Understand why it is illegal to kill 1,400 dolphins in Europe

1,400 dolphins killed in the Faroe IslandsWhich became the center of controversy earlier this week, is not considered illegal by local courts, on the grounds that it is linked to the cultural roots of the Danish autonomous region, where the mammals were hunted for consumption by the population.

Despite the horrific images released by animal activists, advocates of the practice claim that “grindadráp”, The name given to hunting, which is its main purpose Pilot whales, it is a tradition carried Faroese Since the sixteenth century.

But despite the fact that animal meat is directed to the islanders, some locals admit that the hunting was excessive for only 53 thousand inhabitants, especially since only 17% of them consume the product, according to information from the Euronews channel.

Despite the cultural association, the islands government has begun to regulate the activity in recent years, requiring those interested to engage in hunting with a license attesting to their willingness to sacrifice animals quickly, and to avoid suffering.

After the killing on Sunday (12), some activists claimed that many of the poachers did not have this permit, CNN International details.

One of the moderators of the activity, Heri Petersen, told In.fo that few licensed fishermen were involved in the activity, which led many dolphins to spend stifling minutes near the shore, which does not respect the rules. This claim was denied by local officials, who are responsible for ensuring control over the number of animals caught

“The fishing is regulated and carried out in accordance with Faroe Islands law,” Pal Nolso, a spokesperson for the islands government, told CNN. “There were no violations of laws or regulations,” he added, adding that everyone involved must complete a trial whaling course, but that catching dolphins is also a common practice. According to official data, about 250 animals are caught annually, although there is a “large fluctuation” in this amount – the number of animals killed on Sunday (12) was almost six times higher.