Up until today, I had no idea that an annual drive hunt against pilot whales was taking place in a. But because I was searching for video of New Zealand celebrity dolphin Moko's amazing rescue effort of a mother and off-spring pygmy sperm whale by Hawke's Bay, Mahia.
In my effort, I landed upon this video [WARNING: Depiction of graphic blood-letting of live intelligent creatures]....
....of the annual Faroe Island hunt drive of pilot whales, and my heart broke a little. What the video shows are living breathing intelligent homo sapiens crowding intelligent mammals into a single bay/harbor, and then slaughtering them bloody murder. It is as if the Hellraiser movies become real. And it's humans such as we are doing unspeakable things to other living creatures using hooks and great knives.
I read up on the situation in the entry found at Wikipedia, which led me to this next 20-year old animated film (narrated by Anthony Hopkins)....
....which shows that this has been going on and disturbing people globally for some time.
The Faroe Islands are an autonomous province of Denmark. They have become more and more autonomous since after "World War II" in 1948, and are now dedicated to the premise of independence. Be that at it may, the Faroese people are unfortunately slaughtering whales. Perversely, it it now shown that the eating of the slaughtered whales—which are laden in mercury—is causing the people to literally become mentally retarded, and to be exterminating the Faroese people.
And now it is learned that the whale meat these residents are eating has been poisoning them with Mercury for generations. This is the sort of poisoning that leads to mental retardation in forming human fetus. They are actually taking their ownselves out of the game—by the process of devolution! In fact, two studies, this 20-year (1984-2004) Harvard study of 1,022 Faroe Islands mothers and children from 2004—including this letter from the the chief physician for The Faroese Hospital System stating the mercury found is "not from fish but specifically pilot whale", and this study released last year [PDF] at the International Conference on Foetal Programming and Developmental Toxicity (PPTOX), shows this to actually be the case! In fact, PBS aired this video report on the subject last year. By consuming Pilot Whales, residents of the Faroe Islands are systematically and routinely institutionalizing physical disability and mental retardation!
I am unable to be angry with an entire nation, to be polarized against an entire, unmodernized culture. That sort of anger is uesless—other than to start a fight.
But what I want to do is encourage a change of spirit, and to encourage human growth! Instead, I write this letter to the Faroese people of the Faroe Islands:
Dear Island people of Faroe,BTW, politely emailing may help. Let the Faroese people know that whaling is in fact murder of whales. The Prime Minister Jóannes Eidesgaard's email address is info@tinganes.fo
Reconsider.
If you knew what you were doing, you would stop. The fact is that these are entire families—of whales—you are massacring, generations and families together, and you are doing it with such tremendous violence, and the pain and suffering being caused is without limit. In order to participate in the 21st Century, all of us have had to make changes, and this is one being necessary of you for your entry into our new modern world. From a perspective on this side of that necessary leap, the step you must take to make it here is worth it.
No one wants whale meat. In fact, the animals you slaughter you yourself no longer yourselves use. The EU will not buy products made from whales, for it is tainted morally and now poisonously. Worse of all, as a consequence of whale-killing, your children are being emotionally hampered and amputated, and physically weakened and diminished. Killing whales is to the 21st Century what enslaving people was to the 19th, and restricting human rights was to the 20th. It is wrong, and we know it now.
For your own sakes, as well as for the sake of the intelligent and emotionally sophisticated creatures being caused mortal anguish and harm to perish, stop killing whales.
These are not some hogs, cows, or chickens. They are intelligent just as you and I. And they are not yours to kill. They belong to all of us. Just as you are to us and us to you, they are this world's. Killing whales is wrong. And I am one of at least a billion who are asking you to stop and look at it this way. Just look and see.
Signed,
Mike Mongo
on behalf all of us who care
And lastly, here is a petition to sign. Even this does help as it lets the Faroese people know how many of us care enough about whale killing to be counted as against it.
PETITION TO STOP WHALE KILLING IN FAROE ISLANDS
35 comments:
The pilot whale is far from endangered, and every part of the whale is eaten. The hunt has little impact on the population of the whale. Far worse things occur in slaughter houses, so get off your moral high horse.
Wait, what?
Pregnant women are advised not to eat whale meat, and most don't.
The pollution that is seeping upstream in the foodchain in this area of the atlantic can be blamed squarely on the UK.
If you are not a vegetarian, then you are a hypocrite, as I'd choose to eat an annimal that has lived free all it's life, over what is going on in the rest of the world, with caged meat, destined for slaughter it's whole life, and pumped with hormones.
The sea turns red with blood.. Ofcourse it does, what do you think happens on the tiled floor in a slaughterhouse? The only difference is that they have drains on the floor. If you want to kill something, it will bleed. If you ever eaten a burger, it's from a cow that has bled out hanging from a hook, but you pay not to have to look at it.
Your litte animation showed whales being sliced up sideways.. What would the point be in that? Torture? Whales get their spine cut over as soon as they hit the beach, and every scrap of meat is divided in the community for free.
It is so easy to get outraged over something you saw on the internet, and write about what you saw, edited for sad music in the background, and with added whining noises from the whales.
I'd reccomend reading the wikipedia article, as its pretty neutral and discriptive on the subject.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grindadrap
These are not horrible people, these are not cruel people, but with all the blood, it's damn easy to make them out to be.
i saw the incredible whale killing!
its not right to show just beautifull pics of feroe islands.
its amazing how deep can stupidity go in humans!!
this is one of the most shocking things i've ever seen!
this is not europe!
please fight agains this poor human beings!
stop slaughtering wales!
Mário
Mike, I saw you have a petition against the killing of whales. I would like to know what you´re going to do with it so that I can spread it around. I have found your blog on the net by looking for some action against this absurd act. I´m in Brazil. Thanks
Never mind, just realized it´s going to the prime minister. But I wonder why you put in your letter that whales "are not some hogs, cows, or chickens". They are animals who suffer just as whales, or humans do. That makes me hold back on supporting your action unfortunately.
We sent him the message below and forwarded the Petition to our contacts. Sorry to write from here but dind´t find your email.
Dear Prime Minister Jóannes Eidesgaard,
The world is appaled with the massacre of Whales and Dolphins in the Faroe Islands!
There is no pride in causing pain and suffering to other living beings. Human kind is undergoing a process of evolution and that includes learning to respect all animals and nature! The people of the Faroe Islands need to understand that violence is wrong no matter the victim!
We beg you to intervene and stop with this cruelty!
Yours truly,
Soraya Simon
President of Sociedade Protetora dos Animais de Curitiba
Brazil
55-41-9971-8818
www.spacuritiba.com.br
Humans have been killing whales for many thousands of years! What is NOT right to do is suddenly stop this.
Anti-whale killing is for pussies.
And if they are so intelligent, why do they keep coming back. Stupid animals. Not even Dolphins are intelligent.
And many people say that Faroese people kill Dolphins. The only problem there, is that there are no Dolphins near the Faroe Islands.
Continue whale killing!
Yo Capatain Planet, you're over reacting to the whole thing. The Faroese are not promoting mental retardation and I don't think what they are doing is barbaric. What would these people do without the whales? They are a huge food source for the islands. The Faroese are working with the only resources they have. It's not like they can just cruise over to Wal-Mart to buy their groceries.
It's strange that people have some emotional connection with these creatures. Don't get me wrong, if they were killing Blue Whales or Humpbacks (whales that are actually endangered) I would be offended. This happens all over the world man.
peace&love
Samuel...you did it pilot whale and your brain is now infected. how stupid can you be? so...its right to kill whales like faroe people do? go f**k your self and all the people that think this is a normal behavior.
Almost worst than this is to see that are some "people" (if it can be named like this..." here that defend the killing... please get your ideas right. all of this is more awfull than any war around! animals dont have the blame, but are the only ones that suffer here! 1000 times more something like Iraque than something like this!
I think all of you people coming from Industrial/Developed Countries needs to grow up, I came from a big nation in sudamerica, we eat Cow meat, a lot of them, I grew up in a farm, Have you seen how we kill cows, under normal conditions? but you like Meat(Beef, roast beef, sirloin, etc) So If you are not vegetarian by principles, and you enjoy eating meat from any kind, pork, chicken, cow, do yourself a favor and have some moral and decency stopping this madness remarks. and get a life too.
For "samuel" and "vman81" unbelieveble how stupid people like you and faroese people are, and you are so wrong about the people that do this, these are horrible and cruel people, dont be so stupid to compare a cow or any domestic animal to eat with a whale come on!!! its a shame have people in this planet with that point of view, you can own a cow or whatever domestic animal but a whale nobody can, but is useless try to say something to people like you!!!
Congratulations to Mike Mongo to put this site and everybody can know about these massacre, cruelty, and the stupidity of faroese people
so funny, a couple of weeks a go received an email with photos aout this whale massacre mentioining how brutal and uncivilized are the europeans for letting something like this to take place on their land, regarding the fact that i live in arabia and that people here are always furious about western people i decided to know more about the wjole thing and a friend of mind leaded me to this post of urs, i think the world is really getting much smaller now!
I received an email today with pictures of the killing and after some research I came up with this site. I totally disagree with the people here that believe that because cattle growing is popular then we should take whale and dolphin killing as normal. This practice is barbaric! Don't look for excuses not feel bad about this tradition.
A MATANÇA DE ANIMAIS NA DINAMARCA É UM ABSURDO, COITADAS DAS BALEIAS, COITADO DO NOSSO PLANETA POR TER HOMENS TÃO RIDICULOS, COVARDES, PODRES... VAMOS ACABAR COM ESSE ABSURDO
Long ago, my ancestors were cannibals when the occasion suited them after a long winter--there's a connection between the description of human meat as "long pig" and the ritual springtime consumption of white asparagus and ham in Western Europe. Not for nothing did the Christian sacrament of of Communion fit so nicely into the Pagan Mediterranean and European religious matrix.
However, we outgrew that part of our heritage. The Faroese should outgrow their obsession with ritually killing animals that may be smarter than they are. On the other hand, it is a nice irony that they are poisoning themselves into genetic imbecility in the observation of their ritual slaughter.
some idiot comented that the whales/dolphins keep coming back and are stupid to do so. THEY are dragged with boats and some are in there trying to save a relative, I have seen how cattle is killed and we have no crowds looking at this and cheering...
I feel sorry for those animals(the whales) I feel pity for the other animals, the faroese "people".
I am so glad to see that so many people care about these beautiful animals. What scares me is the ignorance of people like samuel and vman who are stuped fuckers but most of all that there are still nazi vicious pieces of shit like hendinrj who I hope suffers agonising pain and death. Otherwise thanks to all you fantastic people that are helping. Let us make the world a better place!!!xxx
Samuel needs to hang his head in shame - you must be an absolutely evil person to support this slaughter and perhaps its time for you to do some soul searching. All life is connected and part of a great ocean of creation. The unnecessary massacre of any creature is unforgivable and ultimately affects us all. We are a doomed race if this is the path we choosing. Its really time to wake up, stand up and make a healing change. Perhaps its not too late ...
This is a difficult debate. I was sent a link to the pictures and found them so vile that I decided to research the issue.
In response to some of the above posts - I don't think hysteria or threats are likely to adequately form a reasoned conclusion to what is a really sensitive issue. If you really want to make a change you first need to truly understand both sides of the argument. The very emotive pictures and words are obviously meant to shock, but that isn't the way to make things better as all it serves to do is provoke reactionary extremism. This is how mindless wars are started.
There are so many atrocities in our world, all of which need to be tackled in a sensitive and level- headed way. Children starve and yet many of us say we're powerless to help.
The farming of livestock; at best the celebration of a life lived freely, at worst the very cruelest form of sadism. There is much sense in the idea of slaughtering an animal which has lived happily and free as opposed to an animal which has led a miserable existence, in order that man can eat its flesh.
We are all equal creatures, none of us is worth any more or less and as such we should treat nature with respect.
Needs be that some of us are hunters. What would you have people who live remotely eat? And for those of us who eat meat there comes a huge responsibility and duty to ensure that we don't inflict misery or suffering. In this respect I find modern day mass rearing and slaughter of nameless, faceless animals to be sold in packaging in supermarkets, (seemingly acceptable to the majority of mankind), is far less acceptable than the hunting of wild animals.
It is quite easy to be reactionary and very much harder to kill an animal with your own hands. To say that this is ritualistic is an over simplification and a gross misunderstanding of the situation. It is hard to believe that the Faroese people would actually enjoy inflicting pain, in my experience it is the people who live this close to nature who understand and respect it intuitively and reverently.
It is wrong to say that killing whales is any different to killing cattle or any other creatures. It is an aspect of eating meat which we are duty-bound to accept, however difficult, or else, if we can not accept it, we should not eat meat.
On the subject of killing endangered species, although these particular whales are quite clearly not an endangered species, but as all creatures are and should be treated equally morally perhaps there is no difference. I'm still uneasy about this and trying to substantiate it myself.
However, as caretakers of this place we must be mindful and consider our duty to be responsible for our actions. With this in mind there are many things we should be doing differently and I suspect that the suffering inflicted on animals, ostensibly in our care, in the rest of the so called developed and civilised world far outweighs this particular form of hunting.
In answer to "voices" previous reply I note the following: If you read this blog you will see that it states that the Feroes people are making themselves sick from eating the whales due to the high mercury content!! They are deforming their foetus and mentally retarding people, so they can only eat whale once a month. I have read other articles on the subject substantiating this. The rest of the animal is often left to rot. These monsters enjoy the kill!!! Man does not stand at an abbatoir and clap and enjoy the slaughter. We just enjoy eating meat and dont want to think where it comes from and what it suffers because we enjoy the taste and are selfish. The old testamnet clearly states what we should eat and Whale is not one of those animals. I wish people would take what they put into their mouth more seriously as we are what we eat!!!
There is no excuse for what the Feroes are doing, they just enjoy cruelty. I have emailed the Danish government and the Feroe government and both of them have replied to me politely saying that there is little cruelty as the slughter is quick and blood is just what makes it look gory but its not really!!! They also justify that they eat the meat. How can they justify that, when it makes them sick? Also if they were to eat the meat, why do this hunt as an initiation for their young boys and have this bloodshed. They enjoy he kill and they are evil Satin worshippers, there is no other explanation!!!Lets pray that God gives them compassion and heals their evil ways. If we all pray for this daily, God can make miracles. Please lets pray!!
What these monsters are doing is a disgrace to the human race! I have received the email today and have researched the subject thoroughly. There is NO justification for this bloodshed. These animals are far more intelligent than these bastards! And they belong to this earth, they are not theirs to slaughter! How dare they even try to justify these crimes? They are shitheads, retarded bastards, I hope they rot in hell but not before they suffer ten times the pain and anguish they inflict on these beautiful animals!
Idiots, brainless monsters!
Hi, I work for the maintenance team in one of the largest meat co-operatives in Australia and for repliers to liken this barbaric killing to the slaughter of pigs and cows in our meat works is an uneducated statement. First of all at any one time there are at least four Vets on plant who are a requirement and put there by the government to ensure all killing on plant is done humanely and according to Australian (modern) standards.
All animals are gassed, which puts them to sleep before they are killed by bleeding, this gas chamber has to be monitored and calibrated on a regular basis, to maintain a 90% gas level in the chamber at all times. If the chamber goes below that level the whole plant is stopped so acceptable levels are reached, I know, I am the one responsible for this to happen. All handling on farms and the handling done in our plant have to comply also to a very high standard of animal handling, which is also monitored closely by vets, I'm talking VETS which are people who growing up would of become vets because of they're love for animals, so of coarse these guys are going to go out of they're way to make sure things are done in the most humane way.
This whale killing on the other hand as Mike said is very out of date and Barbaric, and to say it is easy to get angry at them for it just because I've seen a video of it on the net, well yes, of coarse I would, just as much as I would if I saw a video of someone being raped, I do not need to witness this first hand to know this is wrong. I am a keen surfer and am very glad that I live in Australia and am often visited by curious dolphin all the time, I feel privileged to surf with these beautiful creatures, and hope soon the people Fahroe Island realize the errors of they're ways a what a natural treasure they have in they're back yard.
Slaughterhouses are awful but nothing compared to this!!! Slaughterhouses are not a sport court to go have fun killing animals. That's why we pay not to watch cows get killed so that we can eat them as hamburgers... CAUSE WE KNOW IT'S CRUEL & WRONG!I'm sorry for this people cause it's part of their heritage & if for generations they've been eating this poisoned meat... I hope the whole world community gets together to stop this madness. SPREAD THE WORD AROUND TO STOP THIS ABUSES!!
this is cruelty
Like many of you I received an email recently about the Faroe Island Whale hunt which has in turn led me to this page. I am a vegetarian though on odd occasions I eat fish or shellfish from the bottom of the food chain. My philosophy is that I feel comfortable eating what I am comfortable killing; which excludes all mammals and birds and most fish. I try to limit my intake of fish to avoid anything caught by commercial fishing as I take issue with their practises and processes. I am totally opposed to whaling in any form and in no way lend my support to it. I do however have respect for anyone who hunts their own food and is involved in the killing of it when it is done with respect and awareness.
Several people in this BLOG have used strong language to condemn the whale slaughter while at the same time defending their own right to eat meat procured from a slaughterhouse (in one instance actually saying "because we know its cruel and wrong"). A hunter who is involved in the kill and has respect for the animal who feeds him has alot more integrity to me than someone who prefers to remain ignorant about how the meat they are consuming ended up on their plate. How innoccuous a little cling wrap package of meat appears. How hard it is to find sympathy for a cow a pig or a sheep. With modern agricultural practices we now live in a world where the cow has become one of the biggest consumers of fish on the planet through the use of fish meal in feed. In some developed countries there may be abbatoirs that manage to slaughter animals in a "humane" fashion but I expect this is more the exception than the rule and still has no bearing on the miserable life led before slaughter particularly by pigs who are just as highly evolved in an emotional sense as dogs.
I encourage everyone to oppose this whale slaughter and the drive hunting that takes place in Taiji Japan and anywhere else as well, for all the well stated reasons in this blog however I believe The Faroe Islanders deserve a little more consideration than some of the emotional outbursts voiced here. It is a hunt and the meat is used however unwisely, but the community is involved and everyone knows where the food on their plate came from, they didn't just absently pick it off a shelf in their local supermarket.
This is wonderful posting. Thank you.
Bathmate
1. I am completely against this senseless massacre.
2. I am also against knee-jerk reactions that spread like wildfire through the Internet, without due care.
3. This original posting closely resembles an email I received recently, which was so riddled with grammatical and factual errors that I did some quick research to clarify things. Check out my blog, and you’ll see what I mean.
http://yardyyardyyardy.blogspot.com/2009/11/gotta-get-it-right.html
Don’t misunderstand me – I am very much against this outdated custom. But I warn those who attempt to change the mindset of the Faroese: it’s a total waste of time swearing, cursing, saying they should all be shot etc etc.
You need a considered approach, perhaps offering solutions, showing a mature understanding of their situation (not AGREEING with them at all – just being aware of their traditions and their thinking).
Generate a global groundswell with reason, clarity, purpose, calmness. Write to the Faroes Government, not the Danish one (it’s not the Danes’ issue, it’s the Faroes’ killings).
Aggression will only run off their backs and entrench their behaviour (they are after all descended from Vikings!!). Good luck!
PhilBee, NZ
=========================================
The issue isn't that killing whales is less humane than killing cows. The issue is over pain and suffering. It's not right to kill an animal and gut it while it's still alive and let it bleed out slowly. Yes, we do that to cows and it is also horrible. That doesn't excuse whalers.
A man who commits murder can't defend himself by saying, "well Charlie Manson did it too."
Plain and simple, gutting animals while they're still alive and letting them bleed out slowly is wrong. It's wrong in a slaughterhouse for cows and it's wrong on the Faroe islands with whales.
This is ABSOLUTE HORROR. Are we living in the 21st century? Is this called western civilisation?
To be ended ASAP, what a complete disrespect for nature. I feel ashame to be part of the 'human' race. Can anyone tell me what's so humane about our race maybe??
And about slaughterhouses : anyone reacting to this whale slaughter while not being a vegetarian should inform him/herself of the horrors taking place in slaughterhouses THE WORLD OVER!!
Nathan : I am glad that Australia has adopted the humane gas killing. HOWEVER....Australia is shipping ships packed with sheep no longer used for wool production to countries where ritual killing is still practised, like Egypt. And...these sheep, which have been genetically engineered for giving more wool, have skin problems caused by bacteria and moulds (they have too much skin if you like which hangs in folds on their bodies). Therefore they are entitled to horrible painful "treatments" out in the fields during their productive period of their life where part of the skin is cut away without any anesthetic to fight these ailments. Isn't it wonderful? A woolen garment "made in australia" anyone??
And Goddess Morgaine : Slaughterhouses are AS BAD as this. You are VERY misinformed if you think otherwise. Go and take a look at the PETA website to look at their video footage .... chickens, cows, pigs, etc. I guarantee you that you won't sleep well after watching!!! And this does not happen only in America. All over the world animals bred to end up as burgers or dogfood have NO MORE RIGHTS WHATSOEVER. Once an animal is labeled FOOD it has become commercial merchandise and is being treated as such and NOT as a living and feeling creature anymore!!! They are being dragged around by their ears, tails, legs, beaten and kicked and thrown around. Most of them can hardly stand up or stay up because of their ugly life and extreme transportation conditions. Pigs are being cooked alive in hot water head down first (Yes I know, they are supposed to be elctroshocked, WELL IT JUST DOES NOT WORK ALL THE TIME and the animal wakes up before being cooked or cut up in pieces!!).
I think you should start asking yourself some very serious questions. And don't be a coward, go and look at these horror videos and ask yourself if you can find ANY justification of putting this misery into your body.
Ever wonder why you can drink your glass of milk or have your yoghurt. Well, it's because the veal is removed from it's mother a day after its birth to be fed JUNK and then be killed for meat. The poor little creature hasn't seen the daylight for one day in it's short life.
WHAT A TREMENDOUS STUPIDITY ...............
The human race will receive what it deserves. Unfortunately with the disappearing of all moral values leading to the destruction of the ecosystem, lots of other species will be driven into extinction forever.
Continuing this massacre in the name of "tradition" is sheer ignorance. Surely, traditions can be modified or eliminated: i.e. barbaric tradition of human sacrifice.
The islanders' insistence that this is part of their culture smells (or should I say stinks) like the same kind of logic suicide bombers use to justify blowing up innocent bystanders.
I find this a horrid display of humanity. To corral helpless family pods to their death is nothing more than an act of multiple cowards. They are gentle creatures and that is the only reason they are able to commit these acts. Id like to see them attempt this with animals who would fight back. I look forward to an article stating that there were multiple human deaths at this "celebration". I think thats they only way they will start rethinking their means of entertainment. For those who support this for the means of food...they should pick up a pitch fork and a shovel and start planting. If this is all they can come up with they will never move forward. Instead they will have poisoned themselves and stay in the shadow of the "Vikings" they think they are. Maybe all the toxins have prevented them from having enough brain power to think for themselves. I do however notice they all have figured out how to import clothing that is made elsewhere, have electricity and procreate(unfortunately). So as far as this being them working with what they have...I call bullshit! They want to behave as the Vikings did, then live that way too. This is purely an act of murder, brutality and stupidity.
While the slaughter of these creatures is regrettable, comparing it to human enslavement is really pushing it. Tone it down with the self-righteousness, and I might listen to what you have to say.
To my fellow commenters: Condemning an entire people makes you seem just as barbaric as you are claiming them to be.
Heres the facts: there is mercury in whale meat, more specifically what the Farose people are killing & eating. Mercury has been proven to be deadly & poisonous. These whales have been scientifically proven to be social & intelligent mammals just like us. Though I do not eat cows or any other mammal the 2 are uncomparable. Cows are not curious, intelligent or social in any way. Now im not saying they deserve to be slaughtered all im saying is there not the same. Also the reasoning these people give to murder these animals make them look & sound even more barbaric than the horrific videos of an entire population herding an intelligent, curious, & beautiful population of whales. Heres another fact, the walls are more humane than the farose people & there not even human
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