1, 428 Dolphins Slaughtered in 1 Day on Faroe Islands

​www.cbc.ca/news/science/dolphins-faeroe-islands-1.6177810

The annual dolphin hunt on the Faroe Islands saw an astronomical amount of cetaceans slaughtered this year. Over 1, 400 White-Sided dolphins saw their lives come to a bloody end on the islands this past Sunday and even local residents were alarmed at the number of dolphins slaughtered. The images are shocking and saddening, but organizers of these hunts claim that this tradition is not endangering white-sided dolphins as they are not on the Endangered Species List. 

Essentially, boaters drive the mammals into shallow water in droves where they can hook them and use a knife to sever the spine / main artery that connects to the brain. The meat and blubber are dispersed throughout the community which at the very least, utilizes the dolphins to the fullest. Animal rights organizations have long been trying to get the practice banned in order to protect white-sided dolphins to no avail. It's disheartening that there is no empathy for these intelligent mammals and their slaughter is a tradition that really brings to light our dysfunctional relationship with the animal kingdom.

Dolphins are some of the most intelligent, social, and interesting mammals on our planet. Dolphins have been recorded many times helping other mammals avoid danger, including humans. Dolphins have been recorded rescuing humans in various situations, but that relationship is not reciprocated. I think that's what saddens me most about the annual slaughter; these are some of the most amazing creatures on our planet and we treat them in such a disgusting manner. They are recorded having saved our lives on countless occasions and we are recorded having slaughtered them in the thousands in one day. It's just despicable how little empathy or respect we have for mammals who have done amazing things for us throughout our recorded history.

Will this year's massive overkill change things? Probably not, but like all mammals that were once abundant, white-sided dolphins won't survive this overkill forever. Elephants, lions, tigers, giraffes etc, these animals were all once abundant on our planet until we nearly decimated them. It's not out of the realm of possibility that white-sided dolphins will one day find themselves endangered at the hands of humans. We're pushing every species on this planet towards extinction through our actions and we have to at some point recognize the damage we are causing. When does it end? When do we wake up and realize that a shift to more plant-based options is necessary to protect the species on this planet?

HAPPY VEG