04 July 2009
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Published on July 4th, 2009 @ 11:08:58 am, using 186 words, 1014 views
By Arj
Graywall Resort, tucked away in the seaside town of White Beach Puerto Galera, Oriental Mindoro, Philippines, a 650 square meters landscaped, tropical resort with half mile long beach fronting the Batangas Strait. It is a secluded hideaway where tranquility and activity meet.
A place which sets you free to do and enjoy things out of the ordinary in a convivial setting of sun, sea and sand. Laze in a hammock under the palm trees, dive or snorkel for a look-see at beautiful marine life, explore the resort by pathways or jet skies or simply enjoy beautiful Graywall tropical setting.
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Graywall Resort is now offering a low-season package for as low as Php2,900.00 only per person including 3 days and 2 nights stay, transportation from Manila to Puerto Galera to Manila, FREE breakfast and welcome drinks. The best offer ever in a peaceful and memorable place for your family and friends. This special offer last until October 15, 2009 only, for inquiries and reservation you can visit the website at www.graywallresort.com or call the manila hotline +632.3033772 / +632.4501565 look for the reservation officers Ryan or Roma / email: info@graywallresort.com.
19 March 2009
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Published on March 19th, 2009 @ 03:12:06 pm, using 1006 words, 354 views
Powered by CDNN - CYBER DIVER News Network
by GIBBS CADIZ
PUERTO GALERA, Philippines — Amid imperiled economies all over the world, with travel and leisure among the biggest industries to be hit by the downturn, some Philippine tourism experts—practitioners as well as policy hands—are pinning their hopes on a sector that might yet prove to be recession-proof: scuba divers.
"It's an upscale market, certainly not for the backpacker type," said Yvette Lee, director for marketing and media affairs of a company that operates a mix of resorts and diving boats aimed mostly at foreign, usually European, divers.
The company's typical "Liveaboard" package of seven nights on a specially outfitted diving boat and three nights on shore in a first-class resort cost around 1900 Euros. A rather steep price, but "it's a top-tier package that brings you to some of the best diving sites in the Philippines, and even 100 Euros can go a long way here," explained Lee. "That amount is inclusive of meals and accommodations already, so it's a pretty good package."
Proof that the market for diving in Philippine waters remains on the upswing is that, even if the summer season hasn't started yet, Lee said her company's trips to the Tubbataha Reef are almost fully booked for the year.
"The Philippines as a diving destination is relatively low-cost, so it will remain attractive," echoed a (Puerto Galera dive operator). "In Puerto Galera alone, there are 25 to 30 diving sites within 15 minutes of each other, so it's very convenient.
Exhibit
Philippine-based tour operators joined the Department of Tourism's (DOT) participation in France's premiere diving exhibit Salon de la Plongée, held a week ago at the Parc des Expositions-Porte de Versailles in Paris.
They were in Paris with DOT to try to capture a significant chunk of France's diving market. The French are among the world's most enthusiastic divers. Around 400,000 are registered practitioners, members of some 2,500 active clubs around the country.
Salon de la Plongée is, in effect, their exhibit—an international fair that brings together French and foreign exhibitors specializing in diving. Last year, it hosted more than 400 exhibitors and around 40,000 general public visitors, majority of whom held Grade 2 (Advanced level) diving skills on the French grading system.
The fair offered not only an array of global diving destinations, but also companies and brands hawking all manner of diving gear and accessories, even lessons in a large indoor pool.
The Philippines was "Destination of the Year" in the 2008 exhibition, a distinction that, with the country's extensive exposure on the TV show "Koh-lanta" (the French version of "Survivor"), resulted in greater awareness of the Philippines as an alternative leisure destination for the French.
According to DOT records, French tourists accounted for the highest percentage growth (24.4 percent) among European visitors to the Philippines in 2007. From January to October 2008, despite the creeping economic squeeze, French arrivals still managed a respectable 20.94-percent increase. This makes France one of the country's fastest-growing tourist markets in Europe today.
Not only are the French, and European tourists in general, high spenders, they also stay in the country longer—around 10 days, spending around 100 US dollars a day. It's not hard to see why, said Mark Sutch, France country manager for Cathay Pacific, which has the biggest share—about 45 percent—of the French tourist market to the Philippines.
"You've got a fantastic array of diving sites, the sites are relatively unspoiled, Filipinos are a very welcoming people, and European visitors get a lot of value for their money, with hotel prices, food and drinks very affordable," he pointed out. Sutch himself dived in Philippine waters during his stint as Cathay's country manager in Manila a few years ago.
"If the Euro remains strong, the Philippines will remain a very affordable and attractive destination," said Sutch. "People into diving are very passionate about it; the industry will hold up, I believe."
"We'll just have to offer them the right package," said Venus Tan, Philippine tourism attache for the Western, Central and Eastern European markets.
"Travel is sacred to the Europeans, and with 'Koh-lanta' and other French diving operators featuring the Philippines as their main diving destination, we've created a buzz as far as this niche product is concerned. It's one of our strongest suits—we have the highest marine bio-diversity in the world!—and we have to stay in this market and build on it."
Different breed
French tourists, said Tan, are a different breed. Generally they want rustic surroundings and greater interaction with local people and culture. "They don't like staying in concrete structures. They don't just stay in the resort to dive, they want to immerse themselves in local food, to talk with people. That's an advantage for us, because we're very sociable. The impression always is that Filipinos are very friendly and hospitable."
Tan is looking at another sub-set of the market—airline employees with travel privileges, a big sector in Europe—to buoy the market, through active advertising and editorial presence in consumer magazines, newsletters and other publications.
The sustained PR campaign the last two years has resulted in many French travel firms taking a second look at the Philippines.
About 14 major French diving operators have or are featuring the country in their 2008-2009 campaigns, while Nouvelles Frontieres, one of France's biggest tour operators, pushed the Philippines as a top destination in its sprawling exhibit booth and dive brochures.
Air France, too, devoted 17 pages of its in-flight magazine to Philippine destinations, while the popular French Travel Guide had nine pages of pictures of Bohol, Palawan and other main attractions.
"Our goal is to make the Philippines a destination that can compete with the Caribbean and the Red Sea among French divers," said Tan. "Divers will travel to dive, and we're here."
What about French tourists who aren't too keen on diving? The country, it seems, has got them covered, too.
In March this year, another international fair called Destinations Nature! will open in the same venue. The focus this time is eco-tourism, and its featured destination: The Philippines. Vive le honeymoon.
02 February 2009
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Published on February 2nd, 2009 @ 03:01:08 am, using 279 words, 376 views
MANILA, Jan. 30 — A leading European leisure travel company on Wednesday said the Philippines could become one of the top tourist destinations worldwide.
TUI Travel PLC Chief Executive Officer Peter Long said their firm expects to see another 600 million to 700 million people traveling from and within Asia over the next five years — and mainly to other Asian destinations.
Long said that despite the economic slowdown, the Philippines remains resilient since it has a lot to offer to travelers, in terms of destinations.
The Department of Tourism (DoT) said this development (if it materializes) will translate into economic growth for the country, which will somehow be an offsetting factor against the contagion effect of the ongoing worldwide economic slowdown.
The DoT said it is optimistic in spite of the crisis and that “there is still a huge tourism potential waiting to be tapped.”
A study conducted by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) said tourism, along with the business processing outsourcing (BPO) industry, is an “exciting” industry that can compensate for lowered economic forecasts for the Philippines.
The study also indicates the strong belief tourism experts pin on the industry.
It noted that OFW remittances remain steady despite the global slowdown, ensuring that private consumption remains the key factor driving the economy.
The DoT said the first half of this year looked promising, with tourism receipts growing from various global regions, specifically Australia and the Asia-Pacific, at a 5.8 percent rate.
Data from the DoT Office of Tourism Standards, increased tourism investments have been reported to take effect early this year. The data indicates that additional hotel and hospital rooms will further beef up the carrying capacity of the country to accommodate travelers.
13 January 2009
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Published on January 13th, 2009 @ 12:46:39 am, using 297 words, 423 views
In January 10, 2009, Palau, Micronesia in-cooperation with Sam's Tours member of Philippine-Micronesia Alliance has finally launched the latest website of Palau Shark Sanctuary in preparation of this year upcoming Shark Weeks event.
Palau Shark Sanctuary Logo
Press Release from Palau Micronesia...
Koror, Palau January 10, 2009
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
I'm happy to announce that my new (and first) website for the Palau Shark Sanctuary is finally launched. While there are still some edits and revisions required, the basic site is up and running. The URL is: http://www.sharksanctuary.com/
Additionally, my BLOG located at: http://www.sharksanctuary.blogspot.com/ will soon be linked to the new site.
I'm deeply indebted to my good friend, fellow environmentalist and amazing photographer Gunther Deichmann who sponsored and created the site in support of the International Year of the Shark 2009. Gunther was instrumental in helping me get the Shark Sanctuary off the ground back in 2001 and has been and ardent supporter ever since. Many thanks Gunther and Webmaster Arnold Munoz. I sincerely appreciate your support.
Check out Gunther's Blog at: http://www.deichmann-photo.com/blog.html
I also owe considerable thanks to Mr. Dennis Camblin of Logo Pacific, Hawaii who has supported me from day one and launched the Palau Shark Sanctuary line of logo clothing which has helped fund my efforts since 2001. Thanks Dennis!
Thanks also to Sam's Tours and Ben Franklin Department Store who are corporate sponsors of Palau Shark Sanctuary and sell Shark Sanctuary logo clothing in support of the efforts to end shark-finning in Palau and elsewhere.
Sam's Tours: http://www.samstours.com
Please pay a visit to http://www.sharksanctuary.com/ and link to: http://www.sharksanctuary.blogspot.com/ for the latest news on sharks and shark conservation efforts in Palau.
SAVE OUR SHARKS!
http://www.sharksanctuary.com/
08 January 2009
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Published on January 8th, 2009 @ 09:34:59 pm, using 398 words, 1364 views
© Discovery Shark Week 2008 - Shark Pedicabs
Shark Week is back!
In July of 2008, The Discovery Channel used bicycle taxis as a medium to advertise their popular Shark Week programming. The “pedicabs” could be seen in New York City where drivers were outfitted as Life Guards and gave free rides to passengers for eight hours a day over the six day run of Shark Week. I love to see what they've got this coming summer for an annual Shark Week.
Here are the other shows from Discovery Channel last year:
MythBusters: Shark Special: "Shark Week kicks off with this two-hour premiere on Sunday, July 27th from 9-11 p.m. ET/PT. Using their signature sci-tech style of explosive experimentation, the MythBusters? hit the deep blue from California to the Bahamas to investigate myths about sharks, including: Are sharks repelled by magnets? Do dogs attract sharks? Do the vibrations caused by a flapping injured fish attract sharks? Does chili powder repel sharks? And hosts Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman create the ultimate Shark Week build – a 16-foot-long robo-shark!"
Surviving Sharks: "Premiering Monday, July 28th from 9-10 p.m. ET/PT, Survivorman's Les Stroud hosts this look at how best to play it safe in the water, while testing popular theories of how to survive shark encounters."
Day of the Shark (working title): "This special, premiering Monday, July 28th from 10-11 p.m. ET/PT, chronicles six recent shark attacks that took place at different times of day, to determine if day or night is safer for swimming."
How Not To Become Shark Bait: "On Tuesday, July 29th from 10-11 p.m. ET/PT, a thrillseeking team with a purpose - escapologist Jonathan Goodwin, adrenaline junkie Yul Kwon, marine biologist Jeremiah Sullivan and scientist Dr. Marty Jopson - test shark attraction theories with lemon,On tiger and reef sharks, focusing on the sensory perception of sharks including colors, vibrations, smells and other attractors. In the process, viewers learn strategies for staying safe when in the water."
Mysteries of the Shark Coast: "On Australia's northeastern coast, home to more species of sharks than anywhere else in the world, the sharks are disappearing. A cross-discipline team of marine biologist Richard Fitzpatrick, filmmaker Mike deGruy, lead scientist for the Nature Conservancy, M. Sanjayan, Ph.D, and adventurer Celine Cousteau, band together to find out why, in this two-hour special premiering Thursday, July 31 from 9-11 p.m. ET/PT."
13 November 2008
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Published on November 13th, 2008 @ 08:18:41 pm, using 199 words, 468 views
Another interesting article and an actual photo taken by Gunther Deichmann and now in German Stern Magazine published in spread size (double page) as "Photo Of The Week".
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© Gunther Deichmann - Double page (spread size) in Stern
The Photo was taken in Bali on the 8th of October in the small commercial Harbor of Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia. I just happen to come across a vessel unloading not only Fish but massive amounts of Shark fins.
Each time a pile of shark fins had been cleared of the deck and trucked away by small trucks more Shark Fins appeared from the Hull of the vessel. I left the scene after about 45 minutes but the unloading continued, thousands of Shark fins of all species. I recognized Hammerheads, White tip and Black tip sharks.
I believe the reason for the worker wearing the hood is due to the cold temperature in the hull, (or is he hiding his face)? All fins had been frozen, which indicates that the vessel came from a longer trip. I could not get into the area where the fins where transported to by the trucks, which could have revealed most likely the real scope of this “catch”.
GD
24 October 2008
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Published on October 24th, 2008 @ 01:27:16 pm, using 1558 words, 6320 views
First of all... a million thanks to all readers who shared their thoughts regarding my previous posted blog topic 'A Barbaric Whale and Dolphin Killing in Denmark… A TRUTH! and FICTION!' courtesy from other internet source. I was really surprised of the massive response and comments that I received from different people over the net for the past few days since I posted the blog, thanks for the support and I really appreciate it.
To others who haven't read yet please click this link 'A Barbaric Whale and Dolphin Killing in Denmark…' and you are free to share and throw some violent reactions with us =)
Upon reading some other blogs from CDNN, another interesting news/article and a follow-up blog that might be answer to stop or maybe lessen the killing of whales and dolphins. Have a look and see what I've got. By the way... sorry for the others who loves to eat dolphin meat for this disgusting article.
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Written by: JUSTIN McCURRY? - CDNN
TAIJI, Japan (23 Oct 2008) — Japanese diners who enjoy tucking into dolphin meat are putting their health at risk, as well as courting international condemnation.
Dolphin Meat - Japan Products
A new study by two Japanese universities found that residents of Taiji, a whaling town on the Pacific coast, who frequently ate the meat of pilot whale - a member of the dolphin family - have mercury levels 10 times the national average.
The hair of three tested residents contained quantities of mercury higher than 50 parts per million [ppm], a level that can lead to neurological problems.
Researchers from the Health Sciences University of Hokkaido and Daiichi University's College of Pharmaceutical Studies tested hair samples from 30 men and 20 women from the town between last December and July this year.
The average mercury level among the men was 21.6 ppm and 11.9 ppm among women - both about 10 times the national average. Three men with dangerously high levels of mercury said they ate pilot whale meat more than once a month.
Pilot Whale
Tetsuya Endo, a member of the research team, said the residents faced no immediate threats to their health but suggested they cut back on their dolphin and whale meat consumption, according to the Kyodo news agency.
Mercury levels halved among people who stopped eating the meat for two months.
Last year a study of dolphin meat served in school lunches in the Taiji area revealed mercury levels 10 to 16 times higher than the health ministry's accepted level of 0.4 ppm.
The latest warnings come as the town, about 280 miles west of Tokyo, begins its annual dolphin cull.
Local fishermen are expected to slaughter around 2,000 of the estimated 20,000 dolphins that will be killed in Japanese coastal waters between now and April.
The hunters bang on metal poles to drive pods of dolphins into secluded coves, where they are speared and hacked to death. The few that survive are sold to aquariums in Japan, Europe and the US.
Despite international condemnation of the culls, the people of Taiji, where coastal whaling is said to stretch back 400 years, claim the local economy would collapse if coastal whaling and dolphin hunting were banned.
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Additional Source:
In Taiji, the fishermen say that dolphin tastes like venison or beef. But eaten raw with a dab of ginger and soy sauce, the glistening dark flesh resembles liver with a coppery aftertaste that lingers on the roof of the mouth long after you’ve chewed it past your protesting taste buds. The ripe, tangy smell stays longer. “I hate cutting up dolphin,” says Motohata Toshihiro, who runs a nearby whale-meat shop. “The stink stays on you for days, even after several baths.”
Taiji Entrance - Japan Focus
Dolphin-hunting season has arrived again in this sleepy harbor town at the tip of the Kii peninsula south of Kyoto. Since October, perhaps 2,000 small whales and striped, bottlenose, spotted and risso’s dolphins have been slaughtered for meat that ends up on the tables of local homes and restaurants and in vacuum-packed bags in supermarkets. By the end of March, 1,000 more will go the same way, part of what is probably the largest annual cull of cetaceans – about 26,000 around coastal Japan according to environmentalists -- in the world.
Taiji View - Japan Focus
Six hours from Tokyo and accessible only via a coastal road that snakes through tunnels hewn from dense, pine-carpeted mountains, Taiji for years escaped the prying eyes of animal rights activists, but the isolation has been abruptly ended by the Internet and the cheap rail pass. A steady trickle of foreign protestors – most Japanese people know little about the tradition -- now arrives in the rusting town square to cross swords with local bureaucrats and the 26 fishermen who run the hunt.
As Taiji’s notoriety has grown, fueled by gruesome videos of the dolphin kill posted on YouTube? and by celebrity criticism from Joaquin Phoenix, Ted Danson and other high-profile environmentalists, tensions have sharpened. Protestors have repeatedly clashed with the fishermen. Nets and boats have been sabotaged, activists arrested and several environmental groups have been effectively banned from the town.
Foreigners now almost inevitably mean trouble, especially when they come with cameras; locals speak with special venom of a BBC documentary that they say depicted them as barbarians. “One fisherman told me if the whalers could kill me, they would,” says the best-known protestor, Ric O’Barry, who once trained dolphins for the 1960’s TV series ‘Flipper.’ “But I always try to stay on the right side of the law. If I get arrested, I’m out of this fight.”
Around Taiji and in the nearby towns of Kii-Katsuura and Shingu, whale meat has been eaten for hundreds of years, claim local officials. Restaurants and shops offer dolphin and whale sashimi and humpback bacon, along with tuna and shark-fin soup. A canteen next to the Taiji Whale Museum, where trained dolphins and small whales perform tricks for tourists, sells Minke steak, sashimi and whale cutlets in curry sauce in a room decorated with posters of the 80 or so ‘cetaceans of the world’: whales, dolphins and porpoises.
According to local wholesaler Mizutani Ikuo, dolphin meat sells for about 2,000 yen (about US$16) a kilo, cheaper than beef or whale. Unlike most Japanese children, who have no idea what whale tastes like, Taiji kids know their cetaceans. “I don’t like the taste of dolphin because it smells,” says 9-year-old Utani Rui. “I prefer whale.” Inside the museum, out-of-towners are often stunned to learn of the local tradition. “I’m shocked,” says Shibuya Keiko from Osaka. “I couldn’t imagine eating dolphin. They’re too cute.”
The hunts are notoriously brutal and blue tarpaulin sheets block the main viewing spots overlooking the cove where the killings take place to prevent picture-taking. Beyond the cove, a small fleet of boats surround a pod of migrating dolphins, lower metal poles into the sea and bang them to frighten the animals and disrupt their sonar. Once the panicking, thrashing dolphins are herded into the narrow cove, the fishermen attack them with knives, turning the sea red before dragging them to a harbour-side warehouse for slaughter.
The fishermen, who consider dolphins just big fish, like tuna, are bewildered that anyone would find this cruel, dubbing the weekend protestors ‘extremists.’ “If you walked into an American slaughterhouse for cows it wouldn’t look very pretty either,” says one, who identifies himself only as Kawasaki. “The killing is done in the open here so it looks worse than it is.” Most are descended from families that have been killing and eating the contents of the sea around Taiji for generations and reject arguments that dolphins are ‘special.’ Says Kawasaki: “They’re food, like dogs for the Chinese and Koreans.”
A 1994 statement [www.furcommission.com/resource/perspect3.htm] by Taiji Mayor S. Hamanaka directly addressed environmentalists in making the case for tradition and the legitimacy of the whale hunt:
We believe we know more about our own sea in Taiji than anyone who lives hundreds or thousands of miles away from us. We also believe we are more concerned with its protection and assume more responsibilities than anybody else in the world. We are sure that the same view is shared by Alaskan Eskimos, Faroese, Greenlanders, Icelanders, Norwegians, and Russians in Chukotka as well. We hope many environmentally concerned people in the industrialized nations will understand our views and trust us as rational and humane people, and stop making whaling a "scape goat" of the environmental crusade and making inhumane attacks on whaling people.”
O’Barry claims, however, that he was told in private by town officials that tradition is not the real reason for the hunts. “It’s pest-control; they’re over-fishing and want to kill the competition for the fish. That’s unacceptable. These animals don’t have Japanese passports, they belong to the world. They’re just trying to get around this town and these 26 guys.” He calls the town ‘schizophrenic.’ “It’s as pretty as a 1950s postcard and the people are so friendly, but this secret genocide takes place every year.”
The schizophrenia is sharpest, say activists, in the Taiji Whale Museum, where tickets for “whale-watching trips” in dolphin-shaped boats are sold while the non-performing animals bump up against each other in a tiny concrete pool. Trainers here help sort the ‘best-looking’ dolphins from the kill and train them for use in circuses and aquariums across Asia and Europe.
18 September 2008
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Published on September 18th, 2008 @ 07:33:27 am, using 1237 words, 69676 views
This horrible massacre of whales and dolphins article is really caught my attention which originally came from another source on the internet Truth or Fiction!
From the original site text:
Denmark: What a shame, we have to spread the news in hope that someone can come and do something about this. Without a doubt man is the worst animal on the planet!
It is hard to believe that in this age that this bloody massacre annually takes place on Faroe Island in a country that claims to be a civilized member of the European Union. It is not publicized that this blood thirsty massacre is a rite of passage into adult life for participating young men. It is incredible that this act of barbarism against this species, a dolphin intelligence that is known to approach people with curiosity has not been made public. Please help spread the word.
Whale and Dolphin Massacre in Denmark
From GD:
The “Red Sea” blood every where, a barbaric custom from the stone age has just caught my attention.
I don’t care what the excuse is, but now I have just about seen enough, this makes me sick! I have never seen such a brutal way of killing those harmless animals in this part of Europe, Denmark to be exact, where children helping in the slaughter yet another real “good education” Children even given a day off school so they can participate, Oh Boy...
A Whale of a Killing in Denmark -Truth! & Fiction!
Disgusting whale massacre! - Fiesta Galore in Denmark? - Arj
So what's this for??? - Arj
To be honest, I am lost for words…the true color (blood red) of our human or not so human behavior, I think our ancestors in the stone age have behaved themselves in a more human way.
See below some links for additional info there you can cast your vote and bring this cruel practice to a STOP!
Below some excerpts from the articles for more check the links;
http://www.truthorfiction.com/rumors/w/whale-killing-denmark.htm
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/end-whale-dolphin-slaughter-in-the-faroe-islands
I am lost for words... GD
Courtesy and Excerpts from the articles, all the photos have been send to me with the understanding that these could be used, and help to stop this barbaric practice. Thank you very much.
Target:
Prime Minister Jóannes Eidesgaard
Sponsored by:
John Koehler
Whales are sensitive, social animals with highly developed nervous systems. They have a profound capacity to suffer distress, terror and pain. Each year, the Faroese kill pilot whales and other small cetaceans.
Islanders in motorboats first drive the whales into a bay. The chase may be lengthy. The exhausted, terrified and confused whales are eventually driven into the shallows. Here the bloodbath begins. The islanders repeatedly hammer 2.2 kg metal gaffs into the living flesh of each whale until the hooks hold. A 15 cm knife is then used to slash through the blubber and flesh to the spinal column. Next the main blood vessels are severed. The blood-stained bay is soon filled with horribly mutilated and dying whales.
The Faroese celebrate the butchery of their victims in an carnival atmosphere of entertainment. Indoctrinated from an early age, children are often given a day off school to watch the fun. They run down to the bay and clamber over the carcasses of slaughtered whales.
Every year around 2,000 whales are driven ashore and cruelly slaughtered in the Faroe Islands, mid-way between the Shetland Islands and Iceland. For centuries the Faroe Islanders have hunted pilot whales, driving entire schools into killing bays, where they are speared or gaffed from boats, dragged ashore and butchered with knives. Although the Islands are a protectorate of Denmark, they have their own Government and regulations governing the pilot whale hunt or "grind" as it is known.
Aside from the fact that the number of North Atlantic long-finned pilot whales is unknown and they are listed as 'strictly protected' by the Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats, this is an act of barbarism and pointlessness. By slaughtering 100 whales at a time, the Faroese are wiping out entire pods and family groups. They are removing building blocks from the gene pool of the species and damaging the web of life in the North Atlantic and the North Sea.
The drive hunt is a practice abandoned elsewhere many decades ago, and now outlawed by other European states. The inhabitants of the Faroe Islands have no subsistence need for whale meat, and much of the flesh is left to rot and be dumped; it cannot be exported, as it is polluted with heavy metals and other toxins and therefore cannot meet EU heath standards for human food.
According to Faroese legislation it is also permitted to hunt certain species of small cetaceans other than pilot whales. These include: Bottlenose dolphin; Atlantic white-beaked dolphin; Atlantic white-sided dolphin; and Harbour porpoise (There are also specific regulations for the hunting of harbour porpoise. Harbour porpoises are killed with shotguns).
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Additional Information from Wikipedia:
The Faroes and Denmark
Faroe islands has been under control from Denmark since 1388, but in the Treaty of Kiel in 1814 terminated the Danish-Norwegian union. Norway came under the rule of the King of Sweden, but the Faroe Islands, Iceland, and Greenland remained as possessions of Denmark. Subsequently, the Løgting was abolished 1816, and the Faroe Islands were to be governed as a regular Danish amt, with the Amtmand as its head of government. In 1851 the Løgting was resurrected, but served mainly as an advisory power until 1948.
At the end of the Second World War a portion of the population favoured independence from Denmark, and on 14 September 1946 a public election was held on the question of secession. It is not considered a referendum, as the parliament was not bound to follow the decision of the vote. This was the first time that the Faroese people were asked if they favoured independence or if they wanted to continue as a part of the Danish kingdom. The outcome of the vote produced a small majority in favour of secession, but the coalition in parliament could not reach a resolution on how this election should be interpreted and implemented, and because of these irresolvable differences the coalition fell apart. A parliamentary election was held just a few months later, in which the political parties that favoured staying in the Danish kingdom increased their share of the vote and formed a coalition. Based on this increased share of the votes, they chose to reject secession. Instead, a compromise was made and the Folketing passed a home-rule law, which came into effect in 1948. The Faroe Islands' status as a Danish amt was brought to an end with the home-rule law; the Faroe Islands were given a high degree of self-governance, supported by a substantial annual subsidy from Denmark.
The islanders are about evenly split between those favouring independence and those who prefer to continue as a part of the Kingdom of Denmark. Within both camps there is, however, a wide range of opinions. Of those who favour independence, some are in favour of an immediate unilateral declaration. Others see it as something to be attained gradually and with the full consent of the Danish government and the Danish nation. In the unionist camp there are also many who foresee and welcome a gradual increase in autonomy even as strong ties to Denmark are maintained.
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