Forurenet Spisekammer - Havforureningens påvirkning på den færøske hvalfangstkultur

This paper examines how the Faroese and their pilot whaling practice, called grindadráp, is affected by global marine pollution. By analyzing how the Faroese have reacted to the fact that the pilot whale meat and blubber is polluted, and comparing these reactions with a similar case from Norway, it becomes clear that global marine pollution has paralyzed the Faroese response to the issue. The Faroese feel sorrow, despair and fear when confronted with how grindadráp is threatened by global marine pollution. These feelings cause a process of non-mobilization, and partial denial of both the health risks and the actual reasons for global marine pollution. These reactions enable the grindadráp to continue, but it also enables the systems that cause global marine pollution to continue without objection. The Faroese face a dilemma between continuing the sustainable practice of grindadráp despite its health risks, or ceasing the practice of grindadráp at the price of Faroese culture and identity. Even though it is uncertain whether grindadráp belongs in the future or the past, the practice itself is sustainable in ways that could inspire future generations