Whale hunts suspended in Faroe Islands’ Norðoyggjar region

The traditional Faroese whale hunt, known as the grindadráp, will not take place in the Norðoyggjar region as long as hunt leaders face legal charges for violating animal welfare laws, local organisers announced Tuesday.

The suspension follows a report by the marine conservation group Sea Shepherd Global, which accused hunt leaders of prolonging the killing of whales during a hunt in Hvannasund on 1 June 2024. The incident, which occurred amid boat races in the area, led to charges against the organisers and participants for breaching animal welfare regulations.

“As long as we, the hunt leaders, are accused of violating animal welfare laws, no whales will be driven ashore in Norðoyggjar,” Tóri Simonsen, a hunt leader in Hvannasund, told Faroese broadcaster Kringvarp Føroya (KVF). The case remains unresolved.

The grindadráp is a centuries-old Faroese practice involving the communal hunting of pilot whales, regulated by local authorities. Animal welfare groups have long criticised the method, arguing it causes unnecessary suffering.