Environmental NGO offers €1 million to Faroese fishermen
One million euros payable in ten tranches, between 2020 and 2030, is the offer submitted by Sea Sheperd UK to the Faroe Islands to stop its whaling activities, locally called the grindadrap.
Almost 8,000 cetaceans from five different species have been killed in the last decade by the Faroese fishermen in their grindadrap hunts, informs Maritime Executive.
The one million Euros will be payable over 10 instalments at the end of every calendar year for 10 years with the first instalment of 100,000 Euros on January 1, 2020. Each payment will only be made if no cetaceans are deliberately hunted and killed in the Faroe Islands throughout the preceding 12 months.
In exchange, the British NGO is asking that the funds should be spent on promoting eco-friendly tourism to the Faroe Islands; Establishing cooperative whale/dolphin watching businesses in small communities around the Faroe Islands; Provision of teaching materials or specialist lectures to Faroese children on marine conservation; Training to Faroese citizens in marine mammal rescue techniques so that stranded cetaceans can be saved whenever possible.
The offer was submitted directly to the Faroese govern but it is expected to meet a strong opposition from the whale hunters. Despite the fact that grindadrap is seen a brutal way to kill the whales, the Faroese Pilot Whaler’s Association has argued that the killing method is actually humane. "It is every hunter's duty, honour and pride to kill an animal as quickly and humanely as possible", specified in the past Hans J. Hermansen, ex-president and board member for 22 years for the Faroese Pilot Whaler’s Association.
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