Scottish Town Of Wick Cuts Ties To Faroe Islands In Protest At Disgusting Slaughter Of Whales And Dolphins

Civic leaders in a Scottish town have made a stand on the cruel slaughter of Whales in the Faroe Islands. Wick (Scottish Gaelic: Inbhir Ùige) in the far north of Scotland has cut all ties with its twin community in a row over the islands’ annual slaughter of whales. The Wick councillors received representations from constituents who feared the slaying last month of 250 pilot whales on the beaches of Bøur and Tórshavn, would damage Wick’s reputation as it is twinned with the Faroese town of  Klaksvík.

As reported in the Guardian newspaper Councillors from Wick in Caithness have written to the Mayor of Klaksvik to sever a 20-year twinning agreement. Gail Ross, civic leader of Caithness said: “This is not a decision that has been taken lightly but we feel that the disgusting spectacle of the slaughter of whales on the beaches in the past few weeks is not something that our town should be associated with.”

The annual slaughter of whales and other species during the annual hunt, involves islanders herding migrating pilot whales from the sea into shallow water and slaughtering them. The practice is called the “grindadráp” or “grind”. Wick Councillor Ross said: “I am afraid that the whole of the Faroe Islands has been tainted by these events. We do not agree that these events and the apparent joy it gave the townspeople is in any way or should in any way be linked to tradition.

“There may have been reasons of culling for food in the past but in 2015 it is unnecessary and cruel.

“Cetaceans are sentient beings. They have feelings and emotions. To drive them on to a beach and slaughter them in front of their family members is nothing short of barbaric. We do not subscribe to animal cruelty. It saddens me to have to sever links with your beautiful town until such times as we get a full assurance that this atrocity has ceased.”