News
22 pilot whales dead at the hands of vicious thugs
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Introduced by Scubaverse.com’s Conservation Editor Jeff Goodman
I was first introduced to Sea Shepherd Founder Captain Paul Watson and the Faroese in 1985 when I filmed for the BBC a documentary called Black Harvest, and was horrified that such a wealthy, civilised country could inflict such pain and suffering on other sentient species with such enthusiasm. Since then the conflict has continued with heated arguments from all sides as to the rights and wrongs of this ‘indiginous and traditional’ hunt. While we argue, the whales continue to die.
Paul Watson led campaigns to the Faroes in 1985, 1986, 2000 and 2011.
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This morning 22 wonderful creatures were swimming in the cold Northern waters enjoying life in the company of their small family group.
It was a beautiful Monday morning, the seas were calm and the skies were blue.
What most civilized people in the world would view as a beautiful thing, watching a pod of these unique creatures swimming gracefully through the sea, a small group of thugs on the shore nearby gazed over the water with murderous intentions in their heart.
The call was issued to kill. The police closed the tunnels. A Danish frigate blocked the path of the Sea Shepherd vessel BRIGITTE BARDOT and the thugs were unleashed with huge hooks and sharp knives.
The 22 pilot whales were driven to shore and massacred as the police blocked the path of any interference.
The bodies were hoisted onto the dock by a crane as each animal was disemboweled, unborn fetuses ripped from their mother’s wombs. The bodies were decapitated one by one. One supporter of the slaughter sent me a message saying “We could show ISIS a thing or two about decapitation, you whale loving bastards.”
As the mutilations continued, Sea Shepherd volunteers were surrounded by Faroese police officers charged with the duty of preventing any interference with the slaughter.
As many as 1,000 long-finned pilot whales are brutally killed in the Faroe Islands each year. The slaughter occurs mainly during the summer months in so-called “traditional” communal drive hunts that locals refer to as “grindadráp” or simply, “the grind,” but more accurately this practice should be called what it truly is – mass slaughter.
Sea Shepherd has been leading the opposition against the slaughter of small cetaceans in the Faroe Islands for decades, actively opposing the grinds since 1985.
Read more here.
Over the next 12 months, specialist scuba holiday company Dive Worldwide will be supporting Bite-Back Shark & Marine Conservation with donations collected from client bookings to any one of its stunning dive destinations around the world. The independently-owned operator expects to raise £3000 for the UK charity.
Manager at Dive Worldwide, Phil North, said: “We’re especially excited to work with Bite-Back and support its intelligent, creative and results-driven campaigns to end the UK trade in shark products and prompt a change in attitudes to the ocean’s most maligned inhabitant.”
Bite-Back is running campaigns to hold the media to account on the way it reports shark news along with a brand new nationwide education programme. Last year the charity was credited for spearheading a UK ban on the import and export of shark fins.
Campaign director at Bite-Back, Graham Buckingham, said: “We’re enormously grateful to Dive Worldwide for choosing to support Bite-Back. The company’s commitment to conservation helps set it apart from other tour operators and we’re certain its clients admire and respect that policy. For us, the affiliation is huge and helps us look to the future with confidence we can deliver against key conservation programmes.”
To launch the fundraising initiative, Phil North presented Graham Buckingham with a cheque for £1,000.
Visit Dive Worldwide to discover its diverse range of international scuba adventures and visit Bite-Back to learn more about the charity’s campaigns.
MORE INFORMATION
Call Graham Buckingham on 07810 454 266 or email graham@bite-back.com
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