House of Commons · Westminster Hall
11 July 2022 · 6 other contributors · 7,367 words
Opened by John Nicolson SNP East Dunbartonshire
Responding minister: Andrew Griffith
Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.
John Nicolson raised concerns about dolphin and whale hunting: faroe islands in Westminster Hall. A government minister responded.
Key points
Key requests to Government
The UK Government should use its economic leverage to discourage this practice by threatening trade sanctions if the hunts continue. The petition advocates using our levers of power more effectively to ensure that such brutality does not continue in the 21st century.
MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said.
Opened the debate
I am concerned about the hunting of dolphins and whales in the Faroe Islands, where over 1,400 white-sided dolphins were killed last year. This practice is not only illegal in many other countries but also unnecessary given the prosperity of the Faroe Islands. The method used to kill these mammals is particularly brutal, taking up to eight minutes for a dolphin and 13 minutes for a whale, involving paralysing spinal lances and knives.
The hon. Member is concerned that the number of whales in the ocean surrounding the Faroe Islands has not been assessed since 1997, raising doubts about the sustainability of whale hunting practices. He also questions whether arguments based on cultural heritage are valid when modern machinery is used instead of traditional methods.
Congratulates the Minister on his appointment and invites him to respond to the debate.
The MP expressed concern over the gruesome practice of dolphin and whale hunting in the Faroe Islands, questioning why the UK Government has not made banning such practices a prerequisite for trade agreements. She highlighted that British consumers may unknowingly support this activity through purchases from Faroese products sold in supermarkets.
Asked whether the UK should model its opposition to these hunts by using a stronger hand, such as economic sanctions, to encourage an end to these practices.
Clarified that the provisional cap on dolphin hunts set until 2022-23 at 500 dolphins is higher than usual annual kills and could increase in future. The practice of hunting whales and dolphins is cruel, inhumane and must be condemned. The meat on pilot whales contains high levels of mercury and can cause health challenges when consumed by humans. There are calls for the suspension of trade agreements until the practice has ended due to the scale of slaughter and lack of action from the Faroese Government. A free trade treaty with the Faroe Islands accounts for over 25% of their global trade, making the UK uniquely placed to effect change. The health of oceans and marine life has been undermined by mankind; encouraging or pressuring the Faroe Islands to outlaw hunting could boost its economy through whale tourism. The Minister mentions bilateral relationships that free trade agreements give the UK to influence animal welfare. She asks specifically what influence the UK Government has had on stopping dolphin hunting in the Faroe Islands, criticising the new cap as merely a facade.
Welcomes the Minister's first day as a Trade Minister, expresses concern about whale and dolphin hunting in the Faroe Islands, highlights the significant number of signatures on a petition against this practice. Criticizes the UK Government for not using their trade influence to address animal welfare issues effectively.
Government Response
Andrew GriffithIt is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Sir Christopher. I congratulate the mover of the motion, the hon. Member for Ochil and South Perthshire (John Nicolson). Promoting animal welfare is a key priority for this Government. This debate is about the best means to end whale and dolphin slaughter. We continue to utilise our existing trade agreements—those that have been negotiated in the past—to keep diplomatic channels with partners, such as the Faroe Islands, open. The hunts are cruel and unsustainable; almost 1,500 Atlantic white-sided dolphins were killed in one day last September, more than six times the number usually killed in an entire year. We will continue to make points ever more strongly further to this petition. No suspension of a trade agreement would end the practice; it will be ended only by the action of the Faroese Government themselves. The UK has agreed trade agreements with 70 countries, including rolling over the agreement that we were previously party to in our membership of the European Union. We have reformed these deals with these countries, which allows us to deepen our relationships because they become bilateral relationships. This gives us a greater ability to influence crucial issues such as animal welfare. The Government's position is that removing the deal—aside from the legality—would be counterproductive; we are fully exploiting all the different channels that our free trade agreement opens to us, strengthening diplomatic ties between our nations. We have managed to obtain groundbreaking animal welfare provisions in new agreements, including those with Australia and New Zealand, which include dedicated chapters on non-regression and working together to raise standards. The UK will continue to work internationally to protect whales and other cetacean species, playing a leading role in the International Whaling Commission (IWC). We are also playing a leading role internationally in protecting the ocean ahead of the conference of the parties on the United Nations convention on biological diversity. As an independent trading nation, the UK is leading the world in improving environmental, animal welfare and labour standards more than ever before. Through our diplomatic channels and our free trade agreements, we will continue to encourage reform and seek to replace cetacean hunting with new, better and more humane economic opportunities for the Faroese people.