. Did you know that she illustrated Tolkiens The Hobbit?

Pilot Whale

Definite not Margrethe. Did you know that she illustrated Tolkiens The Hobbit?

Sorry Jan i went to bed and only read you post this morning sorry.

I do not understand this part .

yes we still have the Queen of England as the head of state but she hasn't been on stamps for a long time now only on special occasions .

The Prince and Princess of Denmark i feel are more popular and that's because Mary is a good ol ozzy girl from down under . She comes from Tasmania i think .

I tell yeh the princes know's how to pick um she is a hot'ty all right , lucky bugger .

---

Not Japan this time.... and a little late picking up on the story due to my broadband problems...

Activists arrested after trying to save pod of 33 pilot whales in Denmark’s Faroe Islands

Large numbers of the mammals are slaughtered each year on the Faroe Islands, an autonomous territory within the kingdom of Denmark. The method involves the mammals being forced into a bay by flotillas of small boats before being hacked to death with hooks and knives.

Many locals defend the hunt as a cultural right, but animal rights campaigners have denounced it as a “brutal and archaic mass slaughter”.

Eight French citizens, two South Africans, one Australian, one Italian and a second Spaniard were arrested.

Unfortunately, they failed to save them :((

Some fact about this.
The hunts, called grindadráp in Faroese, are non-commercial and are organized on a community level. Anyone can participate, but to kill the whale with the spinal lance, you need to be trained to participate.
The police and Grindaformenn (Pilot whale overseer) are allowed to remove people from the grind area

A far more serious threat caused by humans is toxic pollutants and littering of the oceans like plastic. Bags, bottles, fishnets ....

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/mar/08/spain-sperm-whale-death-swallowed-plastic

Scientist, have recommended in a letter to the Faroese government that pilot whales should no longer be considered fit for human consumption because of the high level of Mercury, PCB, DDT and cadmium in the whales.
The worst environmental pollutants is mercury, which makes the young malformed when borned.
Only one dinner with whale meat and blubber per month, and then they have special recommendation for younger women, girls, pregnant women and breastfeeding women.

Färingarna are not barbarians.
So. Who to blame?

How can an endangered species be overpopulated?

---

Life on earth is the global equivalent of not storing things in the fridge.

How can an endangered species be overpopulated?

Wasn't the point, I was attempting to make.

I'm aware of that. It was an aside question.

---

Life on earth is the global equivalent of not storing things in the fridge.

The Simonatorou have you seen what elephants do to the land if there are too many in 1 area . It may sound cruel but if they didn't cull them they would starve or destroy land outside the parks they are in , when the food is gone , and it's not like you can just move a 10 ton elephant to a less populated area . They also eat a lot of food , so they can overpopulate a area even tho they are endangered .

---

it's not like you can just move a 10 ton elephant to a less populated area.

You can if you have a big enough truck.

Males usually only grow to maximum of 6 tonnes, females 3.5 tonnes. A large truck could get three males or four females on, though they'd probably need to be sedated.

---

Life on earth is the global equivalent of not storing things in the fridge.

Where do you put them?

This is not 19th Century Africa. Vast amounts of unpopulated, able to support large herds land, is vanishing, as happened in Europe.

Good point.
So on the one hand, their numbers are few enough that they're endangered; on the other, their numbers are large enough that their environment can't support them and they need culling.
Tricky one, i'm glad i'm not a politician...

What do they taste like?

---

Life on earth is the global equivalent of not storing things in the fridge.

The killing of these magnificence mammals, has got to stop. :(

Yes. Make it chrime to eat magnificence mammals.
My list of them.
1. Cow.
2. Pig.
3. Moose.
4. Raindeer.
5. Hare.
6. Deer.
7. Whales.
8. Seels.
As a Child I used to stay at a farm some summers. First summer I saw a calf being born.
Next summer we used to play with him. Both he and we kids enjoyed it. Do anybody know to have your hand in a calves mouth?
Then the summer after a truck came...
The calve felt that something was wrong and it was almost impossibly to get him into truck.

I still eat veal and other meat because I have to and like it.
The farmer however didn't eat meat. 100% vegetarian.

Where do you put them?

This is not 19th Century Africa. Vast amounts of unpopulated, able to support large herds land, is vanishing, as happened in Europe.

Good point.
So on the one hand, their numbers are few enough that they're endangered; on the other, their numbers are large enough that their environment can't support them and they need culling.
Tricky one, i'm glad i'm not a politician...

What do they taste like?

Most of them tastes disgusting. I have eaten whale meat. If it was Minke or Pilot whale I don't know but it was good.

According to the statistics from IWC:
Minke Whale North Atlantic: 185 000 South Atlantic: 750000 Pacific: 25000
Pilot Whale Atlantic: 780 000
Minke and pilot whales are mainly hunted for human consumption.
They are not an endagered spieces.

Blue whale South Atlantic 2300
North Atlantic fin whales: 33000
Grey whales Pacific East: 26000 Pacific West: 100
Greenland Cool North Atlantic: 1200 Pacific North: 10000
Humpback Whale North Atlantic: 12000 Southern Hemisphere: 42000 Pacific: 10000
North Atlantic right whale: 300 South Atlantic: 7500

I repeat. A far more serious threat to the whales caused by humans is toxic pollutants and littering of the oceans like plastic. Bags, bottles, fishnets ....

As a Child I used to stay at a farm some summers. First summer I saw a calf being born.
Next summer we used to play with him. Both he and we kids enjoyed it. Do anybody know to have your hand in a calves mouth?
Then the summer after a truck came...
The calve felt that something was wrong and it was almost impossibly to get him into truck.

As a child, in the mid 50's. I visited my Great Uncle Otto's, Slaughter House.

Back then, they slaughtered the cows alive, and it was horrifying. Great Uncle Otto was not a vegetarian, and I still eat beef. Additionally, when buying a whole, pre-cooked chicken: I still think to myself "Poor Chicken".

Maybe there's something wrong with me.

No. Nothing wrong with you. We have to eat.
But we have to pay respect to animals.
Maybe thats why all religions have rituals about food.
Praying before you eat.
Hallal.
Kosher.
etc.

I repeat. A far more serious threat to the whales caused by humans is toxic pollutants and littering of the oceans like plastic. Bags, bottles, fishnets ...

+ a trillion - so it doesn't help when we add to their demise by killing them, but I take your point re the Faroese. Still don't like it though :( the method of entrapment seems cowardly to me and the manner of the whales' death barbaric.

@Clyde: As I'm sure you know, the African elephant is critically endangered due to poaching :((( The problem is not in their numbers - it's our fences. They evolved to be nomadic. Even where they still are able to roam in relative freedom, when the older elephants are killed for their tusks, the information they carry (about watering holes, the sustainability of the vegetation around them, and when it's time to move on etc) dies with them. The saying, elephants NEVER forget is true. But when they never learned to start with, you then get problem herds - younger individuals that are clueless and as a result "destructive"

And yes - it is possible to move elephants. It was done in Mozambique. Unfortunately, they lost so many of their big tuskers to poaching however, that they now have a serious problem with young, out of control males who are killing females that are not receptive to their overtures.

When faced with a big target - whether it's an elephant, a rhino or a whale - we are a disgrace :(

Also for Clyde: I gave up eating all meat and fish the day I was seasoning a chicken prior to cooking it and found that both it's legs were broken :( It may or may not have occurred after it's death, but it made me cry nevertheless.

I will eat meat when visiting friends because I don't want them to go to any trouble for me - but now I'm so far off topic I'm going to shut up so I can chastise myself in private :)

I repeat. A far more serious threat to the whales caused by humans is toxic pollutants and littering of the oceans like plastic. Bags, bottles, fishnets ...

+ a trillion - so it doesn't help when we add to their demise by killing them, but I take your point re the Faroese. Still don't like it though :( the method of entrapment seems cowardly to me and the manner of the whales' death barbaric.

There is a problem here.
Let's say that all people will stop eating meat.
Where are all the acreage of vegetables that we can eat?
They are at least not in northern Canada, the Faroes, Greenland and to some extent Norway.
A prohibition to not eat what's in the wild would mean that the population will starve to death.
Holodomor!

Is it barbaric to eat meat. Of course not.
Different methods of slaughter only.

The method of entrapment is used every day in slaughterhouses for cows and pigs.
Check Youtube

The killing of these magnificence mammals, has got to stop. :(

Yes. Make it chrime to eat magnificence mammals.
My list of them.
1. Cow.
2. Pig.
3. Moose.
4. Raindeer.
5. Hare.
6. Deer.
7. Whales.
8. Seels.
As a Child I used to stay at a farm some summers. First summer I saw a calf being born.
Next summer we used to play with him. Both he and we kids enjoyed it. Do anybody know to have your hand in a calves mouth?
Then the summer after a truck came...
The calve felt that something was wrong and it was almost impossibly to get him into truck.

I still eat veal and other meat because I have to and like it.
The farmer however didn't eat meat. 100% vegetarian.

What he said. First I am not in favor of industrialized whale hunting in any ocean. But tell me how hunting, killing and eating whale is any different from eating beef, lamb or pork? Pigs, from what I understand are pretty intelligent animals.

If you are vegetarian then at least you are being consistent. But if you eat meat in any form then I don't understand the frenetic campaign against hunting whales.

---

Bob DeWoody

My motto: Never do today what you can put off until tomorrow as it may not be required. This no longer applies in light of current events.

The killing of these magnificence mammals, has got to stop. :(

Yes. Make it chrime to eat magnificence mammals.
My list of them.
1. Cow.
2. Pig.
3. Moose.
4. Raindeer.
5. Hare.
6. Deer.
7. Whales.
8. Seels.
As a Child I used to stay at a farm some summers. First summer I saw a calf being born.
Next summer we used to play with him. Both he and we kids enjoyed it. Do anybody know to have your hand in a calves mouth?
Then the summer after a truck came...
The calve felt that something was wrong and it was almost impossibly to get him into truck.

I still eat veal and other meat because I have to and like it.
The farmer however didn't eat meat. 100% vegetarian.

What he said. First I am not in favor of industrialized whale hunting in any ocean. But tell me how hunting, killing and eating whale is any different from eating beef, lamb or pork? Pigs, from what I understand are pretty intelligent animals.

If you are vegetarian then at least you are being consistent. But if you eat meat in any form then I don't understand the frenetic campaign against hunting whales.

+1

First I am not in favor of industrialized whale hunting in any ocean. But tell me how hunting, killing and eating whale is any different from eating beef, lamb or pork? Pigs, from what I understand are pretty intelligent animals.

If you are vegetarian then at least you are being consistent. But if you eat meat in any form then I don't understand the frenetic campaign against hunting whales.

*splitting hairs mode* Hi Bob :) The difference is they're not farmed. *re-flatten hair* One difference that doesn't involve splitting any hairs however, is the vital role whales play in the ecosystem of the oceans.

I admit I am a complete and utter soppy sack over all forms of animals, so in my view there is little or no difference when it comes to their slaughter - whether the animal is intelligent or intellectually hampered :) Of course I live in an environment which provides me with alternatives to meat, and as Janneseti has pointed out, not everyone does. And abbatoir practises are just the end of a long and harrowing entrapment and transport process - perhaps not that different to the process in the article I posted on the whales - so, to sustain a community with little or no alternatives - that uses the whole of the animal - fair enough. But I will always protest against the commercial hunting of whales and any and all inhumane methods of slaughter, not just of whales.

edit: and that includes some rather pesky little fruit flies I am currently having some trouble in escorting to freedom in the great outdoors beyond my kitchen :)