Commentaar

The Case for Mass Murder in the Faeroe Islands

Commentary by Captain Watson

Photo: Peter HammarstedtThe Faeroese call their mass slaughter of Pilot whales the GRINDADRÁP. As a former student of linguistics I find this very enlightening. Grindehval means pilot whale in Faeroes. In Swedish it is Grindval; in Norwegian, Grindhval; Danish, Grindehval;
Icelandic, Grindhvalur. In Faeroese the word gets shortened to Grind, which still means Pilot whales. It is the word “dráp” that got my attention.

The Nordic word “drap” literally means murder. In Swedish, dråp, means murder, in Norwegian, drap means murder, in Danish, drab, means murder, in Icelandic, dráp, means human murder, in Faroese, dráp, also means murder. Drap is the legal term for murder in all the Nordic countries. In an effort to get around this, some Faeroese are arguing that the word for murder is “mord”. This is not a Nordic word but is, in fact, a borrowed word from the German language where the word for murder is “mord.” The Faeroese use the word as “morð”.

Takk Heri Joensen: Viking tegen viking over de Grind

Commentaar door Kapitein Paul Watson

Ik wil graag heavy metal muzikant Heri Joensen bedanken omdat hij de moed en overtuiging had om op 4 mei met mij in debat te gaan op het Animal Planet-netwerk over de controverse rond de afslachting van grienden op de Faeröer Eilanden. De afschuwelijk wrede slachting van hele groepen weerloze grienden is zo weerzinwekkend voor de meerderheid van de wereldbevolking dat geen enkele politicus, wetenschapper, geleerde of zelfs walvisvaarder uit de Faeröer vrijwillig naar voren wil komen om in een publiek forum dit gedrag te verdedigen. Hoe kan je het onverdedigbare verdedigen? Dat kan niet, en dat weten ze, dus bedankten ze ervoor. Maar één man kwam op voor de Faeröer. Heri Joensen van de heavy metal band Tyr, een band die Noorse mythologie vermengd met heavy metal in een unieke Faeröer benadering van muziek. Hun Noorse getier over de deugden van de Scandinavische halfgoden waren er de oorzaak van dat sommige critici de groep bestempelen als fascistisch en zelfs pro-nazi, maar ik heb geen bewijs gezien dat ze zulke haatdragende ideeen aanhangen.

The Canadian Seal Hunt

Commentary by veteran Sea Shepherd crewmember Shannon Mann

For years, the Canadian seal hunt has been a controversial issue among environmental and animal welfare groups. The focus of this controversy stems from the fact that baby harp seals are clubbed to death – some even skinned alive – for their pelts. I would challenge anyone who feels that this is a humane hunt to go and witness the massacre for themselves.

In 2008, while on board the Farley Mowat, Sea Shepherd did just that. For several weeks we followed sealing vessels and took video footage of grown men killing baby seals. I won’t go into the gory details, but the video we collected was littered with violations and heinous cruelty. I can only imagine what must happen when there are no witnesses or cameras.