Question for written answer E-004413/2021
to the Commission
Rule 138
Grace O'Sullivan (Verts/ALE), Ciarán Cuffe (Verts/ALE), Francisco Guerreiro (Verts/ALE), Jutta Paulus (Verts/ALE), Thomas Waitz (Verts/ALE), Tilly Metz (Verts/ALE), Rosa D'Amato (Verts/ALE), Sylwia Spurek (Verts/ALE), Caroline Roose (Verts/ALE), Marie Toussaint (Verts/ALE), Sara Matthieu (Verts/ALE), Billy Kelleher (Renew), Alviina Alametsä (Verts/ALE), Manuela Ripa (Verts/ALE), Ernest Urtasun (Verts/ALE), Mick Wallace (The Left), Sabrina Pignedoli (NI), Clara Aguilera (S&D), Geert Bourgeois (ECR), Petros Kokkalis (The Left), Mario Furore (NI), Isabel Carvalhais (S&D), Chris MacManus (The Left), Chiara Gemma (NI), Laura Ferrara (NI), Fabio Massimo Castaldo (NI), Anja Hazekamp (The Left), Tiziana Beghin (NI), Dino Giarrusso (NI), Martin Buschmann (NI), Michal Wiezik (PPE), Dan-Ştefan Motreanu (PPE), Delara Burkhardt (S&D), Daniela Rondinelli (NI), Carmen Avram (S&D), Chrysoula Zacharopoulou (Renew), Saskia Bricmont (Verts/ALE), Andrey Kovatchev (PPE), Damien Carême (Verts/ALE), Ignazio Corrao (Verts/ALE), Brando Benifei (S&D), Pascal Durand (Renew), César Luena (S&D), Hilde Vautmans (Renew), Tanja Fajon (S&D), Manuel Bompard (The Left), Maria da Graça Carvalho (PPE), Christophe Grudler (Renew), Henna Virkkunen (PPE), Emmanouil Fragkos (ECR), Anne-Sophie Pelletier (The Left), Stéphane Séjourné (Renew), Ville Niinistö (Verts/ALE)
Subject: Mass slaughter of dolphins and whales in the Faroe Islands and the role of Danish authorities
Every year the mass slaughter of dolphins and whales known as grindadráp occurs in the Faroe Islands. On 12 September 2021, this resulted in the killing of over 1 400 white-sided dolphins. This represents one of the largest single incidents of mass killing of white-sided dolphins in the recorded history of this tradition on the islands and a particularly excessive act of cruelty to animals.
The Faroes are not subject to EU legislation or the Bern Convention, although they enjoy a number of bilateral agreements on fisheries, trade and scientific and technological cooperation. The annual slaughter is also facilitated and supported by Danish officials, and is subject to the relevant EU legislation including the Habitats Directive, which prohibits Member States from all forms of deliberate disturbance, capture, or killing of cetaceans.
1. Does the Commission consider Denmark’s facilitation of the grindadráp a breach of the relevant environmental legislation protecting cetaceans?
2. Will the Commission take appropriate action to encourage an end to this mass slaughter by using the economic tools available to it?
3. Will the Commission work with Member States and international organisations such as the International Whaling Commission to protect white-sided dolphins and pilot whales?