by Mike Day
Off the coast of northern Scotland lie the Faroe Islands, whose residents have lived from and with the sea since prehistory. Catching pilot whales and seabirds is an integral part of their culture – and their diet. Today, the islanders’ health is at risk due to high levels of toxic mercury in the whale meat, and the rare birds are on the verge of extinction. The people of Faroe increasingly find themselves caught in the crossfire of angry animal rights activists and environmentalists from around the world. Even when a respected toxicologist tries to explain connection between eating poisoned whale meat and the increase in cases of Parkinson’s, the islanders react with scepticism.