Atlantic White-sided Dolphins on a concrete-floored dock in Hvalba, 26 August 2006

There is a raging debate about whether the pilot whale hunt represents a significant threat to pilot whale populations; the actual size of the Northeast Atlantic pilot whale population is a subject of debate between different organizations. The figure accepted by the International Whaling Commission"s Scientific Committee is the 778,000 animals obtained by the North Atlantic Sightings Survey in 1992. Those in favour of whaling, such as the North Atlantic Marine Mammal Commission in their 1997 and 1999 report on the hunt,^[15] say that this is a conservative estimate, whilst those opposed to the hunt, such as the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society say the figure is over-estimated. If the figure is accepted, then the average kill from 1990–1999 of 956 animals per year, represents a little more than 0.1% of the population, which the commission has deemed sustainable.

In its Red List of Threatened Species the IUCN lists both the Long-finned and Short-finned Pilot Whales with "Data Deficient" status according to its 2008 assessment. In a previous assessment in 1996 the organization listed the species in the "Lower Risk/least concern" category. However, the IUCN also says that with an estimated subpopulation size of 778 000 in the eastern North Atlantic and approximately 100 000 around the Faroes, Faroese catches of 850 per year are probably sustainable.

According to the American Cetacean Society — a whale protectionist group — pilot whales are not considered endangered. The society cites that there are likely about 1 000 000 long-finned and at least 200 000 short-finned pilot whales worldwide.^[17]

Photographs in the media of the pilot whale hunt display a red-coloured sea with the bodies of dead pilot whales. These images enraged whale protectors worldwide.

Most Faroese maintain that it is their right to catch pilot whales given that they have done so for centuries. The Faroese whalers defend their actions before international organizations like Greenpeace with three arguments: one, that grindadrбp is not a hunt as such, but a drбp meaning a kill (ie that they do not regularly take to sea just to hunt for pilot whales, but only kill those which are sighted swimming too close at land); two, that the pilot whale hunt does not exist for commercial reasons, but for communal food distribution among local households; and three, data suggests that Pilot Whales are not endangered.

It is rare to hear critical voices in the Faroe Islands, but in the last few years they have become more frequent. Opponents of the grindadrбp often argue on an emotional level, citing in particular the bloody kill on the fjord bank. The Faroese response to this allegation is that a bloody beach is not in fact a problematic issue concerning whale-catching, and that the problem is that a large part of the civilized population has been alienated from the process and basic consequences of animal food production.

Proponents of the hunt further argue that the pilot whale lives its whole life in liberty in its natural habitat, the Atlantic Ocean, and then dies in a few minutes, in contrast to many commonly held livestock such as cows, pigs and chickens, the meat from which one finds in most modern supermarkets. These animals often live in captivity or confinement for their whole lives and are then subject to lengthy transportation and other stressful events before their final slaughter. Furthermore, causing an animal unnecessary or excessive pain and discomfort is prohibited by the Faroese law.

Animal-rights activists argue that the grindadrбp is not only cruel, but in view of the ample food supply in today"s Faroes, completely unnecessary. Additional argumentation is supplied by the Faroese Ministry of Health, which warns of excessive consumption of pilot whale meat, since it has been shown to contain high levels of mercury, PCBs and environmental poisons.In practice this means that pilot whale meat and blubber can only be safely consumed once a month by the Faroese, a much smaller quantity compared with previous decades.

During the recent history of the grindadrбp, the tools of the catch have modernized. Cellular telephones and radio allow the islands to be alerted to a sighting within the course of minutes. The use of private motorboats give the whalers more speed and maneuverability on the water. The dull blowhole hook, adopted in response to concerns over cruelty, had the additional effect of further increasing the effectiveness of Faroese attempting to beach the whales. In spite of how such improvements to the tools could make the grindadrбp more effective, the number of pilot whales caught, both overall and per drive, is less than preceding centuries.

In 1989 the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society commissioned an animated public information film (narrated by Anthony Hopkins) to raise awareness on the Faroe Islands" whaling of Long-finned Pilot Whales. The film caused controversy when it was released, as it shows in somewhat graphic detail what occurred during the annual hunt, but was only given a Universal Certificate by the BBFC^{[citation needed]} since it was animated.

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Cetacea
Family: Delphinidae
Genus: Globicephala
species: macrorhynchus

 Pilot whales are actually two species: Globicephala melas (Traill, 1809, long-finned) and Globicephala macrorhynchus (Gray, 1846, short-finned), and are large dolphin species second only to orca (killer whales) in size. Adult males measure up to 6.1 m in length and weigh up to 2,722 kg. Adult females measure up to 4.9 m in length and weigh up to 1,361 kg. They have a round head with a small beak and dolphin-typical up-curved mouthline. The rounded head of males protrudes over the lower jaw. Pilot whales are dark gray to black in color with a lighter colored patch on the ventral surface, and Globicephala macrorhynchus (short-finned) pilot whales may also have a faint patch behind the dorsal fin. The dorsal fin is curved with a long base, and the flippers are also curved—short in Globicephala macrorhynchus and significantly longer in Globicephala melas (long-finned).

There are three subspecies of long-finned pilot whales, Globicephala melas:

1. long-finned pilot whale (North Atlantic), G. melas melas
2. long-finned pilot whale (North Pacific), G. melas subsp
3. long-finned pilot whale (southern hemisphere), G. melas edwardii

Pilot whales are often found in captivity as they survive there and are easily trained. They have been trained by the US Navy to locate military equipment from deep ocean depths for retrieval. The pilot whale is a gregarious species often found in groups of 20-90, in which there are often small families of females and their calves. Although males are found in these groups as well, they are not necessarily fathers of the calves.

Pilot whales are often associated with mass strandings of several hundred animals. The cause of the mass strandings is unknown, although several theories exist such as sonar problems or parasitic infections that interfere with the central nervous system causing neurological disorders.

In general, pilot whales, Globicephala melas (long-finned) and Globicephala macrorhynchus (short-finned), are found in the northern and southern hemispheres in tropical and temperate waters throughout the world. Short-finned pilot whales tend to live in warmer waters, while long-finned pilot whales are more commonly found in more temperate waters, therefore the two sub-species tend to remain mostly segregated.

Pilot whales, Globicephala, feed on squid and other cephalopods and small fish. These dolphins have only 40-48 teeth compared to 120 in other dolphin species. Adults may consume up to 14 kg of food per day.

Pilot whales have been observed hunting in groups to help concentrate their prey in the center of a pod by using their vocal communications.

Female pilot whales reach sexual maturity at about 6 years of age or when they grow to about 4 m in length. Males reach sexual maturity at 12 years of age or 4.6 m in length. Females give birth about every 3-5 years, and gestation lasts 12-15 months. Newborn calves measure 1.8 m in length at birth and weigh about 102 kg. Females nurse their calves for about 22 months. Male pilot whales compete for females by fighting and often display aggressive behavior with females, resulting in scarred flesh and occasional infections. Females remain fertile to 35 years old and can lactate as late as 51.

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