The complaint follows the publication last Sunday of Frank’s article in the Gastronomy section of the Danish daily newspaper Berlingske, titled “Søren Frank had the wildest food experience of his life on the Faroe Islands. So did Pilou Asbæk.” 

In the article, Frank describes how a spiny lobster was prepared by boiling its rear body while keeping the front part alive above the water: “Then you eat the tail while holding the claws so they don't bite you in the nose. It tastes heavenly clean, not least with a few drops of lemon and a little salt.” It also recounted how Pilou Asbæk threw a live octopus onto a hot cooking pan after “wrestling with it”. These actions have been deemed by many, including marine biologists, as unethical and potentially illegal under the Animal Welfare Act in the Faroe Islands.

Danish marine biologist and curator Rune Kristiansen from the Kattegat Center in Grenaa commented on the matter, stating, "The way you describe it sounds like a very unethical killing method, which I thought belonged to a historical time. It is tantamount to animal abuse."

The complaint was filed Tuesday morning by Sea Shepherd’s Denmark-based campaign leader for the Faroe Islands, Valentina Crast against Søren Frank, Pilou Asbæk, and the dinner’s organizers, the Visit Faroe Islands tourism office and Faroese fish exporter Gunnar Marni Simonsen:

"From time to time, a case of brutal animal abuse emerges, which in many ways exposes our society’s sick relationship with animals. In this case, Søren Frank from Berlingske proudly describes, in full public view, how he seemingly participated in breaking animal welfare laws and torturing both lobsters and octopuses for a lavish 'gentlemen's dinner' in the Faroe Islands.

When I read the article, I felt like I was being pulled into a scene from American Psycho. I had to read several passages multiple times to try to comprehend whether I had really read it correctly. Had these people really boiled some animals alive, kept them alive, and participated in eating them - while they were still alive? Yes... 100%.

And did Pilou Asbæk really 'fight' with a live octopus, which was undoubtedly terrified and in excruciating pain, when he, in the most grotesque manner, threw it onto a hot grill and watched as it was cooked alive? Yes... 100%.

And it would indeed be fine entertainment for the most depraved if it weren’t for the fact that it is actually illegal to treat animals this way in the Faroe Islands,” says Crast.

The actor Pilou Asbæk has defended himself on Twitter, “I was invited to a special and private evening with Faroese specialties. Therefore, as a guest, I was keen to show cultural humility and curiosity in relation to our Faroese hosts.”

A Faroese member of the Danish Parliament, Sólbjørg Jakobsen, replied: “It may well be that Pilou Asbæk and co have eaten octopus that was thrown live onto the pan and a half-alive/half-boiled lobster. But these are not "Faroese specialties" or part of Faroese culture. It's completely off the mark to defend oneself with "cultural humility."

Deputy Police Inspector at Torshavn Police, Jogvan Joensen, told Danish news website BT, "I can confirm that we have received a notification about a violation of the Animal Welfare Act. We are now investigating the matter." 

The incident has sparked a broader discussion about animal welfare and ethical treatment, especially concerning species like lobsters and octopuses, which recent studies suggest are capable of feeling pain (in 2021, the UK government officially recognized lobsters, octopus and crabs as sentient beings). 

Sea Shepherd Global remains committed to defending marine wildlife and promoting ethical treatment of all marine species. Our ongoing campaigns in Italy and Greece have led to the confiscation of thousands of illegal octopus traps in the Mediterranean Sea, resulting in the release of hundreds of octopuses back into their natural habitat. Learn more here: https://seashe.ph/octopus-traps