Faroe islanders are only allowed to kill 500 animals in traditional dolphin hunting this year. The Ministry of Fisheries decided this after the death of a record number of more than 1,400 animals last year. There has been a lot of upheaval all over the world due to the great hunting.

The Faroe Islands lie between Iceland, Norway and Scotland. They have an independent status within the Kingdom of Denmark and about 50,000 people live there.

Every year a traditional “Grindadráp”, or pilot whaling, takes place in the archipelago. Dolphins and pilot whales are trapped by boats and then stranded. The inhabitants then walk into the water to kill the animals with knives.

Fishermen described last year’s record catch as a “mistake”:

All over the world, traditional dolphin slaughter is generating more and more resistance. Last year, after record hunting, about 1.3 million people signed a petition to end the annual carnage.

It now appears that the island government is responding to this with a fishing limit. It is still a proposal that is expected to be approved by the end of this month.

The ministry says it is imposing restrictions because fishing is not sustainable in the long term. Opponents argue in favor of abolishing experimental whaling altogether, but the authorities believe that the population has the right to “sustainably use the resources of the sea.”

After slaughter, animal meat and fat are used for consumption. The ministry said in a statement that it provides “valuable food and a low carbon footprint, which is distributed free of charge in the various communities where the fishing takes place.”

The fishing limit applies for the next two years. After that, the North Atlantic Marine Mammal Commission will issue advice on dolphin hunting, after which the department will re-examine the fishing limit.