Significant factual errors in the article: 'The Grind': Annual whale slaughter begins in Faroe Islands

Regarding the article: 'The Grind': Annual whale slaughter begins in Faroe Islands

The Prime Minister’s Office would like to point out that the article contains significant factual errors relating to the pilot whale hunt in the Faroe Islands.

The pilot whales are not “…hacked to death by locals using hooks and knives…” as stated in the article.

A regulation spinal lance is used, designed by a Faroese veterinarian, and the lance ensures that the whales lose consciousness and die within a few seconds. The lance is not used to hack but is inserted once through the animal's neck to break its spinal cord.

A rounded hook is attached into the blowhole and used to haul the whales further up onto the shore. Hooks are not used to kill or hack whales to death.

It takes a few seconds to kill each whale, and the entire pod is normally killed in less than ten minutes.

The hunt is well regulated, and Faroese law explicitly states that the hunt is to be conducted in such a way that causes the whales as little suffering as possible.

The hunt is not an annual event. The “grindadráp” may take place when the whales come close to shore and are spotted, and this can happen at any time of year.

The use of locally available wildlife is a natural part of life in the Faroe Islands. The pilot whale hunt is dramatic and bloody by its nature. Entire pods of whales are killed on shores and in shallow bays at open sight. Naturally, this results in a lot of blood in the water.

The government of the Faroe Islands states that it is the right of the Faroese people to use its natural resources. The pilot whale hunt is regulated and sustainable, and a natural part of Faroe Island life.

Moreover, the Prime Minister's Office is rather surprised that the journalist apparently not did contact Faroese authorities or other relevant sources in connection with the research and writing of the article.

For further information on the pilot whale hunt in Faroe Islands, please visit www.whaling.fo

The Prime Minister’s Office of the Faroe Islands