More Than 700 Whales and Dolphins Killed in Single Day

Three separate grind hunts took place in the Faroe Islands on 27 May, resulting in the killing of more than 700 pilot whales and dolphins in a single day.

Sea Shepherd crew on the ground documented the following:

• 402 pilot whales and 4 bottlenose dolphins were killed in Tórshavn, making it the largest grind in the capital in 147 years;

• 168 Atlantic white-sided dolphins were killed in Skalabotnur;

• An estimated 132 Atlantic white-sided dolphins were killed in Hvalvík during a third hunt that was not announced through the usual public channels.

Teams documenting the hunts reported significant welfare concerns, including prolonged killing periods and repeated failures to use the mandatory spinal lance effectively.

Killings took place during Arctic conference

Notably, the hunts occurred during the UArctic Congress 2026 and Ocean Connectivity Conference in Tórshavn, which brought together Arctic policymakers, researchers, and institutions working on issues including marine biodiversity, sustainable ocean governance, and Arctic cooperation.

The timing drew attention because the conference programme included discussions on biodiversity conservation, sustainable management of marine resources, and the future of Arctic ecosystems.

Two volunteers arrested while documenting hunt

During the Hvalvík hunt, two Sea Shepherd Global volunteers — a French national and a Czech national — were arrested by Faroese police while documenting events on the beach.

The volunteers were accused of getting too close to the hunt while filming. They were later fined and released.

The arrests have raised concerns among observers about transparency and the ability of independent monitors to document grind hunts.

Faroese Parliament removes hunts from Animal Welfare Act

The hunts took place only days after the Faroese Parliament unanimously adopted amendments to the Animal Welfare Act explicitly excluding hunting and fishing activities from its scope.

The change followed a long-running legal case stemming from a police complaint submitted by Sea Shepherd in 2024 concerning alleged violations of Faroese grind regulations. That case remains unresolved.

The amendment is significant because Faroese authorities have previously pointed to animal welfare legislation when responding to international criticism of the grind. The new law makes clear that hunting activities, including grind hunts, are not covered by the Animal Welfare Act.

The Faroese Whalers' Association welcomed the amendment, stating that participants in hunts would no longer risk prosecution under animal welfare legislation.

Parliamentary momentum continues to build

Political scrutiny of the grind continues to increase across Europe.

In the European Parliament, a cross-party Motion for a Resolution on whale and dolphin hunting in the Faroe Islands has attracted support from MEPs across several political groups. The motion calls on the European Commission to examine whether aspects of EU–Faroe cooperation should be reviewed in light of the continued hunts.

The European Commission has also indicated that it intends to raise the issue during its next annual consultation with the Faroe Islands, scheduled for September.

In the United Kingdom, Early Day Motion 2688 on dolphin hunting in the Faroe Islands received support from 72 Members of Parliament from across Labour, the Liberal Democrats, the Green Party, the Scottish National Party, Plaid Cymru, and other parties.

The motion calls for an end to the grindadráp and urges the UK Government to review its relationship with the Faroe Islands should the hunts continue.

With a new parliamentary session underway in Westminster and a review of the UK–Faroe Islands trade agreement scheduled for 2026, campaigners expect the issue to remain on the political agenda in both the UK and the European Union.

The Stop the Grind initiative will continue to monitor developments and provide updates as the situation progresses.

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