Faroese prosecutors delay decision on pilot whale hunt charges pending legal change

The Faroese public prosecutor’s office will not comment on whether charges against a district sheriff and whale hunt organisers in Hvannasund will be dropped until a legislative amendment exempting pilot whale hunts from animal welfare laws takes effect, Kringvarp Føroya reports.

The Faroese parliament, Løgtingið, approved the change Tuesday in a 28–0 vote, removing the hunts—known locally as grindadráp—from the scope of animal welfare legislation. A parliamentary committee had noted the amendment could apply retroactively to pending cases if the new law does not impose stricter penalties than the previous version.

The Faroese Whalers’ Association stated it expects charges under the animal welfare law to now be abandoned, though prosecutors have yet to confirm this. Prosecutor Katrin Thorsvig Hansen told KVF the office would wait until the amendment is formally enacted before issuing a statement.

The case had previously been referred to the state prosecutor for review.