The Faroe Islands is under scrutiny after passengers onboard a cruise ship docking in Tórshavn were witnesses of the local tradition of mass slaughtering pilot whales.
The cruise ship Ambition was docking on Sunday 9th July where locals were slaughtering pilot whales with knives and metal rods.
Among the passengers were ORCA, a marine life advocacy group that seeks to protect whales and dolphins in European waters.
The operator of Ambition, Ambassador Cruise Line, apologised on social media calling the practice a “distressing occurrence”, yet the conservationist group argued why the ship was there in the first place.
The practice called ‘grindadrap’ is a traditional practice of the Faroese which they claim is central to their cultural identity and a sustainable way to gather food.