In the last decade, a total of 7,744 small cetaceans of five different species (58,897 cetaceans of at least six species over the last 50 years) have lost their lives in the Faroe Islands whaling hunts, locally called ‘grindadráp’. In response, marine conservation charity Sea Shepherd UK proposed a financial incentive to the Faroe Islands of EUR 1,000,000 in total over the next 10 years, to bring to an end grindadráp, as part of its efforts to protect marine wildlife.
Whaling in the Faroe Islands takes the form of beaching and slaughtering long-finned pilot whales, a type of dolphin drive hunting. The Faroese term ‘grindadráp’ refers to these hunts, which are non-commercial and are organized on a community level.
This offer was made direct to the government of the Faroe Islands on 25 September 2018. The grant will be payable over ten installments of EUR 100,000 at the end of every calendar year for 10 years starting January 2019, with the first installment on the 1st January 2020.
All of the incentive payments must only be spent in the Faroe Islands (with documented proof provided to Sea Shepherd UK) on the following projects:
- Promoting Eco-friendly tourism to the Faroe Islands
- Establishing cooperative whale/dolphin watching businesses in small communities around the Faroe Islands
- Provision of teaching materials or specialist lectures to Faroese children on Marine Conservation
- Training to Faroese citizens in Marine Mammal Rescue techniques so that stranded cetaceans can be saved whenever possible
Each yearly payment of 100,000 Euros will only be made if ZERO cetaceans are deliberately hunted and killed in the Faroe Islands throughout the entire preceding 12-month period. If during any year a cetacean is deliberately killed in the Faroe Islands, then the current and subsequent yearly payments will be cancelled.