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rob murray
21-Aug-15, 11:07
stooshie buiilding up between Wick and Faroes over whaling read http://www.scotsman.com/news/environment/wick-cuts-ties-to-faroes-twin-town-over-whale-killing-1-3864520

Mayor Skorheim, Mayor of Klaksvik in a terse response, said: “It disappoints me to hear that you don’t support us in our right to conduct whaling, seeing as it is indeed a part of the Faroese culture. We don’t understand the alliance of friendship as if it gives you the right to dictate what we should and should not do in our country.“Your arguments don’t have much value in our opinion. It is a Faroese tradition. Whaling has been a sustainable resource of food to the Faroese population for centuries. It is a natural part of life in the Faroe Islands, Klaksvik included.”
He added: “You call the whaling cruel. Faroese law states that the whales are to be killed as quickly as possible to minimise any suffering. Only those who have a legally required authorisation are permitted to kill. The whales in question live a free and natural life until the time of the whale drive. “This is more that we can say about most animals that end up as meat in supermarkets all over the world. We urge you to improve your knowledge.”

rob murray
21-Aug-15, 11:25
Apperently the towns have been twinned for 20 years...so why is the whaling an issue now ? why twin in the first place as whaling is a key part of Faroes culture, if its unacceptable now it was unacceptable 20 years ago...surely ???

sids
21-Aug-15, 12:46
Quite right- that's far too cold to be a council free holiday destination.

Did we vote on this?

rob murray
21-Aug-15, 13:05
No idea... first I knew we were twinned with the place....vote ? thats a good point, again first I heard of the decision to untwin was in the paper decision taken by a few counicillors and civic leader Gail Ross...better hope that the Faroes dont dig to deep into recent situations making headlines in WIck...or pot calling kettle b.....will be heard. Sounds like a publicity stunt to me why now, why not before if it bothered them that much ?

cptdodger
21-Aug-15, 14:05
If you ever visit Broughty Ferry Castle, there is a whole section on whaling, something I never go near. There was a big whaling industry in Dundee in the 19th and very early 20th century. Personally I am ashamed of it, but you can't erase history. What can be done is do not associate with Countries that still carry out whaling. I have no idea what the protocol for twinning with another city, but it might have been prudent to check them out first.

rob murray
21-Aug-15, 14:22
Im no fan either, watched a TV programme on whaling recently...horrific mass automated industrial slaughter....Wick and Faroes...why was the twinning not checked out years ago ?? Faroes do not practise automated industrial slaughter...what they do is differnet but still repugnant, I think tey are saying what they do is no different than slaughtering animals for supermarkets..something like that...obviously theyre not very happy over the situation of de twinning

cptdodger
21-Aug-15, 14:34
Anything to do with animals being hunted or hurt in anyway and the television goes off, I have never watched a nature programme in my life. I am not a vegetarian, but there are certain things I wont eat either, like venison, and since moving here, lamb. The thing is, if everybody turned vegetarian over night, the farmers would have no use for their livestock so the end result would be the same. I was a bit out with my dates for whaling in Dundee, it goes back to the 1750's, so the powers that be in Wick twenty years ago must have been aware that they carried out this barbaric act.

rob murray
21-Aug-15, 14:53
Its a very well known part of Faroes culture, up there its a family event a bit like a gala !! Times change and what was accepted 20 years ago when WIck was first twinned is obviously unacceptable now....but why now...why not 5 / 10 years ago. The activity was obviousy fully accpetable until very recently so whats changed as the people objecting have been in situ these past 5 years ??

cptdodger
21-Aug-15, 15:26
Its a very well known part of Faroes culture, up there its a family event a bit like a gala !!

To me, that is absolutely horrific, I am probably a bit over sensitive but I would not have a Disney film in the house (long story involving Bambi!) my children were adults before they saw one !!

The other problem is, these people are teaching their children that it is perfecly acceptable what they are doing, it is learned behaviour going back generations.

There must be Council elections coming up, and that's why they have changed their tune now.

rob murray
21-Aug-15, 15:37
To me, that is absolutely horrific, I am probably a bit over sensitive but I would not have a Disney film in the house (long story involving Bambi!) my children were adults before they saw one !!

The other problem is, these people are teaching their children that it is perfecly acceptable what they are doing, it is learned behaviour going back generations.

There must be Council elections coming up, and that's why they have changed their tune now.

Yes it a long standing Faroes tradition going back over a millenium, they do it for food not for fun....see https://gaasedal.wordpress.com/2014/06/15/why-most-arguments-against-grindadrap-fail/ Faroese explanations into why the practise called grindadráp” is acceptable to them, they make some interesting arguements..is there not a touch of hypocricy here...Im a meat eater...they eat pilot whales...both are killed for people to eat whats the difference apart from we kill behind closed doors they kill in the open sea ??? My view is I would personally be sickened wacthing the kills but I would be sickened in a slaughter house to...maybe Im the hypocrite being a meat eater, maybe we are all hypocrites if we eat meat .There are also bigger elections coming up !!

rob murray
21-Aug-15, 15:49
.................................................. .......................

rob murray
21-Aug-15, 16:08
Perhaps Mrs Ross our civic leader can contact Paul Monaghan who is vice chairman of the all party parliamentary group on Japan to pass on her concerns on whaling perhaps break off diplomatic relationships, as whats good for the goose is good for the gander. Japan continues to kill whales and sell the meat from its hunts, despite the ban (moratorium) on commercial whaling. Japan's whalers have recently been able to exploit a loophole in the founding treaty of the International Whaling Commission (IWC), which allows whaling for 'scientific research'. However, as of 31st March 2014, the UN's International Court of Justice has ordered it to stop whaling in Antarctica and that its so-called 'scientific whaling' is not compatible with the ICRW, the rulings of the IWC, or international law. The Japanese hunts are the biggest single slaughter of whales and dolphins in the world involving drive and hand-held harpoon hunts, and small type coastal whaling operations. The Faroe Islands drive hunt is not subject to any legal restrictions as it targets small species of whales (mainly pilot whales and some dolphin species) that the International Whaling Commission does not currently manage

Given this why go at a soft target...the Faroes ???

rob murray
21-Aug-15, 16:39
What about seal culls, stag shooting, grouse shooting....all acceptable eh...the more I think about this Faroese carry on the more the situation gets totally hypoctrical, seals feel no pain, shot stags feel no pain, shot grouse feel no pain....whales do when being slaughetered and so does seals, grouse and stags so wheres the difference except grouse / stag shooting is an economic contribution to Scotland creating jobs based on killing...

sids
21-Aug-15, 17:49
It doesn't seem like a good way to attract Faroese business to Wick or Caithness.

cptdodger
21-Aug-15, 18:00
What about seal culls, stag shooting, grouse shooting....all acceptable eh...the more I think about this Faroese carry on the more the situation gets totally hypoctrical, seals feel no pain, shot stags feel no pain, shot grouse feel no pain....whales do when being slaughetered and so does seals, grouse and stags so wheres the difference except grouse / stag shooting is an economic contribution to Scotland creating jobs based on killing...

I stopped at a hotel recently just for coffee, got speaking to the owner, who was telling me how most of the people they get at the hotel are deer stalkers and that her husband and sons take these "people" out, amazingly I think they went to college to enable them to do this. I left the hotel rather quickly.

While I realise people eat meat, that's fine so do I, but I certainly do not make a sport out of killing the animal first, how people can kill these beautiful animals for fun is beyond me.

cptdodger
21-Aug-15, 18:02
I can't bring myself to read this, but here you go, all you need to know - http://www.deerstalkingscotland.co.uk/

pat
21-Aug-15, 18:54
In Ness in Lewis they still go out every year to Sulasgeir which is a rocky outcrop about 40 miles north of Lewis to kill and salt 2000 young gannets - they call them guga.
This is a link to a programme about it www.bbc.co.uk/.../the_guga_hunters_of_ness_creating_the_programme... .[/URL]

(https://www.google.co.uk/search?rls=aso&client=gmail&q=sulasgeir&authuser=0&gws_rd=cr&ei=OGTXVZ-4Fq2O7AaP4LDgBQ#)
[URL="https://www.google.co.uk/search?client=gmail&rls=aso&authuser=0&q=related:www.bbc.co.uk/scotland/nature/the_guga_hunters_of_ness_creating_the_programme.sh tml+sulasgeir&tbo=1&sa=X&ved=0CD4QHzAFahUKEwiliIno3brHAhUrBtsKHYCCADs"]



19 Jan 2011 - Every August, ten men from Ness set sail for Sula Sgeir, a desolate island far out in the Atlantic. Following in the footsteps of countless .


They have been slated by many countries for carrying out this 'tradition' but they have been allowed to continue due to it being a tradition of the area.

Fowl, fish and salt - not quite to my taste but many folk turn their noses up at salt herring, each to their own.

Fulmar
21-Aug-15, 19:03
The deer have no natural predators and hence their number needs to be controlled. It should be done by a qualified marksman in my view (a keeper) but I do not have a problem with the meat then being eaten. If done properly, the animal knows nothing about it unlike in a slaughter house where, almost certainly, some of the animals do suspect something.
Now, if the Eurasian lynx and European wolf were to be re-introduced to the Scottish Highlands, the number of deer (and animals considered by some to be 'vermin' such as foxes) would probably be controlled naturally and a more balanced ecosystem might emerge. However, I remain to be convinced that the death of a prey animal by a predator is less stressful for it than being cleanly shot. The Natural History films that deal with this aspect of Nature are usually very hard to watch.

cptdodger
21-Aug-15, 19:57
To a certain extent, I understand I suppose why the number of Deer has to be controlled, although there is so much space here. As I said though I cannot understand how anybody takes pleasure in killing an animal. As for the reintroduction of Wolves and Lynx here, I do'nt agree with it, and I am positive farmers wouldn't either. I would have to move, I let my cats out. Like you Fulmar I do'nt want a nature programme on my doorstep, I cannot watch these programmes. To be fair, I cannot understand why farmers (where I live) don't look after their sheep, they are all over the place on the main road and everything.

davth
28-Aug-15, 07:42
Much ado about nothing IMHO.
Whaling is to the Faroes as normal as blacking up and parading the streets is to a Wicker.
You don't see the good Faroe folk going and complaining about the Wickers racism do you?

Murdo
28-Aug-15, 08:26
If you don't approve of country ways then perhaps you should be living somewhere else. Live in a city where milk comes from supermarkets and you can buy lots of cheap clothes made by children and slave labour. Join the RSPB who are protecting raptors because they look so magnificent but are decimating the numbers of small birds.

cptdodger
28-Aug-15, 09:10
If you don't approve of country ways then perhaps you should be living somewhere else. Live in a city where milk comes from supermarkets and you can buy lots of cheap clothes made by children and slave labour. Join the RSPB who are protecting raptors because they look so magnificent but are decimating the numbers of small birds.

Enlighten me, where do supermarkets get the milk from ? And the clothes you buy, do you know exactly where they are made and by who?. I come from a city, and still find Whaling abhorrant, and no, I will not be living anywhere else for the foreseeable future.

davth
28-Aug-15, 09:21
Enlighten me, where do supermarkets get the milk from ? And the clothes you buy, do you know exactly where they are made and by who?. I come from a city, and still find Whaling abhorrant, and no, I will not be living anywhere else for the foreseeable future.

Does it matter if you or I find it abhorrent?
The Faroese are not requesting that you participate in it.
We have no right to deem to them what is or is not acceptable to hunt, kill and consume.
It is their country, their fishing grounds and their traditions, we should butt out.

cptdodger
28-Aug-15, 09:27
Does it matter if you or I find it abhorrent?
The Faroese are not requesting that you participate in it.
We have no right to deem to them what is or is not acceptable to hunt, kill and consume.
It is their country, their fishing grounds and their traditions, we should butt out.

I do'nt care who's doing it, I find it abhorrent. Wick is not telling them not to do it, they have just disassociated themselves from them and if the Faroe Islands are offended by that, tough.

davth
28-Aug-15, 09:34
I do'nt care who's doing it, I find it abhorrent. Wick is not telling them not to do it, they have just disassociated themselves from them and if the Faroe Islands are offended by that, tough.

Wick was twinned with Klaksvík for 20 years. The Faroes have hunted whales since time began.
Why be twinned in the 1st place?
Has Wick just realised that whaling is commonplace there?
Or is the shamed racist capital of the North, trying to take some kind of moral highground?

cptdodger
28-Aug-15, 09:47
Why be twinned in the 1st place?
Has Wick just realised that whaling is commonplace there?
Or is the shamed racist capital of the North, trying to take some kind of moral highground?



I can't answer that, I have only lived in this area for the past six years, none of which have been in Wick. You would have to ask the people who made the decision to be twinned with Klasvik in the first place, and the people who decided to sever the connection now. Maybe they are taking the moral highground, why it has taken them 20 years, I just do not know.

Murdo
28-Aug-15, 10:34
Yes I do know where milk comes from, and no I don't know where all , the very few clothes I buy, come from but then again I'm not the one adopting the superior moral attitude to others and their life styles.

davth
28-Aug-15, 10:57
I wonder what out very own illustrious (ahem) MP makes of this with his recent gushing for all things Japan.
What is is that Japan practices again, oh yes whaling.
Mind you, its not the first time his judgement in whom he supports has come into question is it?

cptdodger
28-Aug-15, 11:01
Yes I do know where milk comes from, and no I don't know where all , the very few clothes I buy, come from but then again I'm not the one adopting the superior moral attitude to others and their life styles.

How is being against something, anything, regardless of what it is, adopting a superior moral attitude?

I am against the SNP, Independence, cruelty to animals in general. Is that adopting a superior moral attitude? Or is it just you do not agree with my views?

cptdodger
28-Aug-15, 11:15
If you don't approve of country ways then perhaps you should be living somewhere else.

Oh and by the way it's the people that made the decision to disassociate themselves with Klaksvik (http://www.scotsman.com/news/environ...ling-1-3864520 (http://www.scotsman.com/news/environment/wick-cuts-ties-to-faroes-twin-town-over-whale-killing-1-3864520)) you should have a problem with.

davth
28-Aug-15, 11:20
Oh and by the way it's the people that made the decision to disassociate themselves with Klaksvik (http://www.scotsman.com/news/environ...ling-1-3864520 (http://www.scotsman.com/news/environment/wick-cuts-ties-to-faroes-twin-town-over-whale-killing-1-3864520)) you should have a problem with.

Indeed, Gail Ross signed off on the letter, she is SNP.
Our MP is also SNP, but is a big Japan fan.
They seem to have opposing views there, surely if the SNP standpoint is anti whaling, our MP should not be having anything to do with Japan.

cptdodger
28-Aug-15, 11:55
Indeed, Gail Ross signed off on the letter, she is SNP.
Our MP is also SNP, but is a big Japan fan.
They seem to have opposing views there, surely if the SNP standpoint is anti whaling, our MP should not be having anything to do with Japan.

Exactly, are the SNP not supposed to be singing from the same hymn sheet, so to speak !

davth
28-Aug-15, 12:17
Perhaps one role may lead to trips to Tokyo and the like, the other to Klasvick.
Wick Councillors have however announced that Wick will now be twinned with the Ferguson, Missouri Police Department.

Murdo
28-Aug-15, 12:52
Here we go again-- Its all the fault of the SNP- why don't some folk on here perhaps consider getting a life.

davth
28-Aug-15, 13:15
Here we go again-- Its all the fault of the SNP- why don't some folk on here perhaps consider getting a life.

Surely you can not be blind to the "left hand not knowing what the right is doing" ness of it all.
Surely a better course of action for Councillor Ross would be to use her position to lobby the Faroe's regarding whaling and try and build relationships, not destroy a 20 year old tie.
Basically she send a letter to the Mayor of Klasvik attacking his country's stance on whaling and she received one back calling her ignorant and requesting that she go forth and multiply.

cptdodger
28-Aug-15, 13:24
Here we go again-- Its all the fault of the SNP- why don't some folk on here perhaps consider getting a life.

You're on here, do you not have a life ?

cptdodger
28-Aug-15, 13:26
Surely you can not be blind to the "left hand not knowing what the right is doing" ness of it all.


Of course he or she can, in their eyes the SNP can do no wrong.

davth
28-Aug-15, 13:29
Of course he or she can, in their eyes the SNP can do no wrong.

The fact of the matter is the Gail Ross is a SNP representative, therefore her ill conceived international relations fall back onto the SNP as a whole in the end.

squidge
28-Aug-15, 14:24
The fact of the matter is the Gail Ross is a SNP representative, therefore her ill conceived international relations fall back onto the SNP as a whole in the end.

Ah well if it's facts you want lol, here are a couple...

This action was taken in response to representations from constituents not as a matter of SNP policy but as an issue important enough for people who live here, to raise with their local councillors?

The letter was signed by Gail Ross as civic leader but - as the article linked on this very forum says - was also written by Bill Fernie and Neil Macdonald, Bill is an Independent Councillor and Neil is a labour councillor. Not exactly a SNP dictat from above!

It seems to me you lot want it both ways. You grumble that you think the SNP are dictatorial autocratic and state frequently that there is no room for any flexibility and then here you are grumbling that SNP representatives have expressed what might be differing views. Well, which is it?

I have spent the last few weeks involved in something which meant I spoke at several meetings with 5 other members of the SNP. We all frequently took a different view of a whole range of issues, assisted dying, gay marriage, Land reform, police Scotland, NHS, Gaelic, MPAs, wind farms, taxation, and on and on it went. We all had issues that were important to us and SHOCK HORROR - they werent always the same issues. Thats not a weakness you know, it's a strength. It leads to robust debate and real choices when deciding about policy and representation in communities.

This issue - the twinning of Wick and Klasvik was a civic issue raised by people in Wick who asked their councillors to take action. That is exactly what happened. If you disagree with the actions then disagree for real reasons like you support the rights of the Faroese to slaughter whales if they want to and not this manufactured outrage that two SNP members might not agree on something.

davth
28-Aug-15, 14:34
She does not state anywhere in her letter that she is acting on behalf of her constituents, she makes reference to herself and her two colleagues.
One would have thought that if it was in accordance with the wishes of her constituency that she would say so.
I neither support whaling or otherwise, but stating that the entire Faroes has been "tainted" is rather all encompassing, sweeping up both pro and anti whalers in the Country.
I feel rather than severing ties with the town a period of constructive dialogue would have been more appropriate.
However its not like the mayor of a town will have the clout (or want) to get whaling stopped in the Faroes due to the thoughts of a trio of insignificant Scottish Councillors.



"Dear Mr Mayor
I hope this correspondence finds you well. My name is Councillor Gail Ross, Civic Leader of Caithness and I write in regard to the long association between Wick in Caithness and the town of Klaskvik, which has been faithfully honoured for many years. Unfortunately the reason I write is not a happy one.
I and my two ward colleagues make reference to the recent slaughter of whales which took place in Břur and Tórshavn, amongst other areas and whilst we note that this is not Klaksvik, I am afraid that the whole of the Faroe Islands has been tainted by these events. We do not agree that these events and the apparent joy it gave the townspeople is in any way or should in any way be linked to tradition. There may have been reasons of culling for food in the past but in 2015 it is unnecessary and cruel.
Cetaceans are sentient beings; they have feelings and emotions. They have their own communication system and form social groups. To drive them on to a beach and slaughter them in front of their family members is nothing short of barbaric.
We do not subscribe to animal cruelty in any way and it saddens me to have to sever links with your beautiful town until such times as we get a full assurance that this atrocity has ceased. I am fully committed to making this association work when the Faroe Islands can commit to a full ban on such a cruel practice.
Kind regards
Councillor Gail Ross"

squidge
28-Aug-15, 15:20
if you object to tone of the letter that's fair enough.

If you object to something being done because "it won't make any difference anyway" then that makes no sense to me. If we all did that nothing would change.

If you object to the letter being sent because the SNP councillor disagrees with the SNP MP seems contrary to the complaints we see about the SNP have no room for differing views. It's also worth pointing out we don't appear to KNOW if your MP Is for whaling or not and it seems to be based on him being the vice chair of the cross parliamentary Japan committee, this might or might not include lobbying Japan to end whaling or not. It's not clear at the moment but then he only took up that post just before the recess we might not know that just yet.

davth
28-Aug-15, 15:51
if you object to tone of the letter that's fair enough.

If you are correct that the letter was written on behalf of the constituency then thats fine, it was not worded in that way, and as you seem to be in the know, I would be interested to know what %age of the constituency objected to the twinning and also what %age of the constituency needs to make a complaint regarding local matters to make the Councillors spring into action?


If you object to something being done because "it won't make any difference anyway" then that makes no sense to me. If we all did that nothing would change.

Thats the very thing, she had the opportunity to make a change but instead opted to offend an entire nation and cut ties.


If you object to the letter being sent because the SNP councillor disagrees with the SNP MP seems contrary to the complaints we see about the SNP have no room for differing views. It's also worth pointing out we don't appear to KNOW if your MP Is for whaling or not and it seems to be based on him being the vice chair of the cross parliamentary Japan committee, this might or might not include lobbying Japan to end whaling or not. It's not clear at the moment but then he only took up that post just before the recess we might not know that just yet.

Fair comment on the MP perhaps he is getting involved with Japan to lobby to end the practice, and fair enough if he is, its a pity our own Councillors dont have similar initiative.

squidge
28-Aug-15, 16:47
If you are correct that the letter was written on behalf of the constituency then thats fine, it was not worded in that way, and as you seem to be in the know, I would be interested to know what %age of the constituency objected to the twinning and also what %age of the constituency needs to make a complaint regarding local matters to make the Councillors spring into action?.In "the know" lol. I just read what was posted here. It's in the Scotsman article linked on THIS thread. The very article that started the conversation. If you want the details then perhaps ask the councillors directly.
Thats the very thing, she had the opportunity to make a change but instead opted to offend an entire nation and cut ties. "she"? I thought we had established that "she" was speaking on behalf of three councillors.
Fair comment on the MP perhaps he is getting involved with Japan to lobby to end the practice, and fair enough if he is, its a pity our own Councillors dont have similar initiative.That is a fair comment and I'm sure that the councillors will be happy to discuss your concerns. I really have no issue with anyone agreeing or disagreeing about either the validity of this action or the way in which the letter was written. I was just quite amused at the whole SNP Baaaaaad stuff that chuntered on about "the right hand doesn't know what the left hand is doing" after spending months and months chuntering about how autocratic the SNP are refusing to allow alternative opinions, when that isn't actually the case.

davth
28-Aug-15, 17:04
In "the know" lol. I just read what was posted here. It's in the Scotsman article linked on THIS thread. The very article that started the conversation. If you want the details then perhaps ask the councillors directly.

I didnt read the article, I just read the letter, in which it makes no reference to constitutional representation.


"she"? I thought we had established that "she" was speaking on behalf of three councillors.

Granted, slip of the keyboard Im afraid, anyway they had the opportunity to make a change but instead opted to offend an entire nation and cut ties.

davth
29-Aug-15, 08:58
Squidge, whats your opinion on the letter sent, a good thing to have done, or ill advised and an opportunity missed?

squidge
29-Aug-15, 09:32
I don't live in Wick anymore so my opinions on the actions taken are probably irrelevant :)
That also means I don't know what conversations went on prior to the letter being sent. However, as the article linked to states this was done as a response to concerns raised by people who DO live there then I support the decision to send the letter. Why would I not? It is an horrific slaughter.

However, To be honest Davth, I would not have been demanding actions are taken over this issue. That is simply because international animal welfare issues are not top of my agenda. Especially in a week which has seen such shocking loss of human lives. Horrific though the pictures are they do not distress me in the way that pictures of dead children washed up on beaches in the Mediterranean after yet another boat full of refugees sinks. Or the horror on the faces of parents clutching their children as they try just to survive and get to safety. For me, it's always about people, so the issues that concern me just now include the international refugee crisis, the appalling situation we have going on with benefit sanctions and the ESA statistics we have seen released this week.

So I guess, in summary, yeah I support the letter being sent and I have no issue with the language used. As I have already said it was other issues in the thread that amused me :)

PS- that doesn't mean i DONT CARE about animals before anyone jumps in to call me names, it means that people are top of my list just now. That's all.

cptdodger
29-Aug-15, 14:16
Regardless of the reason Wick has chosen to sever ties with the Faroe Islands, in reality is it going to affect either community? Unless of course I am missing something and hundreds of people from Wick go on holiday there and vice versa, or Wick trades with them, and again vice versa. Of course the people of Klaksvik and their Mayor might be slightly offended that certain people (whoever urged the councillors to send the letter) object to the annual ritual slaughter, but I'm sure they will get over it.

Twinning towns and Cities, the modern version anyway after WW2, was intended to foster friendship and understanding between different cultures and between former foes as an act of peace and reconciliation. Is the concept out of date now? Because, 20 years ago the powers that be that decided to be twinned with Klaksvik, probably should have done their homework a little bit better to avoid this.

davth
29-Aug-15, 15:34
Regardless of the reason Wick has chosen to sever ties with the Faroe Islands, in reality is it going to affect either community? Unless of course I am missing something and hundreds of people from Wick go on holiday there and vice versa, or Wick trades with them, and again vice versa. Of course the people of Klaksvik and their Mayor might be slightly offended that certain people (whoever urged the councillors to send the letter) object to the annual ritual slaughter, but I'm sure they will get over it.

Twinning towns and Cities, the modern version anyway after WW2, was intended to foster friendship and understanding between different cultures and between former foes as an act of peace and reconciliation. Is the concept out of date now? Because, 20 years ago the powers that be that decided to be twinned with Klaksvik, probably should have done their homework a little bit better to avoid this.

Perhaps not Wick but Caithness certainly trades with the Faroes.