A couple of weeks ago, the slaughter of 1,428 dolphins in the Faroe Islands alarmed the world. A few days ago, the Colombian government seized 3,493 shark fins destined for Hong Kong. The first case is a long-standing tradition authorized by local authorities, the second is a product of illegal commercialization and is being investigated by the authorities.
Are the actions being taken to protect animals and the environment sufficient, or is this a wake-up call to change more quickly? Should traditions be preserved just to keep history alive?
Images of dead dolphins next to the red-tinged sea shocked the whole world in mid-September. The inhabitants of the Faroe Islands are used to generating criticism with this ancestral practice, but this time there was the largest catch in history, which caused great outrage in the rest of the world. Even many who support the hunting of cetaceans criticized the number.
Grindadràp is an ancient social practice that unites the local population. A large percentage of the islands’ inhabitants support this act. This slaughter of marine mammals takes place in summer and spring periods; first they corner them in the bay, then once they move to land, they kill them with knives and spears. Generally, the haul from the Grind hunt is divided between the participants and the locals, but the large amount of meat can mean that they have to distribute to other districts to avoid throwing it away.
It is considered cruelty among those who criticize the tradition; on the other hand, the residents who participate believe that the Grind is a necessary practice to preserve their cultural identity. Even so, many were surprised by this year’s slaughter, and a large part of the population is against the hunting of white-sided dolphins specifically.
Although local authorities justified the fishery as sustainable, this year’s uproar caused them to announce a re-evaluation of the laws on dolphin hunting, a practice so far legal in the archipelago.
The inhabitants of the island consider that someone should have noticed the numbers in the herd and, according to Sea Shepherd, some of those involved were not in possession of a license. Animal rights advocates also claim that the hunt can, on many occasions, go on for longer than these groups admit. During that time, some marine mammals struggle to get out of shallow waters, while others are killed by staining the water with blood.
Criticism also came from Faroese business owners, who received complaints from their clients around the world. They condemned the situation as unnecessary and unacceptable. It is worth noting that the slaughter of the dolphins is in addition to the 615 pilot whales that had also been hunted during the summer.
The problem with laws is that sometimes they don’t seem to matter to those involved
Grind advocates compare it to cow and pig slaughterhouses, which calls into question everything that humans are taking from the planet. Grind is not the only practice that arouses controversy for being considered animal abuse, there are others such as bullfighting, cockfighting or festivals like the one in Yulin where dogs are slaughtered for their meat.
So should activities such as the Grind be eliminated, is there a need for more regulation by local authorities, will the laws be sufficient, or will these acts continue to be illegal?
The problem with laws is that sometimes they don’t seem to matter to those involved. A few days ago, 3493 shark fins and 117 kilos of fish bladder were seized in Bogota, which were to be illegally shipped to Hong Kong. To obtain this number of fins, approximately 1000 sharks of more than 3 species were killed, which the authorities considered irreparable damage to the Colombian aquatic ecosystems.
In 2020, when the government changed some fishing laws, environmental associations criticized the measure because it included quotas on shark bycatch, even though the country does not have the conditions for legal commercialization. The government defended its position, arguing that what they are really trying to do is to combat environmental crimes. Although there is good will, experts in the field believe that they do not have the capacity to guarantee that the quotas are respected. Laws on their own are not enough.
Image credits: Laura Balc and Erik Christensen
