The Grind, whale slaughter, Faroe Islands

The survey was carried out in the mid-1980s

Source: "Marine Hunters: Whaling and Sealing in the North Atlantic," published by the High North Alliance, 1997.

www.highnorth.no/Library/Publications/M-hunter/a-th-to.htm

Pilot whale meat contains relatively large amounts of mercury. We do not know how much of this comes from natural sources on the sea bed and how much comes from human pollution. It would seem that the pilot whale has developed a high level of tolerance with regard to mercury - in addition to a pollution immunity mechanism. Owing to its special diet, the pilot whale carries a higher level of mercury than other species of marine mammals in the North Atlantic. In general, toothed whales carry a higher level than baleen whales.

Organic pollutants bind themselves to fatty tissues and it is therefore those cultures that consume considerable amounts of seal or whale blubber that are the most vulnerable. This applies to most Inuit communities, particularly the smaller villages that still maintain hunting traditions, and where imported food is very expensive. It also applies to the Faroe Islanders. In the Faroes, the blubber of pilot whales constitutes an important part of the traditional diet. 75% of women in northern Quebec and Labrador and 95% of women in Greenland have a higher PCB level in their blood than «the level of concern» of 5 parts per million defined by the Canadian health authorities.47 Organic pollutants are transferred to infant through their mother's milk. Surveys carried out in the US show that PCB can be harmful to the development of the central nervous system.