Dolphin hunters in Taiji, Japan, have logged no kills--yet

For those curious about what's happening with the dolphins in Taiji, Japan, where a roundup began on Sept. 1, not a single mammal has been slaughtered -- yet -- inside the infamous Cove.

"But there is something else going on here, something just as barbaric, something just as cruel," said a report on the Oceanic Defense website.

"The dolphins are still being hunted, they are still bring driven into the Cove, but instead of facing instant death, they are forced to live the rest of their lives trapped and starved for our amusement -- dolphins that are being sold to marine parks around the world where they will live out their shortened lives performing tricks for food, never to swim in the ocean again."

Because the dolphin hunters have not yet killed any of the animals they've captured, criticism is focusing on the captive dolphin trade and on marine parks around the world that purchase dolphins from the Taiji hunters to exhibit them as show animals.

Opposing groups such as Oceanic Defense and the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, which have teams in Taiji, believe the killing will commence after publicity wanes and the monitoring teams depart for home because they no longer afford to remain on site.

"We understand that dolphin aquariums around the world are feeling the political and economic heat of being associated with the dolphin slaughter in Taiji, so a deal has been struck with the 'fishermen' of Taiji," Scott West of Sea Shepherd said Tuesday in a website report. "They have agreed to not kill dolphins in September and the live traders will select many dolphins during the month."

After September, it's believed, the waters of the Cove -- made famous last year by the Oscar-winning documentary "The Cove" -- will again turn red with the blood of dolphins killed for their meat.

Taiji, the birthplace of whaling in Japan, is an ancient fishing village with a longstanding tradition of hunting and killing dolphins. Meat from the Risso's dolphin sells for about $10 a pound in local markets.

Taiji hunters annually kill up to 1,500 dolphins and the hunts are supported by Japan's fishing agency. Taiji officials apparently do not care what the Western world thinks about its traditions, and do not appreciate criticism from outsiders.

In an Associated Press story two weeks ago, Taiji Mayor Kazutaka Sangen was quoted as saying, "We will pass down the history of our ancestors to the next generation [and] preserve it. "We have a strong sense of pride about this, so we are not going to change our plans for the town based on the criticism of foreigners."

Those wishing to speak out against the hunts or get involved in the effort to oppose them can contact either of the above-mentioned groups or visit the Save Japan Dolphins website for a list of possible options.

-- Pete Thomas

Photo of the infamous Cove near Taiji, during last year's hunt, courtesy of Animal Planet

Comments

[nour]

please don't kill the dolphin cause is a very important fish

[Cali MJ Fan]

Please sign the petition to help save the dolphins:

The Facebook petition is here: http://apps.facebook.com/causes/petitions/252

If you're not on FB, you can sign it here: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/724/210/624/

Please sign today. It only takes a few seconds.