I recently wrote about whaling by Faroese people, after a constituent from Millie Hall in East Yorkshire brought the subject to my attention.
The Faroe islands (being outside the EU) not only have an exemption from the rules agreed by all EU countries banning whaling, but they also have secured exemptions from the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) and the Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats (Bern Convention). They appear to want to ignore the international community and wider public opinion in many fields, in particular regarding the environment and animal welfare.
Denmark, to which the Faroes are linked, seems unable or unwilling to bring any pressure to bear upon them.
In response to parliamentary questions from me and others, the European Commission has confirmed that it has made representations to Denmark and will continue to do so.
Will governments of other EU countries do likewise? A few parliamentary questions in national parliaments would not go amiss…
