Fishermen on a boat drive pilot whales towards the shore during a hunt on May 29, 2019 in Torshavn, Faroe Islands. – As local fishermen spot pods of pilot whales passing the shores of the Danish territory of Faroe Islands during their migration, a convoy of boats drive the whales towards authorized fjords to harvest the catch. Pilot whaling is subject to Faroese legislation, which sets the framework for the catching, killing methods and permitted equipment. (Photo by Andrija ILIC / AFP) (Photo credit should read ANDRIJA ILIC/AFP via Getty Images)
The Faroese are currently facing a crisis as a significant portion of their meat supply, specifically pilot whale meat, has been declared unfit for human consumption. Despite warnings against consuming pilot whale meat, many Faroese are reluctant to abandon the practice of pilot whaling, as they have long relied on it for sustenance. The thought of living without this traditional food is daunting for them. If they cease pilot whaling altogether, they will become more dependent on costly imports, which introduces additional challenges, including environmental concerns.
Why Don’t They Just Stop?
If you were told that a food you have always enjoyed and considered normal since childhood might be hazardous to your health, wouldn’t it be difficult for you to give it up?
People worldwide often ignore health warnings, leading to widespread issues like obesity and heart disease. It’s not that individuals are unaware of the unhealthy nature of their diets; rather, they are accustomed to eating in certain ways. Changing ingrained habits can be challenging, even when faced with evidence that those habits may be harmful.
For the Faroese, hearing that they can no longer eat pilot whale meat was as shocking as it would be for many people if they were suddenly told to stop eating burgers due to a declaration that beef is unfit for consumption. The Faroese are grappling with this situation, but finding alternatives is not straightforward. What should they replace pilot whale meat with?
It seems somewhat hypocritical to ask the Faroese to abandon whale meat in favor of importing more industrially produced meats from animals that may be treated less humanely than the whales. Suggesting that they simply become vegetarians is also impractical, given the challenges of growing fruits and vegetables in the Faroes and the high cost of importing them due to long-distance freight.
Adapting to a New Lifestyle
While a few crops like potatoes, roots, and rhubarb can be grown, they are insufficient to meet the population’s needs for fruits and vegetables and the essential vitamins they provide. Since the 1950s, the Faroese have relied on freight ships to import fruits and vegetables. The population has doubled since then, leading to a significant increase in imports.
However, fruits and vegetables remain expensive in the Faroes compared to prices on the European mainland, and they often lack the freshness found in European supermarkets. Until recently, consuming fruits and vegetables was seen as unfamiliar and somewhat luxurious. In recent years, prices have decreased, making them more accessible, but they are still relatively costly.
Historically, it was much easier and cheaper for the Faroese to meet their protein and vitamin needs through pilot whale meat—a diet they are far more accustomed to than eating fruits and vegetables. Now, with the dangers of consuming contaminated whale meat widely recognized, many Faroese, especially in larger villages and the capital, are transitioning to a diet that includes more fruits and vegetables, adapting to a more European lifestyle.
This may be the only option for the Faroese now that whale meat has become too contaminated. But is this truly a better solution?
Which Lifestyle is More Destructive?
As mentioned earlier, all imported food must be transported over long distances, often via heavily polluting freight vessels that harm marine habitats, including those of whales. This transport contributes to pollution and, ultimately, the extinction of whales and other species. Thus, the problem is not solved but rather shifted elsewhere.
Many Faroese believe that those who care about whale conservation should focus on understanding the broader issues threatening whales and the natural balance of the environment, rather than directing their anger towards a small community in the North Atlantic that is itself a victim of pollution and its consequences.
Instead of relying on what their local environment provides, as the Faroese have done for generations, people worldwide—including the Faroese—are becoming increasingly dependent on modern industrial food systems. These systems are built on heavily polluting agriculture, extensive transportation networks, and mass production practices that often exploit animals and degrade the environment.
(For more information, consider watching the documentary “Food Inc.” or reading “Eating Animals” by Jonathan Safran Foer, which explores these issues in depth.)
Old Sustainable Ways of Living Near Extinction
Many Faroese struggle to understand why outsiders feel entitled to impose a modern lifestyle on them. Why should they purchase products from an industry that poses greater risks to life on Earth than their traditional methods of survival? Is the industrialized food system truly a better alternative? Is it less cruel, less dangerous, or more sustainable? Are pigs, cattle, and chickens not also sentient beings deserving of consideration? What distinguishes the exploitation of these animals in factory farms from the traditional practices of the Faroese?
The Faroese question why they should completely abandon their sustainable lifestyle, which has historically had a lower ecological impact, in favor of a modern system that is, in many ways, more destructive. Are people living in arctic regions, striving to live in harmony with nature, the real threat to whales and the environment?
As one of the few remaining communities in the Western world trying to preserve their traditional ways, the Faroese view their practices as a testament to survival, solidarity, and a sustainable lifestyle that maintains ecological balance—at least until pollution became a significant issue.
They ask: Is it fair to condemn them more than others? Why are they scapegoated while other cultures that engage in harmful practices are not similarly criticized? Why don’t people boycott Italy for its role in the near-extinction of tuna, or condemn Canadians for seal hunting, or Icelanders for whaling, or Spaniards for bullfighting? These cultures may have even less justification for preserving their traditions than the Faroese do. Why, then, is the anger directed specifically at them? This is a difficult question for the Faroese to comprehend.
