The catch is divided among those taking part in the drive and the local residents of the whaling bays and districts in accordance with a complex, traditional community sharing system. The division of the catch is administered by the relevant district sheriff. The catch is divided into shares known in Faroese as a skinn, which is a age-old measurement value that derives from agricultural practices. One skinn is roughly equivalent to 34 kilos of blubber 38 kilos of meat. Whales in a catch are numbered and their value in skinn is marked in roman numerals.
When the calculation of the shares is complete, recipients receive notice of the number of the whale from which their share is to be taken, and the amount of skinn to which they are entitled. Together with others who have a share of the same whale, they butcher their share from the carcass and take their meat and blubber home themselves. This must be done as quickly as possible after the shares have been announced to ensure that the catch is properly divided and to avoid spoilage and waste. There is no industrial processing of any whale catch, and the local municipality where the catch takes place is responsible for clearing all remains within 24 hours of the division of the catch.
In most districts it is also customary to allot a share to the local hospitals and other institutions such as nursing homes and day-care centres. In a few of the bigger villages and towns, private shares are seomtimes also sold to the local food stores and restaurants.
