Faroese authorities will not search for whale pods despite pilot whale discovery

The Faroese Maritime Authority (Vørn) has confirmed it will not deploy vessels to search for pods of pilot whales around the Faroe Islands, despite a request from the local whaling association, Kringvarp Føroya reports.

Óli Hans Olsen, director of Vørn, stated the agency lacks the resources to conduct such searches. The decision follows the discovery of pilot whale pods in Hvannasund, which had prompted the Faroese Whalers’ Association (Grindamannafelagið) to call on authorities to investigate whether more pods were present in surrounding waters.

The Faroese Marine Research Institute (Havstovuna) confirmed it possesses hydrophones capable of detecting whale frequencies but will not participate in the search. “We only conduct this work if it is assigned to us,” said Bjarni Mikkelsen, a researcher at the institute.

The request came after pilot whales—locally known as grind—were unexpectedly spotted in the area, raising questions about potential hunting opportunities. However, neither Vørn nor the research institute will take proactive measures to locate additional pods.