After some success during the northern summer - keeping pilot whales away from the Faroe Islands by using underwater noise - Sea Shepherd is planning to return there next summer.As well as a ship loaded with accoustic devices, SS will also be documenting the conflict with the Faroese for tv. “We'll have crew on the beaches, on the water, under the water and in the air,” says Captain Paul Watson. “It's time to blow this horror show out of the water once and for all.”
SS CEO Steve Roest says: “What the Faroese do is even more cruel than the slaughter of the dolphins in Taiji, Japan. What SS began in Taiji led to the...Academy award-winning film The Cove. We need to put a similar spotlight on the Faroes.”
But somehow I don't think it'll be that easy: to physically confront locals intent on preserving what they consider the very essence of their islands is bound to get nasty...
...speaking of nasty, one "grind" incident - which should've generated more global publicity than it did - was a mistake that caused even more suffering to already traumatised pilot whales. It happened during the killings in Klaksvik in July (that was the "grind" filmed covertly by SS), and even some locals were appalled by it. What made this particular kill more vicious than usual was that the Klaksvík bay had been changed by stone fillings on one side of it. It was harder for the whalers to herd all the whales onto the sandy beach. Some of the whales were caught in deep water, so whalers dragged them over sharp rocks for the kill, not easy when an adult pilot whale weighs 1-4 tonnes.
But one wonders why they didn't just let them go, using boats to herd them out to the open sea? They would not have been attracted back by the cries of their family members... because but then they'd all been butchered. Managed carefully, the good publicity generated by such a release might have gone some way towards alleviating the negativity of the SS film!If the grindadráp war is to be decided via tv, then the Faroese will have to wise up very quickly, because SS is masterful at this game of "hearts and minds". It has a full agenda over the next year, opposing the dolphin slaughter in Taiji, battling the Japanese whaling fleet in the Southern Ocean, and fighting the grindadráp...
all - on - camera.
11 comments:
All on camera ha?
Grind is already and has always been an open display for everyone to see.
There are no hidden agenda, no camera-ban , no censoship.
Faroe Island is a modern open society and every data concerning grind is public and registred 500 years back.
Ever since the camera entered the islands there have been made films about the whaling, and nowadays with thousands of tourists, mobile cameras, internet, everything is around the globe the very instant.
One more camera will just be one more in the true spirit of the faroeese way.
Ehh .. between the lines, do I sense the sweet antisipation of some uncivilzed clash on the arrival of our guests?
I hope not to deliver on that, even it migth blow the whole point of the mission, sorry.
You cut to the chase when you say Sea Shepherd is masterful at this game of "hearts and minds".
In other words you realize the manipulative “game”nature which is the essence of this organization.
Faroe Islands have never hidden anything and therefore do not have to play games.
Instead of being caught up in somebody’s else’s game, I suggest you all be my guests and come to Faroe Islands and see for yourself with your own cameras.
Succes with the noise devices? I hear you!
Just a brief look in the public statistics shows that you have to go back to 1998 to exeed the whale catch of 2010 (and the year is´nt even finished)
Meaning...... 2010 has the highest catch in 12 years
Meaning.......underwater noise-devices are of no use (probably never placed there)
Meaning ....Sea Shepard are lying straigth to your face
Just a little reminder to sponsors of how SS use falsified results to deceive you into continuous support.
The FACT that those underwater sound things WORKED was talked about on your very own radio station in the FI.
And also the FACT that you've slaughtered more pilots this year than any other year since 1998 doesnt prove anything except that you're all greedy butchers who dont give a shit about ANYTHING! You're just stubborn bastards stuck in the past who dont give a shit that the rest of the world actually HATES what you do!
Big Mac? More like "Big WANKER"!
Hey Big mac,
if your killings are always open for everyone to see, then why was the guy who filmed your slaughter bullied and threatened until he left your godforsaken islands for fear of his life?! If you try that next year it'll be oncamera for the whole WORLD to see what barbaric THUGS u r.
@ Paul & Cyndi T., TX
The numbers of the catch speak for them self. No need to take my word for it, in a clear, uncompromising, exact language they tell the story of a manipulating organisation. And don´t forget who they are trying to trick, not us but you dear supporters.
PS: Calling names may be good to let of some steam, but also allows direct insight to the personality and intelligence of a person.
@G.Metcalfe, Suffolk, UK
First there is no “if” the slaughter is open for everybody to see. It IS open for everybody to see, no need to question that.
I will NEVER defend violence against persons over a legal dispute. If there are some legal issues, the authorities will have to deal with them.
IF the guy (SS member and right hand to Paul Watson, Peter Hammarstedt, TV celebrity on Discovery’s program Whale Wars) was threatened it was wrong and illegal under any circumstances.
What I question is the story in itself. The only version is from the guy. The story of a person working for an organisation who we already know uses manipulation as main tool.
If SS really decide to come here next summer I sincerely hope my fellow countrymen behave in usual friendly manner and do not follow the script of SS, which only goal is to have that full confrontation.
SS has full right to film, manipulate, distort, lie or whatever media-stunts are allowed in a free world.
They just have to apply to local law like everybody else.
If the killings can´t tolerate public view it has no legitimacy, simple as that!
As said before you are welcome to visit the islands to see for yourself.
PS: Faroe Island have the lowest crime rate in the world. Only one reported bank robbery ever, last homicide back in the 1980´s . You may compare with your own country’s rate to find who´s the thugs.
Dear BigMac,
Don't be silly: of COURSE your butchery is not a free-for-all with cameras! If it was, if you REALLY welcomed with open arms ANYONE who came to film or photograph the carnage, then your bloodlust in the name of tradition would be shut down so fast.
As you say: "If the killings can´t tolerate public view it has no legitimacy, simple as that!" The ONLY reason it hasn't been shut down before now is that you FIs answer to no-one, so your overall attitude is: "Fuck you all - we'll do whatever the hell we like, what we've done for centuries, despite how horrific are the killing methods."
And yet I can guarantee that when the eco-warriors arrive next year, they will NOT be welcomed. The Faroese will not want them filming the slaughters at all. I'm sure there WILL be "some uncivilzed clash", but believe me, it won't "blow the whole point of the mission" at all. If anything it will show the world what violent roots your supposedly peaceloving island is really based on.
And wake up to the reality of tv: it IS a manipulative methodology. Pictures are always used to accentuate a point. Are you so naiive that you don't understand when the rest of the world sees a blood-red bay of water, with decapitated and disembowelled whales littering the beaches, it turns their stomachs. It turns them against you. There is no way that you can defeat the power of those terrible images. In any game, there are winners and losers - guess which side FI is on...
You see it as merely traditional food-gathering. The rest of the civilised world (who are rapidly not including you in their ranks) sees it as monstrous cruelty and un-needed death.
As for coming to the FI, it looks a beautiful place in photos. Any time you'd like to send me the return airfare, I'd love to visit with my camera. Just don't expect me to put any positive spin on your bloodlust.
Dear Mister bigMac,
I am in year 4 at brooklyn primary school in wellington. our end of the year project was on whales. We talked about the janinese ships killing the whales in the antartic. They do it to make money selling the meat to the shops. I did not understand why you do it. I am sad you do it. can You please stop. Thank you
Hi Amanda Giltrap
Whaling on the Faroe Islands is solely for foodpurposes. It is noncommercial, no meat is sold in shops or exported. All the meat is distributed evenly between all members of the community.
The sustainability of the hunt is not to be questioned due to complete records from 1584 to today.
Faroe Islands are located in the middle of the vaste Atlantic ocean and are harvesting a localy natural ressource.
Meat as food-source is commonly accepted by most of this worlds inhabitants. Your country is no exeption and is actually one of this wolds big meat exporters and a big hunting nation as well. I am therefore a little bit astonished and bewildered why you otherways big time meateaters even come up with the idea of questioning ohers rigth to do precicely same thing you are doing,- eating meat!
I am very intersted in what argument canonize New Zealand in to pure saints, doing all the evil things of foodsupplying. What exactly puts you in a different category then me?
A people who eat meat (New Zealanders do)
A people who hunt animals (New Zealanders do)
A people who kill animals for food purposes (New Zealanders do)
So the answer to your question “why do you do it?” is: Same reason you do it, - for food!
Your request of asking us to stop is best answered with same request to yourself: Stop eating meat! - it makes me sad.
PS: I do not know about Japaneese whaling and will not comment on that. If I was, I first would do some serious rescearch, check the facts from various sources (definitly not relyining exclusively on a film by Sea Sheperd)and then put everything in a proper context with my own moral ground as benchmark.
Kindly
Big Mac
Dear Mr.Mac,
My brother showed me a film on youTube and you chop up the whales when they are still alive and the water is full of blood and its horrible. I cried. Mum said if it makes me cry I shoud not watch it.
Please dont hurt any more whales.I am still sad when i think about it.
Hi Amanda
Being a human being is a condition with some reality’s. One of these reality’s is that you somehow have to get some food.
Sure you know where meat comes from? I don´t mean to be insensitive but I think you already know that meat comes from dead animals?
This is a fact of life dear Amanda, every time you eat a burger, an animal have to die only for you personally. Yes just for you. Even the smallest portion of meat requires that you kill an animal.
I understand you are sad when you see animals getting killed, but sure you also realize that no matter how sad you are, you self are not going to stop eating=killing animals just because of that.
Sadness doesn´t stop you eating animals does it? ,- why do you demand it from me then?
The animals you ate=killed did also bleed a lot, - why do you demand my meat not to bleed then?
The animals you eat are killed in big slaughterhouses hidden from the human eye. This probably is why you in fact may not be so sad when you eat pork, lamb or burgers....., am I right?
Nevertheless there is a massive killing going on with blood and dead carcasses and everything. If it was shown on television your mother would say “you should not watch if it made you cry”.
Dear Amanda what you must realize is that you as a meat consuming person are part of animal killing and not better (or worse) than anyone else. You are not a bad person but are doing only what is nessecery. So am I.
About the whale killing:
Yes of course the whale is alive before it gets killed. The hook is used to haul the whale ashore, where it is killed immediately with a knife, usually within seconds.
The whale is not hurt more then absolutely nessecery. The scene might appear dramatic to the foreign eye, and you mention the blood, - again I must remind you that every animal ever killed on this planet had to loose all it´s blood, this includes every meat-meal you have ever eaten.
Killing animals might be a sad thing but not nessecery a bad thing. Consider that next time you line up in the queue of Mac Donald’s!
Listen to this podcast interview with the Faroese anti-whaling acitivist, Rúni Nielsen - especially his advice to anti-whaling activists outside the Faroe Islands - the second part being the most interesting in that regard:
First part:
http://traffic.libsyn.com/faroepodcast/Podcast_201.mp3
Second part:
http://traffic.libsyn.com/faroepodcast/Podcast_202.mp3
Post a Comment