No place for the Grind but the past

In recent years there has been increasing attention on the Faroe Islands and the Grindadrap, commonly known as ‘the grind’. During the summer months the people of the Faroes herd pods of pilot whales into the shore and brutally slaughter them. They have claimed it bears cultural significance and is necessary for food, and although this may once have been the case it is certainly no longer true. The chief medical officer has even advised that the whale meat should not be consumed more than once a month because of it’s high levels of toxicity from mercury and PCB’s. Just because something has significance as a cultural practice doesn’t make it right or mean that it should be continued just because it has been a tradition. As I’m sure many of you are aware there are communities in the Pacific Islands where it has in the past been common place for people to practice cannibalism. This was a part of their culture and was accepted as a way of life, but does that mean the world would allow them to continue? No of course not. Can we safely say that their society is better off for not eating each other? I think so. The Faroes need to learn the same respect for these creatures as most humans have learnt for each other. It is not ok to kill these creatures without good reason, and they have none. 
Sea Shepherd is a global ‘direct-action’ conservation organization who have been actively campaigning to stop the Grind since 1985. Their ‘Operation Grindstop 2014’ campaign has been a great success for the whales, with volunteers preventing the locals from slaughtering many pods of unknowing cetaceans.. There are laws in the Faroes which are designed to prevent interference with a Grind and under such laws some of the Sea Shepherd crew have been arrested during the campaign this year, due to appear in court this month. In response to animal rights campaigns the Faroese government tightened some of the laws regarding the killing method of the creatures which is supposed to be done in as humane a way as possible but with the grind not being a commercial operation this must be difficult to regulate. 
Supporters of the grind argue that the creatures are allowed to live their lives in their natural environment in contrast to farmed livestock and only captured and harvested when they are ready to be killed and eaten which is at least a reasonable argument but in my opinion these creatures are intelligent, social beings with complex societies, cultures and communication which we don’t even entirely understand and I don’t think they should be on the menu for this reason. Much farmed livestock, for example cows, I do not believe are unhappy to be fed lots of grass and stand in a field all day, they are far less intelligent creatures, meaning they are not affected by their confinement because they have everything they need. Cetaceans will feel certain distress by being herded by boats into a shallow bay and watching and hearing their family members dying around them. 
I would like to congratulate Sea Shepherd and all their volunteers and staff for their amazing efforts to prevent this years grinds. But I believe that the solution to stopping the Faroes people from killing these unbelievable intelligent and social creatures lays also with the people themselves, enlightening them to the wonder of the animals, and the fact that their waters have been so poisoned by us that they are not even a valuable food source any longer but an unhealthy, even toxic meat. Animal activist Pamela Anderson traveled to the Faroes in August to show her support for the campaign as did actor Ross McCall this year. Pressure needs to be put on the people of this land and the people that are in charge of it, that is how you will convince them to stop this cruel and unnecessary practice. Educate them to the error of their ways and show them that their ‘culture’ has no place in this world any longer and they must adapt to a way of life which is harmonious with the ocean and her treasures. You can read a very well informed and researched article by Helene Hesselager O'Barry here.