The Faroe Islands are a self-governing country within the Danish Realm. With a population of 50,000 it is located between the Norwegian Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean. The hunting of pilot whales has been a longstanding tradition for the Faroese Islanders. Some people argue that the hunting of these whales is an essential part of their economy, culture, and everyday life. Others argue that the hunting of these whales is outdated, immoral and nothing short of savagery. When looking at this issue it is important to examine the arguments from multiple perspectives and schools of thought regarding the role of culture and rights. The hunting of Pilot whales, which has been under fire for a number of years, has gone on in the Faroe Islands for…show more content… I personally would side with those for the whale-hunt if I was to handle this situation. It is a common misconception that the Pilot whales are an endangered species, however, they are actually one of the most common species of whale throughout the world. It is estimated that the population of Pilot Whales throughout the world is about 800,000 and the Faroese Islanders, on average only hunt about 800 a year which equates to .1% of their total population. With this being said, the whales reproduction rate is at 2% which greatly exceeds the .1% of them that is being hunted. The opponents of the whale-hunt often claim the practice is cruel and barbaric due to the amount of blood and gore involved, however the improved killing methods have greatly decreased the killing time so the whales don’t really suffer. As for the blood and gore, the killing of animals in general is bloody and gory not just the killing of Pilot Whales and with an animal of that size you have to expect large amounts of blood, it is not due to the fact that they’re being killed in a terrible manner. The last argument I make is that the hunting of Pilot whales has been an important part of the culture of the Faroe Islanders for over a thousand years. The whale hunting tradition is strictly for consumption within the local community and is by no means meant for sport or commercial