Faroe Islands reports 868 pilot whales killed in 2025 hunts

The Faroese statistics agency has released figures showing that 868 pilot whales were killed in nine separate hunts last year, the highest number since 2021, Kringvarp Føroya reports.

According to the data, which covers whale hunts dating back to 1952, the 2025 total of 868 whales yielded 6,566 portions of meat and blubber. This marks a significant increase from 2024, when only five hunts took place, resulting in 413 whales and 2,696 portions.

The highest number of hunts in a single year occurred in 1984 and 1988, with 21 recorded each year. The largest total kill was in 1981, when 2,909 pilot whales were caught.

The Faroese tradition of whale hunting, known as the grindadráp, involves driving pods of pilot whales ashore, where they are killed for their meat and blubber. The practice remains a contentious issue but is regulated by local authorities.