Scottish Town ‘Untwins’ With Faroe Islands Because of Whale Slaughter

Wick, in Caithness, no longer wants to be associated with a community where thousands of whales and dolphins are massacred every year.

Increasingly, the international community is shunning the Faroe Islands, a group of islands situated between Denmark and Norway, because of its horrific annual whale slaughter.

Every year, pilot whales, beaked whales and dolphins are herded to shore by boats and have metal hooks driven into their blowholes. The animals slowly bleed to death, and the sea turns red with blood, in scenes that look like they belong in a horror movie.

After two major German cruise lines, horrified by the cruelty, announced they would no longer make stops at the Faroes – dealing a devastating blow to the tiny territory’s tourist industry – councillors from the Scottish town of Wick decided to take a stand, too. They wrote to the Mayor of Klaksvík to sever the 20-year twinning agreement between the two communities.

Local councillor Gail Ross explained why:

I am afraid that the whole of the Faroe Islands has been tainted by these events. We do not agree that these events and the apparent joy it gave the townspeople is in any way or should in any way be linked to tradition.

There may have been reasons of culling for food in the past but in 2015 it is unnecessary and cruel.

Cetaceans are sentient beings. They have feelings and emotions. To drive them on to a beach and slaughter them in front of their family members is nothing short of barbaric. We do not subscribe to animal cruelty. It saddens me to have to sever links with your beautiful town until such times as we get a full assurance that this atrocity has ceased.

Thank you to the people of Wick for this compassionate move! You can speak out against the slaughter by taking action here.