The Stop the Grind movement is based in London with members all over the world. The campaign is a partnership between Sea Shepherd and Shared Planet, an impact-focused consultancy. We bring together a global coalition of stakeholder organisations and individuals with the common interest of ending the Grind. Our aim is to show that the world no longer accepts the senseless killing and to demonstrate that the global community will not stand by and watch the Faroe Islands’ government act irresponsibly in silence. We must act together to ensure that our voices are heard.

Sea Shepherd was the first activist group present in the Faroes in 1983, with further direct-action campaigns in 1985, 1986, 2000, 2011, 2014 and 2015. Due to vessel restrictions directed at Sea Shepherd, as well as new Faroese legislation preventing interventions from any activists against the grindadrap, Sea Shepherd launched ‘Operation Bloody Fjords’ with land-based crew being sent to the islands every year since 2016 to investigate, document and expose the barbaric hunts to the world to bring pressure on the Faroese to finally end the grindadráp. However, increasing restrictions prevent Sea Shepherd volunteers from entering the Faroe Islands in an attempt to cover up the horrors of the grindadráp. A total of 28 Sea Shepherd volunteers have been arrested for interfering against the grindadráp, many of who were subsequently deported for the “crime” of defending pilot whales. 

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In 2017, with the formal support of 27 Members of the European Parliament and over 250,000 members of the public, Sea Shepherd Netherlands officially submitted a request to the European Commission to launch infringement proceedings against Denmark for facilitating the slaughter of pilot whales and other cetaceans in the Faroe Islands. Sea Shepherd provided incontrovertible scientific evidence proving that the same pilot whales traveling through European Union waters are the victims of the Danish supported-grindadráps. However the response maintained the Commission’s long- standing position that “the Faroe Islands are outside the European Union” and therefore “not subject to international treaties prohibiting whaling.

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But as the battleground changes, we too change our tactics. During 2020 we started to find new signs of support - not only from individuals and international organisations around the world, but from locals, pro-whalers, politicians and media organisations in the Faroe Islands. The recent outcry against the cruel and unnecessary killing of 1,428 Atlantic White-Sided Dolphins has made it clear that broader support for ending the grindadráp exists. Our goal is to amplify and unite the voices who vehemently oppose this cruel practice through a global coalition campaign with one goal - #stopthegrind. We believe that through international and domestic influence, we can undermine the Faroe Island's reputation, attitude and conscience towards the grindadráp, and ultimately put an end to this barbaric tradition. 

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In order to achieve this goal, we need your support. Click on the button below to find out how you and your organisation can support our movement.