Operation Living Fjords
Defending Pilot Whales and Other Dolphins in the Faroe Islands
Pilot Whale Defense Campaign
Operation Living Fjords
Sea Shepherd was first activist group in the Faroes in 1983, with further direct-action campaigns in 1985, 1986, 2000, 2011, 2014 and 2015. Then due to vessel restrictions directed at Sea Shepherd as well as new Faroese legislation preventing interventions from any activists against the grindadrap, Sea Shepherd sent land-based crew to the islands every year since 2016 to investigate, document and shine a spotlight on the reality of the hunts.
In September 2021, after the Faroese massacre of 1428 Atlantic white-sided dolphins shocked the world, Sea Shepherd teamed up with Shared Planet to form Stop the Grind, a global coalition bringing together like-minded politicians, public figures and NGOs to demonstrate broader resistance to the Grind through political, economic, and scientific means.
2024 Campaign
Sea Shepherd launches ‘Operation Living Fjords 2024’
March 2024 -- Sea Shepherd’s determination to end the grindadrap continues this year with a new campaign (our 9th consecutive year on the Faroe Islands). The new campaign will use new resources, more volunteer crew on the ground for longer than ever before, and we will have experienced media teams with us for the entire campaign.
Latest News
World Dolphin Day
On September 12, 2021, Faroe Islanders killed 1428 Atlantic white sided dolphins after chasing them 45km for over five hours with speed boats and jet-skis, the single largest cetacean hunt in documented human history. Sea Shepherd established World Dolphin Day on September 12th 2022, both in memory of the 1428 dolphins killed on that day, and as a reminder that dolphins around the world need more protection.