Parliamentary Meetings in Brussels & London

Commentary by Valentina Crast, Sea Shepherd's Faroe Islands Campaign Lead

Last week our team spent four days in Brussels and London meeting with policymakers to present the latest findings on the grind and to update them on our work in the Faroe Islands. This year alone, ten grinds have taken place, leaving around 1,000 confirmed pilot whales and white-sided dolphins dead, not counting all the fetuses and small juveniles whose deaths never make it into any official tally. These numbers tell a story of cruelty and urgency that Europe shouldn’t continue to ignore.

Brussels: Momentum and a Parliament Stuck Behind Party Lines

We began our tour in Brussels with MEP Sebastian Everding, one of our strongest allies in the European Parliament. Together with MEPs Emma Foureau, Tilly Metz and Anja Hazekamp, he hosted our two-hour drop-in session in Parliament. Many MEPs and their assistants came through the room to speak with us, receive the new grind report and learn more about the situation in the Faroe Islands.

It is clear that the more than 500,000 public emails sent to Parliament in just three weeks made a real impact. MEPs were aware. They had heard the public. Much of the growing support we received stemmed directly from this wave of citizen pressure.

But the obstacle now is not just awareness. It is also very much about politics.

While support from Greens and Left groups is strong and consistent, progress is being slowed by a reluctance among the political groups to commit to bipartisan cooperation. Not because they disagree with ending the grind, many actually do support it, but because party alignment is being placed above the will of the people.

I will be honest. It is deeply frustrating to be aware of the chosen silence by several MEPs simply because cross-party collaboration is rejected. These are individuals who care about the ocean and understand the brutality of the grind, yet feel constrained by internal party dynamics. It is a reminder that even well-intentioned policymakers can be held back by systems that reward staying quiet rather than stepping forward.

But moments like these don’t discourage us. They strengthen our commitment to push harder and speak louder.

There is still a crucial need for public action. We now ask every supporter across Europe to not only urge their MEPs to support the motion for resolution, but to demand collaboration and bipartisan unity. The ocean cannot wait for political comfort. And everyone sitting at home feeling a need to act, can help.

London: A More Hopeful Landscape

Our meetings in London offered a slightly different atmosphere, less party line focus and more openness to act.

We met with MPs from all parties but two, simply because a meeting with these parties was not scheduled this time. Importantly, we have no reason to believe they would be any less supportive once fully informed.

After our meetings in London, it became crystal clear:

MPs across the spectrum lack awareness about the grind, but once informed, support is strong and sincere.

Every MP we met welcomed hard-copy briefings, asked informed questions and offered constructive routes forward.

This is what meaningful engagement looks like: genuine interest, willingness to learn and a readiness to discuss practical pathways toward change. Here in London the job is clearly to raise awareness still. 

Where We Go From Here

Our work is far from over. But this week served as a powerful reminder: pressure works. Information works. Public demand works.

The loud voices of so many passionate citizens have already shaped this campaign. Half a million emails in three weeks made an impact in Brussels, and we need that momentum to continue.

So our message to supporters is simple:

• Ask your MEPs to support the motion.

• Ask them to work across party lines.

• Ask them to stand united for the ocean.

The grind continues only because too many institutions find it easier to remain passive.

Our job, together, is to make passivity impossible.

And after this week, I can reassure everyone: No one is backing down.