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STATES OF JERSEY
THE GRINDADRAP FESTIVAL IN THE FAROE ISLANDS – CONDEMNATION OF THE HUNTING OF SEA MAMMALS
Lodged au Greffe on 23rd May 2023
by Deputy L.J. Farnham of St. Mary , St. Ouen and St. Peter Earliest date for debate: 13th June 2023
STATES GREFFE
2023 P.35 (re-issue)
PROPOSITION
THE STATES are asked to decide whether they are of opinion
to condemn the Faroe Island Government's annual Grindadrap festival where whales, dolphins and porpoises are indiscriminately slaughtered, and to request the Chief Minister to transmit the view of the States Assembly to His Majesty's Government with a request that the opinion of the States be also forwarded to the Government of the Faroe Islands by His Majesty's Government.
DEPUTY L.J. FARNHAM OF ST. MARY, ST. OUEN AND ST. PETER
REPORT
Words cannot express the cruelty displayed in a tradition known as the Grind, or Grindadrap in Faroese, the hunting of sea mammals, primarily whales and dolphins, is a tradition that has been practised for hundreds of years on the Faroe Islands.
"The practice of driving whales into specific bays is called Grindadrap or, more commonly, the Grind. It has its origins in the middle ages, when sailors would drive the whales and dolphins to beaches and kill them with spears and rowing boats. The killing of whales at that time was justifiable. The whales, killed in far fewer numbers, were vital to the survival of the Faroese people, who lived at the edge of northern Europe in an unforgiving winter climate.
All three archipelagos have suffered famines throughout much of their history. Fresh meat and whale oil were once vital to the survival of folk so reliant on barley, seafood and, later, potatoes. But no longer. The Faroes are, thankfully, highly prosperous. The slaughtering of dolphins and whales is not required for meat. In fact, the slaughtered animals are hard to get into the human food chain, as so few people, especially young people, want to eat them".
John Nicolson MP, 11th June 2021. UK Parliament Hansard.
Records showed that the 2021 Grind' accounted for the largest number of dolphins ever killed (over 1,400) on one day.
The massacre on that day was so excessive that many Faroe islanders were left in shock!
We all live in an island community surrounded by the sea and we all have a great deal of respect for our rare and valuable marine environment. We must protect and preserve our oceans and not allow them to be plundered.
All those living in close proximity to the seas and oceans should be championing conservation on an international stage and not turning a blind eye to such needless slaughter.
As a civilised, small Island nation what example do we set to the rest of the world if we do nothing?
Although disapproval alone will not stop this cruel and barbaric practice, I respectfully ask the States of Jersey Assembly to condemn, in the strongest possible terms, the continuation of this cruel and barbaric practice, which is carried out largely in the name of tradition.
Members of Parliaments all over the world are beginning to see these issues as a key part of their environmental agendas we must all very soon start backing our condemnation with trade action.
Financial and manpower implications
There are no financial and manpower implications arising out of this proposition.
Relevant Authorities/Articles (Contains Distressing Content)
Faroe Islands slaughter hundreds of whales in gruesome tradition (nypost.com)
Faroe Islands slaughter hundreds of whales in gruesome tradition (nypost.com)
Faroe Islands will allow 500 dolphins to be killed in annual whale hunt | CNN Dolphin and Whale Hunting: Faroe Islands - Hansard - UK Parliament
Re-Issue Note
This projet has been re-issued to include relevant articles to the report content, and associated images.