Bárður backs sustainable return of seal hunting

Faroese Minister for Foreign Affairs and Fisheries Bárður á Steig Nielsen is prepared to allow seal hunting again, provided it is carried out sustainably, broadcaster KVF reported on Friday.

“We have a nature protection law which says that if we are to hunt seals or wild animals in general, we must do so on a sustainable basis,” Nielsen said.

Social Democratic Party member of the Faroese parliament Bjarni Hammer asked the minister about the status of the seal population and whether regulated seal hunting should resume.

A bill on seal hunting was presented to the Faroese parliament in 2019 but failed.

Hammer also pointed out that cod is part of the seal’s diet and asked how seals affect Faroese fish stocks.