Late last night, after two weeks of intense negotiations, delegates meeting at the United Nations finally agreed to language for a High Seas Treaty. This is a major milestone in a nearly two-decade effort to secure a treaty to govern and protect the High Seas, which make up 70% of the ocean and cover nearly half the planet. More than 160,000 supporters spoke up and urged leaders to act. This public support, along with the great work of partners like RISE UP, the High Seas Alliance, Greenpeace, and more, helped show decision-makers that people all over the world were watching and wanted action — and they delivered. There is still more work to do, as nations will now need to formally adopt the language and ratify the treaty at the country level. We will continue to keep you updated on campaign developments and the critical moments where we need your support.
Update: On May 4, 2024, the first brutal slaughter of the year took place in the Faroe Islands, turning the harbor of the town of Klaksvik red with the blood of 40 pilot whales. Without action, this horrific, unethical practice will continue to kill thousands, with more gruesome hunts planned throughout the year. Only One stands with the #DontVisitFaroe movement — urging travelers to reconsider their trips to the Faroe Islands until the cruel Grindadráp hunt is stopped. Learn more and join the campaign by following @DontVisitFaroeIslands on social media and sharing content from the Campaign Toolkit.
The Faroe Islands are known for their annual pilot whale hunt, a tradition called the Grindadráp or sometimes referred to as the Grind. The activity has been called into question by locals and health experts after decades of research have revealed the health consequences of consuming dolphin and pilot whale meat. Levels of carcinogens and toxins such as methylmercury and PCB have been rising within marine animals over the decades as a result of industrial pollution, leading to a number of health consequences including neurological and developmental damage.
Over 850 pilot whales were hunted last year alone, and since the turn of the century, more than 20,000 cetaceans — pilot whales, white-sided dolphins, and bottlenose dolphins — have been massacred off the Faroese shore.
Hunts are often prolonged and terror-inducing ordeals for these intelligent, social animals, where entire pods, including calves, are mercilessly butchered in the name of tradition.
This campaign began in 2021, when an entire super pod of at least 1,428 white-sided dolphins was killed in a record hunt that even seasoned whalers have deemed unethical. The massive pod, as in all hunts, was driven onto the beach by a coordinated fleet of boats and jet skis to be killed one by one. Panicked dolphins, including pregnant females and calves, were traumatized over the course of several hours, in a hunt that reportedly spanned more than 45 kilometers.
