Environmental campaigners have called for the Faroe Islands to be stripped of the right to host the 2027 Island Games.
Sea Shepherd Conservation Society and Beyond the Grind say local whale hunting techniques go against the spirit of the games.
The hunting, Grindadráp, sees some Faroe Islanders use drive hunting to get the whales and dolphins into shallow waters where they are killed and butchered.
The practice dates back centuries but has become more controversial in recent years with campaigners labelling it cruel and unnecessary while proponents say it is part of their culture and point to improvements and regulations that have been introduced.
However, the International Island Games Association says that while it recognises the strong feelings about the issue, it does not engage with politics.
Games
The campaigners who are calling for the nation to be stripped of the games say it “stands in sharp contrast to the values of unity, compassion, and respect that the Island Games are meant to represent”.
They have asked people to write to the International Island Games Association to call on it to remove the games from the nation.
In an email that people can send, it says: “I am writing as a supporter of the Island Games and as someone who believes deeply in the values the Games represent — unity, fairness, and mutual respect between island communities.
“With this in mind, I urge you to reconsider allowing the Faroe Islands to host any future Island Games while the Grindadráp continues.
“The ongoing hunting and killing of pilot whales and dolphins in the Faroes is deeply disturbing to many of us, and it sends a contradictory message when an international sporting event promotes goodwill while turning a blind eye to cruelty.
“The Island Games are a celebration of shared values. Choosing a host that practices unnecessary and violent traditions involving the mass slaughter of sentient marine mammals undermines everything the Games stand for.”
No Politics
In a statement to Manx.News, an IIGA spokesperson said: “Whilst it recognises the strong feelings people have on this issue, the International Island Games Association was formed to foster and encourage friendship through sporting activities between diverse Island communities and to provide opportunities for sportsmen and sportswomen to participate in international sport.
“Therefore we do not become involved or interfere in politics.
“We respectfully suggest that people should approach the Faroese Government with their concerns”
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