Activists in London protest slaughter of dolphins on Denmark’s Faroe Islands

LONDON, UK - OCTOBER 16: Dozens of activists on Saturday (Oct. 16) rallied in London to protest the killing of hundreds of dolphins on Denmark’s Faroe Island as part of a four-century-old traditional drive. The demonstrators gathered in Trafalgar square marched to 10 Downing Street, the residence of the British Prime Minister. The protesters, carrying photos of the dolphin massacre and signs reading such as "Boycott the Faroe Islands", "Stop killing dolphins", demanded action from the British and other governments. One of the protesters, Gabriel pointed out that 1428 dolphins were killed in the Faroe Islands last month and said, " Apparently this is tradition to kill dolphins, to hunt dolphins and the meat is distributed to the people. I get that. But 1400 might be a bit much and the point is that lots of meat are up in the supermarkets for tourists to buy." “So, it is not just a tradition. The same happens in Japan. As the world community has signed a treaty said whale hunting is forbidden, but Norway and Japan have not signed it,” she said. She demanded a boycott of the seafood products of the Faroe Islands, adding that international agreements prohibit whale hunting, but Norway and Japan did not sign it. The hunt in the North Atlantic islands is not commercial and is authorized, but environmental activists claim it is cruel. Last September more than 1,428 white-sided dolphins were slaughtered for their meat and blubber during the annual "Grindadrap" festival on the Danish Island. The number of whales and dolphins killed on Faroe Island this year is estimated to be the highest since the tradition began in 1584. Islanders usually kill up to 1,000 sea mammals annually, according to data kept by the Faeroe Islands. Last year, that included only 35 white-sided dolphins. Each year, Danish islanders drive herds of the mammals — chiefly pilot whales — into shallow waters, where they are stabbed to death.(Footage by Bilal Acar /Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)