Whale slaughter in Torshavn

[Squawkman]

Didn’t know about this practice until I saw this article in the Washington Post:

 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/travel/2023/07/13/faroe-islands-whale-hunt-slaughter-cruise-line/

 

Sorry if you hit a paywall - I couldn’t figure out how to avoid that when posting this. The article highlights a British cruise company, but many others (including Viking) dock there.

[Catlover54]

Yes, there is a paywall, and for most guests here that is probably a blessing.  But I saw the story elsewhere.

There is an indigenous peoples tradition in that area of periodically killing these animals (they are "pilot whales", a form of dolphin), even though they no longer need to do so to eat and survive.   The cruise guests just got accidentally caught up in viewing a reality different from what they are taught and understandably were horrified.

 

[JeffElizabeth]

Had that happen to our ship in a Greenland port. 🇬🇱 Natives were skinning seals about 300 yards away from our ship. We didn't mind. You really needed binoculars to understand what was going on. 

[Meander Ingwa]

1 hour ago, JeffElizabeth said:

You really needed binoculars to understand what was going on

You also need an understanding of indigenous culture history and sometimes spiritual practice.  Thank you @JeffElizabeth for understanding this important aspect of the community you were visiting.

[Cienfuegos]

In the US, several indigenous communities communities have treaty rights recognizing the right to hunt salmon, seals, crabs, whales, as their ancestors have enjoyed for thousands of years.  This has created friction with commercial fishing interests who are often limited in catch size, seasons, etc.

 

Treaty rights usually trump what people of another culture thousands of miles away might consider inappropriate or wrong.

[duquephart]

4 minutes ago, Cienfuegos said:

In the US, several indigenous communities communities have treaty rights recognizing the right to hunt salmon, seals, crabs, whales, as their ancestors have enjoyed for thousands of years.  This has created friction with commercial fishing interests who are often limited in catch size, seasons, etc.

 

Treaty rights usually trump what people of another culture thousands of miles away might consider inappropriate or wrong.

 

Big difference between subsistance and resource raping.

[Cienfuegos]

49 minutes ago, duquephart said:

 

Big difference between subsistance and resource raping.

 

No dispute on that. Although reasonable people will differ on what constitutes resource raping versus preserving the smaller fish on which the community depends. 

 

[OneSixtyToOne]

No wonder Orcas are sinking boats.

[JDincalif]

Aboard the Oceania Nautica in July 2012, prior to visiting Torshaven passengers were notified about these traditional hunts and cautioned that these might occur during the port visit.