The organization said a boat of 1,428 white dolphins from the Atlantic was towed by speedboats and jet skis to Skálabotnur beach on the island of Eysturoy, where they were killed.
The Faroe Islands are an autonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark, located halfway between Scotland and Iceland in the Atlantic Ocean.
Annual whaling, or Faroese grindadráp, has been a part of local culture for centuries, but usually involves pilot whaling. Although it has long been criticized by animal advocacy groups, locals have championed the practice.
Kristian Petersen, 41, a native of the Faroese town of Fuglafjørður but now living in Denmark, said he began participating in whaling at the age of seven, but in his village the dolphins never went. be the object of white.
“I’ve experienced this first hand and I’ve been involved a bit too,” Petersen told CNN. “As long as it’s been just for food, I’ve supported it. But this recent catch that took place this weekend I’m against how it happened.
Petersen is one of several supporters of the whaling that has condemned Sunday’s killing and said there were “so many mistakes”, including the pursuit of a large herd and the prolongation of the dolphins’ suffering from not having enough people on the beaches to kill them.
In recent decades, the practice has been subject to strict regulation by the Faroese government, with guidelines for hunting permits and how they should be conducted.
Many, including Petersen, have questioned the legality of Sunday’s murder, with allegations that the local foreman, who is involved in regulating whaling in the area alongside the district administrator, was not informed. in accordance with regulations.
The Faroe Islands Executive Order on Pilot Whaling and Other Small Whales, published in January 2017, states that the district administrator or foreman must approve any hunting and gives them the responsibility to “ensure that there are enough people available on land to kill the whales. “
Bjorg Jacobsen, of the Faroe Islands police, told CNN that the hunt had been legal, but declined to comment.
In a written statement, Faroese government spokesman Páll Nolsøe told CNN that white-faced dolphin hunting was a sustainable practice and said the annual figure was about 250, but “it fluctuates a lot.” which makes Sunday’s catch almost six times larger.
“The meat from each whale catch provides a wealth of valuable food, which is distributed free of charge to local communities where whale catches take place … the meat of the 1,400 dolphins caught on Sunday has also been distributed among participants to the catch and the local community, ”he added.
The organization further alleged that several dolphins had been run over by motor boats and “hacked by propellers,” which led to reports to local police. He also stated that several of those involved did not have the necessary licenses to participate. Faroese police did not respond to a request from CNN to comment on the allegations.