It's about the time of year when hunters on Faroe Island, an archipelago in the North Atlantic, are gearing up for the annual whale drive, when several hundred pilots whales are slaughtered for their meat and blubber as part of a 1,000-year-old tradition.
Haunting images of local residents slashing whales, turning the water red with blood, have fueled protests from environmental activists who say the hunt is cruel.
Islanders fight to preserve their tradition of killing pilot whales, which sustains a key part of their diet.
The Faroe Islands are located in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, about halfway between Scotland and Iceland. It consists of 18 islands — 17 that are inhabited by around 48,000 people.
Source: Faroe Islands Ministry of Fisheries
The islands are largely self-sufficient. The Faroese economy is supported by local agriculture and hunting. Pilot whales, in particular, are a valued part of the national diet and have long been killed for their meat and blubber.
Source: Faroe Islands Ministry of Fisheries
The annual whale hunt, called "grind," dates back more than 1,000 years to the first Norse settlements.
Source: Faroe Islands Ministry of Fisheries
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