An environment group has criticised Denmark for failing to halt the annual pilot whale hunt in the Faroe Islands.
Sea Shepherd activists claim fishermen on the Faroe Islands have killed about 250 pilot whales in the last two days.
The group says Danish navy ships, the Triton and Knud Rasmussen were present at the site of the hunt but did not intervene.
Wyanda Lublink, captain of the Sea Shepherd boat Brigitte Bardot, says it was incomprehensible that Denmark, "an anti-whaling member nation of the European Union, subject to laws prohibiting the slaughter of cetaceans" would not intervene.
The Faroe Islands are not part of the European Union, and chose to remain outside the union when Denmark joined in 1973 because, according to the government website, “the Faroese found it not in their interest to become subject to the Common Fisheries Policy”.
Whaling in the Faroes has been practised for hundreds of years and is regulated by the Faroese authorities. Around 800 pilot whales and some dolphins are killed annually during the summer hunts.
The whale pods, which migrate past the islands in July and August, were reportedly herded by small boats on to two beaches where villagers waded into the water to kill them with lances.
Seven protesters, mainly from European countries, have been arrested this week for allegedly interfering with the traditional community hunts, known as “grindadrap”.
Footage from the hunt suggests that 111 pilot whales were killed on a beach at Nolsoy and a further 142 near the capital Torshavn.
The Faroe Islands have been a self-governing country within the Danish realm since 1948. The islands have autonomy in relation to domestic affairs with Denmark responsible for defence, policing, justice, currency and foreign affairs.
Additional reporting, Guardian