Nature 2030 has partnered with the Captain Paul Watson Foundation with support from the Green Britain Foundation to raise awareness of the brutal slaughter of dolphins in the Faroe Islands and work with the UK Government to see these inhumane hunts ended.
The brutal slaughter of dolphins on the Faroe Islands, a small country only 230 miles from the Scottish coast, has been taking place for hundreds of years and continues to trigger huge anger and revulsion around the world. Over 1,100 Atlantic white-sided dolphins and bottlenose dolphins are killed each year.
These hunts, traditionally called the Grindadráp, are not seasonal and do not discriminate between pregnant mothers, young or old animals. Entire pods of these dolphin species are driven, often for hours, towards any of the 26 designated killing bays by Faroese fishing boats, powerboats, and jet skis.
The dolphins are then paralysed and killed in shallow waters and on the beaches with lances and knives. Meanwhile, the UK continues to import some £1.3 billion worth of Faroese fish into the country each year through the Free Trade Agreement, making its way onto supermarket shelves, restaurants, schools and hospitals.
In contrast, the UK’s exports to the Faroe Islands are minimal (£33 million to the end of 2023), showing a significant trade imbalance. Nature 2030 and the Captain Paul Watson Foundation is calling for the UK Government to suspend the Free Trade Agreement until the Faroe Islands bans these senseless hunts.