What the Grind Reveals When It Is Documented

The answer lies in what the documentation reveals.

Every pod killed in a grind contains pregnant females and young juveniles. In almost any other hunting community, these animals would be protected. Pregnant females, unborn young, newborns, and small juveniles would not be considered legitimate targets. But in the Faroese grind, they are driven and killed indiscriminately.

The smallest whales and fetuses are not considered edible. They are described as rubbery and are thrown away. These animals are not counted in the official Faroese kill statistics, which raises serious concerns about the data used by Faroese authorities to claim that the grind can in any way be considered sustainable.

This is one of the most indefensible aspects of the grind. It is also one of the facts Faroese whalers are most determined to keep out of sight.

The Achilles Heel of the Faroese Grind

For years, whalers and defenders of the grind have claimed that they are open to criticism and improvement. But this remains the painful truth they cannot improve away: every grind involves the killing of pregnant females and juveniles.

Instead of acknowledging that this is unacceptable, those defending the practice attempt to hide it.

The May 4th hunt was no exception.

The official number butchered was 125 pilot whales, including adults and approximately 17 juveniles of a certain size. In addition, at least 15 fetuses and very small juveniles were discarded because they were considered inedible. These animals are not included in the official Faroese count.

A few Atlantic white-sided dolphins were also killed during this hunt, but they were not seen at the harbour afterwards. This raises serious questions about whether they were dumped or removed from public view.

Sea Shepherd believes Faroese authorities should provide a full accounting of all animals killed during the hunt, including the juveniles and unborn young.”

An Excessive Kill for a Small Population

The grind in Sándavágur also raises major questions about need and distribution.

Based on a conservative estimate, this single hunt produced around 110,000 kg of meat and blubber. The Faroe Islands have a population of approximately 55,000 people, and estimated annual consumption is around 1 kg per capita. That means this one hunt alone produced vastly more whale meat and blubber than can reasonably be justified by regular consumption.

So where is the meat going?

And how can anyone justify killing up to 1,000 pilot whales a year, not counting the fetuses and small juveniles excluded from the official statistics?

Why Were Whales Transported to the Northern Islands?

This question becomes even more important because 6–7 whole pilot whales from the Sándavágur hunt were later transported to Klaksvík, in the northern islands.

This is significant because the local grind foremen in the northern islands have stated that they will not participate in or authorise any whale hunts until the legal case from 2025 is resolved.

That decision has already had a concrete effect: at least 100 pilot whales have not been killed this year as a result.

The Sándavágur hunt did not take place in the northern islands. However, the transport of whole whales to Klaksvík raises questions. It may mean that people from the northern area participated in the hunt in Vágar. Or it may mean that, once again, more whales were killed than were locally needed, and the surplus was distributed around the country, including to an area where the local foremen had paused hunting.