The Faroes • Hacker News Board

Re: The Faroes

#101

Post by dodslaser » Mon, Oct 06, 2025, 8:35 AM UTC

Xss3 wrote: post #99

tengbretson wrote: post #96

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Hogs are routinely slaughtered by asphyxiation in a room pumped full of co2. By comparison the dolphins are getting off easy.

Switching the gas to nitrogen would result in a relatively peaceful passing by comparison. Shame.

Handling nitrogen is more dangerous than CO2 for the same reason it is more humane for the animals; you don’t notice you’re being asphyxiated. Not that it is impossible or even particularly difficult to handle nitrogen safely, but it would incur a cost (training, equipment, ...), and inevitably result in accidents when these costs are skimped on.

Unless legislation changes, it's simply better business to let the animals suffer.

Re: The Faroes

#102

Post by hermitcrab » Mon, Oct 06, 2025, 9:07 AM UTC

graemep wrote: post #93

hermitcrab wrote: post #71

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>eating pigs and cows is okay, eating horses is not This is the situation in the UK. Some people trace it back to chivalry, where horses were very expensive and mostly owned by the nobility. But I don't know if that is the real reason. Although it turned out that British people have been eating plenty of horse. They just didn't know it: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-21375594

I think it is because of the popularity of riding, people are used to seeing horses in that role. Not quite pets, but in a relationship to people closer to that of dogs and cats than that of farm animals.

People ride horses in France, so I'm not sure that is it.

Re: The Faroes

#103

Post by Xss3 » Mon, Oct 06, 2025, 3:48 PM UTC

dodslaser wrote: post #101

Xss3 wrote: post #99

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Switching the gas to nitrogen would result in a relatively peaceful passing by comparison. Shame.

Handling nitrogen is more dangerous than CO2 for the same reason it is more humane for the animals; you don’t notice you’re being asphyxiated. Not that it is impossible or even particularly difficult to handle nitrogen safely, but it would incur a cost (training, equipment, ...), and inevitably result in accidents when these costs are skimped on. Unless legislation changes, it's simply better business to let the anim…

You dont need pure no2 for pigs. You can mix in a substance that makes it stink to high heavens so it is safer.

Alas the rest is true re costs being higher and legislation changes being required to force an industry shift.

Re: The Faroes

#104

Post by graemep » Tue, Oct 07, 2025, 10:38 AM UTC

hermitcrab wrote: post #102

graemep wrote: post #93

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think it is because of the popularity of riding, people are used to seeing horses in that role. Not quite pets, but in a relationship to people closer to that of dogs and cats than that of farm animals.

People ride horses in France, so I'm not sure that is it.

I know they do, but is it as popular and as much a part of the culture?

Re: The Faroes

#105

Post by hermitcrab » Tue, Oct 07, 2025, 2:11 PM UTC

graemep wrote: post #104

hermitcrab wrote: post #102

Earlier quoted context omitted.

People ride horses in France, so I'm not sure that is it.

I know they do, but is it as popular and as much a part of the culture?

Well the French invented chivalry (=horseman) didn't they? So I would say it was an even stronger part of their culture back then. But I don't know about now.

Re: The Faroes

#106

Post by rkomorn » Tue, Oct 07, 2025, 2:15 PM UTC

hermitcrab wrote: post #102

graemep wrote: post #93

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think it is because of the popularity of riding, people are used to seeing horses in that role. Not quite pets, but in a relationship to people closer to that of dogs and cats than that of farm animals.

People ride horses in France, so I'm not sure that is it.

Being French, I feel pretty well informed when I say that not a whole lot of French folks want to eat horse meat, and the numbers are dropping over time.

https://www.ouest-france.fr/economie/agroalimentaire/la-vian... and other articles appear to agree with me.

Re: The Faroes

#107

Post by bccdee » Tue, Oct 07, 2025, 3:36 PM UTC

yard2010 wrote: post #73

nhod wrote: post #53

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Traveling to other cultures involves being exposed to seeing things you aren’t accustomed to. In many ways, that is the whole point. I’m not defending the Faroese here (nor casting aspersions on them, either), more just saying that it’s your responsibility to research the customs of the places to which you travel, and to not go if you think you might not like what you see.

It's also fine to say it's cruel as fuck. > "The squealing from the whales was horrible. They were putting hooks on ropes in their blowholes to pull them in and then hacking at them with knives."

I actually don't think it's fine to hear someone mention another culture and immediately butt in to say how disgusting you think their dietary practices are, especially given that our culture engages in factory farming, which is far crueller and more disgusting.

Whenever the Faroe Islands come up, people complain about whaling. Do people complain about factory farms any time (e.g.) France gets mentioned? No. Frankly, even as an opponent of animal agriculture, I find it a bit xenophobic.