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Japan Dolphin Day 2007 was a great success once again, thanks to all the work the volunteers around the world did to bring it about.
We had 83 non-governmental environmental and animal welfare organizations hosting demonstrations in 42 cities this year. (Last year we had demos in 34 cities, so we are improving considerably.)
This year, various newspapers around the world paid more attention the Japan Dolphin Day events. Below are copies of the some of them, along with photographs from grassroots groups of their local demonstrations.
Our deepest thanks to all the participants in all of the countries.
– Richard and Helene O’Barry
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| Dusseldorf |
83 NGOs in 42 Cities!
- Animal Angel ~ Los Angeles
- Animals Asia ~ Hong Kong
- Animalitrus ~ Buenos Aires
- Animalisti Italiani ~ Rome
- AnimaNaturalis International ~ Mexico City/Bogota/ Barcelona/Buenos Aires
- Animal Public ~ Duesseldorf
- Animal Rights Hawaii ~ Waikiki
- Animal Welfare Institute ~ Washington DC
- Animaux en Péril ~ Brussels
- Asian Animal Protection Network ~ Hong Kong
- Asociacion de Derecho Ambiental ~ Panama City
- Asociación de Amigos de los Animales ~ Guatemala City
- Asociacion Ecologista Panameña ~ Panama City
- Aware Guatemala ~ Guatemala City
- Asociación Oceánica ~ Panama City
- Ben White Fan Club ~ International
- Blue Voice ~ Miami
- Born Free ~ London
- British Divers Marine Life Rescue ~ London
- Bundestagsfraktion BUENDNIS90/DIE GRUENEN - Berlin
- Campaign Whale ~ London
- Canadian Marine Environment Protection Society ~ Vancouver
- Care for the Wild International ~ London
- Campaigns Against the Cruelty to Animals ~ Vancouver
- Cetacean Society International ~ New York/Boston
- Comite Pro Cierre de Petaquilla ~ Panama City
- Comite pro cierre de Petaquilla ~ Panama City
- Committee for a Dolphinarium-free Belgium ~ Brussels
- Conservation de Mamiferos Marinos de Mexico ~ Mexico City
- Coordinadora Campesina por la Vida ~ Panama City
- C. P. R. Environmental Education Centre ~ New Delhi
- Dolphin Care UK ~ London
- Dolphin Project ~ Miami
- Djurrsttsalliansen ~ Stockholm
- Earth Island Institute ~ San Francisco/Miami
- Embassy of Shame Tour ~ Den Haag
- Environmental Investigation Agency ~ London
- Fundación Equanimal ~ Madrid
- Fundacion Humanitas ~ Panama City
- GAIA ~ Brussels
- Global Ocean ~ London
- Greater Surfing Community ~ Brisbane
- Grupo Pas ~ Panama City
- Harpseals.org ~ Los Angeles
- Humane Society International ~ Washington DC
- Humane Society of the United States ~ Washington DC
- In Defense of Animals ~ San Francisco/Seattle/Portland/Los Angeles
- International Animal Rescue ~ London/Jakarta/Boston
- Junglees ~ Calcutta
- KidsHelpAnimals.com ~ Miami
- Lamma Animal Protection Charity ~ Hong Kong
- Lamma Animal Welfare Centre ~ Hong Kong
- Last Chance for Animals ~ Los Angeles
- Liga Mundial para la Proteccion Ambiental y Animal ~ Panama City
- LINC ~ Hong Kong
- Marine Connection ~ London
- MEER ~ Berlin
- Menschen fuer Tierrechte ~ Duesseldorf
- Movimiento Juventud Unida por Panamá ~ Panama City
- No Whales in Captivity ~ Vancouver
- Massachusetts Animal Rights Coalition ~ Boston
- New York Whale and Dolphin Action League ~ New York
- OceanCare ~ Bern
- Olmedo Carrasquila ~ Panama City
- Orange County People for Animals ~ Los Angeles
- Orca Network ~ Seattle
- Paz Animal Guatemala ~ Guatamala City
- Philippine Animal Welfare Society ~ Manila
- Pro-Wildlife ~ Munich
- Radio Maria ~ Panama City
- Rattle the Cage Productions ~ Miami
- Reserva Natural Atitlán ~ Guatemala City
- Resistance for Peace ~ Vienna
- Servicio Paz y Justicia ~ Panama City
- reEarth ~ Nassau
- Sea Shepherd Conservation Society ~ Budapest/Calgary/Los Angeles
- Servicio Paz y Justicia ~ Panama City
- Stichting Dolphinmotion ~ Den Haag
- Vida Tierra ~ Buenos Aires
- Wal-und Delfinschutz-Forum ~ Duesseldorf/ Miami/Berlin
- World Whale Police ~ Seattle
- Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society ~ London/Boston
- World Society for the Protection of Animals ~ London/Boston/San Jose
- Zoocheck Canada ~ Toronto
From the Guardian, UK:
Worldwide protests target Japan's porpoise hunts
By Alison Benjamin, Guardian Unlimited
Tuesday September 25 2007
More than 60 international environmental groups are today staging protests outside Japanese embassies across the world to demand an end to Japan's dolphin and porpoise hunts.
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| In Washington, D.C. |
The protests in 31 cities, including London, Washington and Rio, are against the whaling nation's annual slaughter of some 20,000 dolphins and porpoises. Protesters dressed in red and wearing a red flower will deliver messages to Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe calling for an end to the slaughter.
More than 16,000 Dall's porpoises are killed in hand-thrown harpoon hunts in northern Japan. A further 2,000 dolphins are driven into shallow coves and slaughtered for their meat.
The Dall's porpoise is known for its tendency to ride the bow of boats making it popular with whale watching tourists. Hunters target nursing porpoises leaving the dependent calves to starve.
The International Whaling Commission (IWC) has repeatedly called for a ban on the porpoise and dolphin hunts. Its scientific committee has expressed concerns about a dramatic reduction in the small cetaceans' population but the Japanese government refuses to cooperate.
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| London |
Globally, small cetaceans are under increasing threat from direct hunting, entanglement in fishing gears, over-fishing of prey species and pollution.
Andy Ottaway, director of pressure group, Campaign Whale, said: "Dolphins and porpoises are being slaughtered in their thousands in Japanese water, and unlike the larger whales, this secret slaughter continues with little being done to stop it. Even the Japanese public are largely unaware that these appallingly cruel hunts are taking place."
Jennifer Lonsdale, director of the Environmental Investigation Agency, said: "People in Japan are unwittingly buying and eating dolphin and porpoise meat. We are demanding that Japan takes dolphins and porpoises off the menu."
Tested meat has found dangerously high levels of toxic chemicals. Town councilors in the dolphin-hunting centre of Taiji have called for a ban on the use of dolphin and whale meat in school lunches because of the toxins.
From AxcessNews.Com, UK:
Whaling Protest set for Japan Consulate in UK
By Staff, Tuesday, 23 October 2007
(EUNN) London - Environmentalists are organizing a protest scheduled for Tuesday outside the Japanese Consulate in London, callingfor an end to what the green watchdog group referred to as the "world's largest whale hunt."
The protest is being organized by the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA), an independent, international organisation dedicated to investigating and exposing what it deems to be environment crime.
The Londoner's protest is being matched by thirty more being conduced worldwide simultaneously in the hopes of drawing people's attention to the senseless slaughter of whales and dolphins by the Japanese.
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| In Munich |
Every year, over 16,000 Dall's porpoises are killed in hand-thrown harpoon hunts in northern Japan - the biggest whale slaughter in the world for over a quarter of a century. Now, with fewer porpoises approaching the harpoon boats, Japanese hunters - are targeting nursing porpoises, leaving their dependent calves to starve.
Acting on warnings from scientists that these hunts are clearly not sustainable, the International Whaling Commission (IWC) has repeatedly called on the Japanese authorities to reduce the quotas, most recently to stop the hunt altogether. However, the Japanese government refuses to cooperate with the IWC on this issue.lphins and porpoises are being slaughtered in their thousands in Japanese waters, and unlike the larger whales, this secret slaughter continues with little being done to stop it. Even the Japanese public are largely unaware that these appallingly cruel hunts are taking place."
As many as 2,000 dolphins are killed each year in drive hunts where entire schools of dolphins or small whales are driven into shallow coves and slaughtered in the most horrific way for their meat, says the EIA. Despite a declining demand for dolphin meat, the hunts continue. The meat is sold for human consumption, often falsely labeled as minke whale and despite containing dangerously high levels of toxic chemicals. Most recently town councilors in the dolphin-hunting centre of Taiji have called for a ban on the use of dolphin and whale meat in school lunches due to the high levels of toxins found in tested products.
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| Miami |
Jennifer Lonsdale, EIA Director, said: "People in Japan are unwittingly buying and eating dolphin and porpoise meat which is dangerously contaminated with poisons such as mercury and PCBs. We are demanding that Japan takes dolphins and porpoises off the menu."
This third global protest organized by the watchdog group is said to demonstrate the overwhelming worldwide public opposition to "Japan's secret slaughter of dolphins and porpoises." Campaigners are urging world governments to take strong diplomatic measures to end Japan's indefensible massacre of these popular and sentient animals.
Calls to the Japanese Consulate went unreturned Monday, but the Metro Police say they will be on hand during the protest to prevent any possible violence or damage to private property.
From Seattle Post Intelligencer, US:
Japan Dolphin Day
September 25, 2007
Animal-rights activists and dolphin/whale/marine life lovers are marching to the Japanese Embassy in Washington D.C. and will gather in groups in front of Japanese consulates across the country to demonstrate against Japan's continual allowance of dolphin and whale harvesting.
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| Seattle |
In Seattle, the “peaceful protest" starts at noon in front of the Consulate General of Japan at 601 Union St. downtown.
Protesters are outraged at what they say has become an annual herding and mass slaughter of dolphins at Taiji, a village on the southern tip of the Japanese archipelago. Activists, foreign, as well as from Japan, have traveled to Taiji to document and videotape the harvesting. They have posted several videos on YouTube .
A spokesman for the Seattle consulate said that they have asked police to keep a watch on the protesters but do not expect it to get out of hand. They also do not expect to respond to the demonstrators' demands, but respect their right to protest.
From Central Chronicle, India:
Personal Thought: Japan massacring innocent dolphins
By Pravin Shrivastava
Monday October 1, 2007
Each year in Taiji, a coastal town in Japan, thousands of dolphins are rounded up. Most are brutally killed for their meat. A few of the more attractive animals are sold at exorbitant prices for dolphins' shows and swim-with-the dolphin programmes where they are likely to suffer for years.
On September 25, 2007, The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and Humane Society International (HIS) joined the Animal Welfare Institute and many other concerned groups and individuals in observing the third annual worldwide Japan Dolphin Day. Large number of individual animal advocates took part in the event all over the world.
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| in Jakarta |
Japan Dolphin Day aims to show Japan that the world will not tolerate its cruel drive fisheries. Protesters gathered at Japanese embassies and consulate offices in cities across the globe.
How dolphins are slaughtered?
Fishermen in Taiji use small-motorized boats to locate a pod of bottlenose dolphins, Risso's dolphins, or false killer whales (and other species such as melon-headed whales and white-sided dolphins).
Once they locate a pod, they herd the animals toward shore using the noise of the boats' engines and the banging of pipes underwater to stampede and terrorize the dolphins ahead of them.
The fishermen then either drive the animals onto the shore or trap them in a bay. The fishermen slaughter the dolphins by getting into the water or reaching over the side of a boat and stabbing the animals to death.
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| In Bern |
Occasionally they drag dolphins out of the water still alive by their tails (possibly breaking their spines or dislocating them) and transporting them to a slaughterhouse where they will sever their neck arteries and let them bleed out in agony.
Risk to human health
Adding to the pressure to end the hunt is the recent admission by Taiji officials that the dolphin meat contains dangerously high levels of mercury. Town officials made the admission in an interview granted to a Japanese newspaper. High mercury levels pose serious health risks for those who consume it, especially in children and pregnant women. The HSUS/HSI joined the Animal Welfare Institute and other concerned individuals and groups in an event in Washington. Participants in Washington staged a street theater re-enactment of the brutal Japanese drive hunts.
From 24 Hours, Vancouver:
Japan target of dolphin protest
By Ethan Ribalkin, 24 Hours
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Animal activists gathered outside the Japanese Embassy yesterday as part of a worldwide protest against that country's dolphin and whale harvesting.
From October to March each year, Japanese fishermen kill more than 20,000 small whales and dolphins.
Many of these animals are slaughtered in a small town called Taiji, Japan, according to protesters.
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| In Toronto |
Holding signs stating "Vancouver Aquarium accomplice to Japanese massacre!" protesters claim two of the aquarium's dolphins came from Taiji.
"By purchasing these dolphins, the Vancouver Aquarium is supporting these atrocities," said Erika Ceballos, protest organizer.
However, the Aquarium denied the claims, noting the two dolphins came from the Enoshima Aquarium in Japan, where they received medical attention after becoming "accidentally entangled in fishing nets."
"We have never, and will never, get animals from drive fisheries," said Clint Wright, aquarium senior vice-president of operations and planning.
"They do have drive fisheries in Japan, which is very brutal and not pleasant to the animals."
According to protesters, this industry profits most from selling dolphins to aquariums, swim-with-dolphins programs and dolphin shows where these mammals can sell for upwards of $45,000.
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| Munich |