Opinion: "Starmer, it's time to ban blood-soaked fish from the Faroe Islands"
Here, Rob Read, chief operating officer of the Captain Paul Watson Foundation UK, explains the role the UK Government has to play in stopping the inhumane dolphin hunts that take place 200 miles off the coast of Scotland in the Faroe Islands.
Sir Keir Starmer’s New Year address told the country that change was on the agenda for 2025. This fight for change must transcend borders, cultural boundaries, and historic political alliances by addressing the source of the food on our plates.
Located some 200 miles off the coast of Scotland, with waters filled with British favourites including cod, haddock, farmed salmon and shellfish, the idyllic nation of the Faroe Islands has an incredibly dark secret.
On the 10th January 2025, over 50 dolphins were slaughtered in Hvannasund, one of the most picturesque parts of the Islands, marking the start of another year of disgraceful bloodshed. Many of these dolphins enjoyed the safety of British waters before migrating north to the Faroe Islands.
The small island nation slaughters of more than 1,100 dolphins each year for nothing more than a blood sport, whilst claiming the right to do so in the name of tradition. Referred locally as the ‘grindadráp’, entire pods of highly social and intelligent mammals are killed, with much of each animal dumped back into the sea due to contamination with heavy metals and persistent organic pollutants such as PCBs.
These hunts are facilitated by fishermen who are legally obligated to report all dolphin pods to enable the killings. Many of the fishermen also participate in the drives which often last for hours, supported by powerboats and jet skis who herd dolphins towards any of the 26 designated killing bays around the islands. These are the same fishermen who supply fish to British supermarkets.
Once in shallow waters, dolphins are killed by men waiting with lances and knives, as children are brought to the shore to watch on. There is no limit on the number of dolphins killed and they do not discriminate between pregnant mothers or the young and old. The level of suffering caused would never be acceptable in a modern slaughterhouse.
Despite this direct connection between fishing and the ‘grindadráp’, each year, billions of pounds of fish are imported into the UK from these Islands, ending up in supermarkets including Tesco, Co-op, Sainsbury’s and Aldi, with the true source hidden behind vague labels such as ‘North Atlantic’.
With the food labelling review drawing to a close, the Labour Government has a prime opportunity to take immediate action to prevent such misleading labelling and requiring the real source of our food to be displayed, ensuring consumers know exactly where their food is coming from.
Amid strong public pressure, some retailers have already ceased stocking Faroese-sourced fish. However, we need to go much further. The ability of our biggest brands and retailers to turn a blind eye to the slaughter of dolphins in the same waters they source their fish is a stain on our country’s food standards.
If retailers are not willing to draw a firm line under sourcing from countries with blood on their hands, the Government must intervene. We cannot, in good conscience, continue to import products from countries where the welfare of animals is so blatantly disregarded.
Just as Labour took the historic step to ban fox hunting and previously led the charge for a global ban on commercial whaling, it must now lead on seeing a ban on dolphin hunting and set the example for other nations. It must ensure our trade agreements reflect our commitment to animal welfare.
It is not as if the UK would be heading into battle alone. In 2021, all the European Union Member States who are parties to the International Whaling Commission – excluding Denmark, given the Faroes are a Danish territory – issued a statement calling upon the Faroese Government to “immediately stop the outdated practice of whale and dolphin hunting”.


In 2023, the UK imported a staggering £1.3 billion worth of fish products from the Faroe Islands, becoming the largest single importer of fish from this small nation.
However, the UK public is clear: two-thirds of British consumers want nothing to do with Faroese fish until the dolphin hunts cease. Supermarkets like Iceland have already listened to their customers and pulled Faroese products from their shelves. It’s time for the Government to do the same – showing that we, as a nation, are willing to stand up for what is right.
With the power of its Free Trade Agreement, Labour can hold the Faroe Islands accountable for their inexcusable hunts and take a strong, principled stance against practices that undermine our values. In doing so, Labour can once again position the UK as a leader of progress and ethical commerce on the global stage.
As we begin the new year, Sir Kier Starmer must not forget his New Year promise to “fight for change”. The price of a meal is not just counted in pounds and pence.
Rob Read is chief operating officer of the Paul Watson Foundation UK, a public charity whose purpose is to support, intervene, educate and raise awareness regarding ocean conservation. Find out more about their work here.
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