Some of the best salmon in the world comes from Alaska and other parts of the Pacific Northwest. Likewise, some of the best salmon hails from the cold waters bordering Norway, Iceland and Scotland. But while I will eat salmon and other seafood from some producers in the North Atlantic, I will not, under any circumstance, eat salmon from the Faroe Islands. (Yes, this is going to be an opinionated post—but I assure you, it’s a well-thought and well-researched opinion at that.)
A few weeks ago, I was visiting a restaurant (that will go unnamed) that’s recently gotten a lot of attention for its innovative menu. The owners have cultivated their dishes from local purveyors and truly use fresh, seasonal ingredients to make some outstanding dishes. But … they also serve salmon. Salmon that’s listed as “Faroe Island Salmon.”
Why? Why in the name of all that’s good would they serve Faroe Island salmon? Yes, it is a divine fish. The flavor is superior compared to many others, but, anyone that knows anything about the whaling in the Faroe’s should be appalled.
Do not eat Faroe Island salmon!
The gist … the islanders have been slaughtering pilot whales, a large oceanic dolphin, for over a thousand years—it’s part of their culture. I get it. But they used to literally survive on the meat and blubber. Nowadays, with the awareness of high mercury levels and the ghastly affects too much mercury can have on one’s health, it’s recommended to eat this type of meat no more than twice a month. That’s it. And yes, many of the islanders insist the animals don’t suffer … they use a technique (you can Google it) that supposedly kills them almost instantly, but many onlookers disagree and claim it often takes well over 20 minutes for death to set it in … and remember, these are smart animals. They know what’s happening to them. They know.
And they don’t need the meat to survive. One of the largest salmon farms in the world is in the Faroes … eat salmon. It’s better for you! And for everyone else.
The first time I saw the pictures, I was horrified. Beyond horrified. I instantly had a sinking feeling in my gut like I would vomit. I’m not going to post the photos here. Again, you can Google them if you want. But understand that doing so will leave an imprint on your brain that you will never let go.
What can you do? What can we do?
First, don’t support restaurants or grocers that sell Faroe Island salmon. Costco, a onetime seller of Faroe Island salmon, recently stopped purchasing from the region … although the company says it “expresses no view on activities of the citizens of Faroe that are unrelated to our product sourcing,” it was under pressure to do so from conservation group The Sea Shepherd and many consumers and Hollywood celebs alike. So way to go Costco.
And don’t be afraid to question those that sell Faroe Island salmon because, “The natives there have lived off the ocean for centuries, have a deep respect for its health, and are committed to sustainability and sound stewardship of the environment.” Ummm? What?
Secondly, there are petitions floating around the internet you can sign, but in all truthfulness, I don’t know that the Kingdom of Denmark is overly concerned with what the rest of us think. So the best thing you can do, is don’t buy the product. The Faroe Island fisheries are big business … if they start to lose business because people don’t care for their dolphin slaughter, then perhaps they’ll change their ways.
Note, latest population counts show that pilot whales are in no danger of extinction—still, though some argue this in turn means the Faroe Island slaughter is sustainable, I would argue that it most definitely is not. There is more to sustainability than depleting resources.
Thoughts?
As I read your post I kept wondering why you would refuse to support a better way for a community of people to earn a living because you don’t agree with the alternative way they can do it, namely whaling? Don’t you think that by creating more demand for their salmon and opportunity for salmon fisheries/farmers the pressure for other sources of income, like whaling, will be reduced? All communities of people must find ways to build economies, and strive or economic independence and prosperity. I have not visited this region of the world but I have been all over this world and country and one one of the many common factors among humans everywhere is that they make the most of what they’ve got. The economic industries developed in communities are often tied to the resources they have at their disposal and the values and knowledge that has been passed down form their predecessors. I do not claim to have a lot of knowledge of this particular community of the complex issue at work, nor do I support whaling, or frankly large scale farming of animals in general, but I do know that people do what it takes to survive and supply will always seek to follow demand. Change will never come about from turning our backs on what we don’t approve of but instead by seeking to establish alternatives. Food for thought.
LikeLike
So I guess that it is okay to eat the dumb animals but not the smart ones. Is there an animal IQ dividing line between the two that I should use as a guideline?
LikeLike
Thanks for reading,Neal, but my issue isn’t with eating animals, be it a smart one or a dumb one; not sure how you interpreted my post as one about animal intelligence. My issue is with the archaic practice. It’s brutal; no one makes a living do it; and it’s not necessary to support their livelihood anymore. They still do it because it’s a tradition and are allowed to because no one profits from the killings–even though there’s a world-wide ban on whaling.
Some people don’t eat at Chick-fil-A or shop at Hobby Lobby because of their stand on birth control and gay marriage. Some people boycott Gucci for their recent Blackface promotion. Some won’t ship with FedEx because they support the Washington Redskins. Some picket against Caterpillar because they sell bulldozers to Israel. The list goes on … people don’t vote for candidates they disagree with, etc. For me, I agree with those who find the Faroe Island practice of slaughtering pilot whales archaic and therefore, do my best not to support their economy. That and I would rather spend my money on seafood raised, harvested, and caught, in the U.S.
I don’t eat Faroe Island salmon because I don’t support the practice of slaughtering whales for sport, even though some islanders still eat the meat, it’s the method in which they “hunt” that I don’t agree with. Hope that clarifies, and thank you for commenting and raising a very thought-provoking question. https://projectearth.us/on-the-faroe-islands-killing-hundreds-of-whales-every-1796848516
LikeLike
I agree that this slaughter of whales and dolphins is barbaric. Time seems to have stood still for these people who appear to be living in the dark ages. The irony is that we are supposed to be a progressive, civilised, forward looking society and this should be reflected in the society of today, not drawing on ancient history and laws in order to justify the slaughter of innocent creatures.
LikeLike
Yea, I just don’t get it. If indeed they needed to do this in order to survive, then OK … but they don’t. It’s truly about as inhumane as it gets. Thanks for reading and commenting.
LikeLike