“that an area also on land may be considered as grind herding area. The magistrate has resolved, that no unauthorized people may come closer than 1 mile from the grind. From land is grind-area where unauthorized persons must stay away. On shore, the police will cordon off the grind area with strips, so that only people, who participate in the catch, may enter. Catching men has to be able to work undisturbed by unauthorized persons.”

On the killing beach were numerous children. When Sea Shepherd land crew leader Rosie Kunneke inquired as to why they were there and asked if the Grind Master has authorized that children be allowed on the beach, the police said that the only unauthorized people are Sea Shepherd crew. All others are authorized. The police appeared to not have cordoned off the grind area prior to the arrests.

Apparently in the Faroe Islands, the whalers get to dictate the laws that the police are obliged to enforce.

Faroe Islands – exempt from EU law, but guzzling EU subsidies

The Land and boat crew heard the whales screaming in agony which certainly contradicts the Faroese claim that the slaughter is painless despite even the stress of the drive.

An entire family group of pilot whales was massacred on that beach at Sandur and Denmark has exposed the fact that the Danish government is collaborating with the whalers. Denmark is prohibited by European Union regulations from supporting whaling.

This incident gives Sea Shepherd plenty of evidence to push for action from the European Parliament. The Faroes receive massive EU subsidies through Denmark, the only place in Europe subsided by the European Union that does not have to abide by European law because although Denmark is part of the EU, the Faroes claim to be independent of Denmark and thus not part of the EU.

According to the European postal services, the Faroes are indeed a part of Denmark because they will not allow letters addressed to the Faroes unless the country name of Denmark is written on the envelope.

The Faroes are to Denmark what bogus scientific research is to Japan, simply a loophole to get around conservation law.

Many Danes continue to argue that Denmark is not a whaling nation. It appears that the actions of the Danish Navy and the Danish police demonstrate that Denmark is very much a whaling nation.

Denmark is supporting a culture of nature-hate

A few nights ago a bag of dead birds was thrown at the door of one of the houses rented by Sea Shepherd in the Faroe Islands.

The disrespect that this island of dolphin, whale, puffin, and fulmar killers has for marine wildlife is horrendous. When they say that this is all part of their “culture” we should stop and think for a moment just where this word ‘culture’ comes from.

A culture is an environment from which things grow and like cultures of bacteria it is not always a good thing.  In fact what is occurring in the Faroese can be viewed as a cult of killing and cruelty.

The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society is dedicated to eradicating such despicable and obscene cults. Unfortunately in today’s world, opposition to cruelty and slaughter is considered criminal in cultures that condone such evils like bull-fighting, dog-fighting, seal-clubbing, dolphin killing and this particular bizarre and odious Faroese activity that they call the Grindadrap which literally translates as whale murder.

The Sea Shepherd volunteers on the Faroes are dedicated and compassionate people who have traveled to these remote islands at the own expense to oppose an evil that should no longer exist on this planet.

One other such cruel and perverse culture – Taiji, Japan

Now more volunteers are travelling to the only other place on the planet where such a horrendous slaughter takes place – Taiji, Japan – as the six-month killing season gets underway there.

These are the two most savage places in the world for dolphins and whales – and of seven billion people in the world, there are less than 60,000 living in these two places where such agonizing cruelty is inflicted against species that the rest of the world loves and cares for.

The cult of pain and death that is the foundation of these two perverse cultures is an aberration and a disgrace to the human race.

Sea Shepherd is well aware of the fact there are Faroese people who oppose the heinous grind. Now is the time for them to stand up and let their voices be heard to once and for all bury this tradition of bloodlust that stains their nation.

Captain Paul Watson is the founder of Sea Shepherd Conservation Society.

This article was originally published by Sea Shepherd.

Volunteers needed: Sea Shepherd is seeking additional volunteers to join the team in the Faroe Islands for the last month of campaign. Volunteers please complete and submit the application at Grindstop 2014 On-Shore Crew Application by 10th September at 5pm EST.

Roll of honour

The confirmed 14 people (8 men and 6 women) arrested are of six Nationalities: 8 French, 2 South Africans, 1 Spanish, 1 Italian, 1 Australian and 1 Mexican.

Sea Shepherd Boat Crew

1. Bastien Boudoire (French)(Offshore Leader)

2. Jérôme Veegaert (French)

3. Guido Capezzoli (French)

4. Tiphaine Blot (French)

5. Baptiste Brebel (French)

6. Antoine Le Dref (French)

7. Céline Le Dourion (French)

8. Krystal Keynes (Australian)

Sea Shepherd Land Crew

9. Maggie Gschnitzer (Italy)(Sandoy Island Leader)

10. Rorigio Gilkuri (Mexico)

11. Nikki Botha (South Africa)

12. Monnique Rossouw (South Africa)

13. Sergio Toribio (Spain)

14. Alexandra Sellet (France)