Ministers have been accused of “rewarding” the slaughter of dolphins in the Faroe Islands through a £5million fishing deal. The UK fishing industry will receive over 2,000 tonnes of fishing opportunities in Faroese waters around 200miles from Scotland.

The agreement secures UK fishermen 880 tonnes of cod and haddock, 575 tonnes of saithe, as well as redfish, blue ling and ling, flatfish and other species in Faroese waters. But campaigners have alleged that the agreement means the Government is “complicit” in the butchering of dolphins. Whaling is a tradition on the archipelago which sees the animals, usually dolphins, driven into shallow bays and killed with lances and knives.

Rob Read, chief operation officer at the Paul Watson Foundation UK, said: “The UK Government rewarding Faroese fishing boats that are complicit with the mass slaughter of dolphins in the Faroe Islands goes against the UK’s policies on the protection of marine mammals. We should be halting rather than increasing trade!”

"Ministers' latest £5 million deal further legitimises these massacres. Economic partnerships should demand an end to these hunts, not reward the ongoing slaughter of innocent dolphins.

"No country in the 21st century should be propping up such horrific animal cruelty. We must champion our values at home and abroad and stop buying vast sums of Faroese fish for as long as this barbaric practice continues."

The UK negotiates each year with the Faroese Government under the UK-Faroe Islands fisheries framework agreement on potential exchanges of quota and broader fisheries management measures.

Announcing the agreement, Fisheries Minister Daniel Zeichner said: “I’m pleased the UK has reached an agreement with the Faroe Islands that will allow UK fishing vessels to take advantage of valuable fishing opportunities in 2025.

“This agreement concludes the UK’s fisheries negotiations for 2025 and will see our fleet ready to take advantage of the quotas secured through these key negotiating forums. This government will always stand up for the British fishing industry, supporting our coastal communities through a sustainable and economically successful fishing sector.”

The Deaprtment for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has been contacted for comment.