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MEDIA ALERT December 28, 2006
THE SAVE JAPAN DOLPHINS COALITION
Animal Welfare Institute · Earth Island Institute · Elsa Nature Conservancy of Japan · In Defense of Animals
MEDIA ALERT: Some Really Good News from Japan
MAJOR JAPANESE SUPERMARKET CHAIN BANS SALES OF DOLPHIN MEAT
by Richard O'Barry and Helene O'Barry
Contact: Richard O'Barry, Phone/Fax: (305) 668-1619
Mobile Phone: (786) 973-8618
E-mail: ricobarry@bellsouth.net
For The Japan Times: Boyd Harnell, Mobile Phone: 81-909-319-4267
E-mail: harnell@gol.com
On December 26, 2006, the director of food products for the Okuwa Supermarket Corporation, Mr. Yasunari Kanki, banned the sale of all dolphin meat in all of their stores. The ban on dolphin meat is official, and the supermarket chain will decide if the ban is to be permanent after they test their own samples.
Mercury Contamination in Dolphin Meat
During our last campaign in the Japanese fishing village Taiji, where each year hundreds of dolphins are brutally slaughtered, we visited several of the nearby supermarkets owned by the Okuwa Supermarket Corporation. The supermarkets are located in Taiji, Katsuura, and Shingu. Our team was very visible with our cameras in hand, and we asked some hard questions:
- Would you sell imported American or Australian beef if you knew mercury levels were the same dangerous levels as the dolphin meat caught in Taiji?
- Why don't you conduct an independent test on your products to see if the mercury levels are safe?
- The front page of The Japan Times reported the unsafe mercury levels in the dolphin meat on November 1, 2006. Why do you continue to sell the tainted dolphin meat?
- Are you not concerned by potential lawsuits by consumers that are buying your mercury-tainted dolphin meat?
We also informed the supermarkets that Dr. Tetsuya Endo, of the Hokkaido Health Science University, the Dai Ichi Health Science University and New Zealand Health Science University conducted a three-year joint study on mercury levels of dolphin meat from dolphins caught off the coast of Japan -- including Taiji. They found very high levels of mercury in every sample of dolphin meat that they tested. Their conclusion: nobody should consume dolphin meat. Dr. Endo is a highly respected Japanese scientist. His report on mercury tainted dolphin meat was published in 2005.
The fact that the Japanese Minister of Health and Welfare has known about the danger yet chose not to warn the public about it defies all logic.
As we reported in our Taiji blog on December 12th www.SaveJapanDolphins.org, we bought a package of striped dolphin meat from the Shingu Okuwa Supermarket and delivered it to The Japan Times in Tokyo to be independently tested. Here are the results: The second random sample of dolphin meat (iruka niku) sold at the Shingu Central Okuwa Supermarket was tested for total mercury with a readout of 5.40 ppm -- 14 times above the Koseisho's advisory level of 0.4 ppm. The first sample tested in February was over 4 times the advisory level at 1.77 ppm.
Dolphin Meat Now Banned
Now here's the good news that we have all been waiting for: On December 26, 2006, the director of food products for the Okuwa Supermarket Corporation, Mr. Yasunari Kanki, banned the sale of all dolphin meat in all of their stores. The ban on dolphin meat is official, and they will decide if the ban is to be permanent after they test their own samples. The testing will be done in Tokyo by an independent laboratory. Based on the science that we have seen, the results from the independent lab tests are predictable, and we expect the ban on dolphin meat in this supermarket chain to be permanent.
The Save Japan Dolphins coalition salutes the Okuwa Supermarket chain for their bold decision. We also salute the only newspaper in Japan reporting this most urgent and controversial issue. Journalist and photographer Boyd Harnell wrote the story for The Japan Times.
Supply and Demand
Now that one of the largest supermarket chain in Japan has banned the sale of dolphin meat, it's going to make it very difficult, if not impossible, for other markets in Japan to continue selling any dolphin meat.
Approximately 23,000 dolphins, porpoises and other small whales are slaughtered in Japan every year. Where is all of this poisoned dolphin meat going? Nobody knows for sure. Some have speculated that it might be exported to North Korea and China. These countries have a protein shortage and welcome any help that they can get. But do they know that they are importing Japan's mercury contaminated dolphin meat? Probably not. We know from some studies done in Japan by non-governmental organizations (NGO's) that a lot of the meat from Japan's so-called "scientific whaling" scheme, which violates the International Whaling Commission's moratorium on commercial whaling, is being stored in freezers in Japan because there is not enough demand to sell the stuff. We are not sure where the dolphin meat is going but are encouraged by knowing that the demand side is drying up in Japan.
Beginning of the End?
Could this important new development be the beginning of the end for the Japanese dolphin hunters? They have been telling the media and the general public that the annual dolphin slaughter is a tradition. They say that eating dolphin meat is their culture. Let's give them the benefit of doubt, and for the sake of argument, lets say for now that they are right. But even if they were right, everything has changed. It is a new day. Today we know that the dolphin meat is POISON. To sell mercury-tainted dolphin meat to the Japanese public is simply untenable and probably illegal.
If the Japanese dolphin hunters continue the annual dolphin slaughter despite the mercury poisoning of the meat, they would be forced to tell the world the truth -- that it is not about culture or tradition. It's about genocide. The fishermen have told us they think the dolphins "eat too much fish." Over-fishing and pollution, of course, is the real problem, but the dolphin hunters are killing the competition while playing the culture and tradition cards. That won't work anymore. The truth is out.
Now, if we could only get the dolphin trainers and dolphin dealers out of Taiji. Leading aquariums and swim-with-dolphin dealers are subsidizing the Japan dolphin slaughter by paying $50,000 or more for a few "show" dolphins from the catch -- the rest of the pod is slaughtered for dolphin meat on the Japanese market for much less money.
Tuesday 12 December, 2006
by Ric and Helene O'Barry
Unfortunately, the Okuwa Supermarket has resumed selling dolphin meat, despite the fact that recent Japanese studies have highlighted the dangers associated with eating dolphin meat, due to mercury contamination. This is the first time the stores have put dolphin meat back on the shelf since the Japan Times published a ground-breaking front page article linking dolphin meat to mercury contamination. It looks as if they were waiting for the heat to die down before returning to business as usual. We have bought some of the meat and will send it to Tokyo to be tested. The Japan Times will report the findings in a news piece that Boyd Harnell is writing for the Science and Environment section.
The Japan Times Times is the only newspaper in Japan that has the courage to publish the story. So far, no other publication has had the nerve to stand up to the government. Credit for this important work should go to one brave editor named Andrew Kershaw.
The dolphin massacre began at sunrise as usual. It took the fishermen about four hours to kill them all and deliver the bodies to the slaughter house. It is heartbreaking to watch so much pain and suffering. Some dolphins spent four hours hearing the cries of their pod members and swimming around in blood before being killed themselves. A similar fate awaits many more dolphins that are currently swimming off the shore of Taiji and Futo. This season's kill quota is as follows:
Taiji:
- 450 striped dolphin
- 890 bottlenose dolphin
- 400 spotted dolphin
- 300 risso's dolphin
- 300 short finned pilot whales
- 40 false killer whales
Futo:
- 70 striped dolphin
- 75 bottlenose dolphin
- 455 spotted dolphin
(Source: Elsa Nature Conservancy of Japan)
Taiji December 11, 2006
by Ric and Helene O'Barry
Pilot whales are in fact large dolphins, belonging to the dolphin family Delphinidae. There are two kinds: The Short-Finned Pilot Whale and the Long-Finned Pilot Whale. The Short-Finned Pilot Whales live in the warm and temperate waters of the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans. They have been hunted in Japan for centuries.
Pilot whales are curious creatures that do not seem to fear humans. They will approach boats and seem to enjoy bow riding. They have been described by dolphin watchers as "friendly, curious and docile." Living in highly organized, female-based schools, pilot whales share social bonds that may last a lifetime. Short-finned Pilot Whales are often involved in mass standings, partially due to their strong social nature in schooling closely together and helping each other in distress.
Pilot whales often raise their heads vertically out of the water. This behavior, which enables the whales to see what goes on around them above the surface of the water, is known as "spy hopping." Every time a school of pilot whales has been driven into the Taiji killing lagoon, they spend several hours spy hopping, as if trying to find out what is happening to them. Their remarkable sociable nature can be illustrated by the fact that even if one of them succeeds in escaping from the killing cove, it always remains close to its still trapped pod members. Despite the fact that it has a chance to escape, it will not leave. It is therefore easy for the dolphin hunters to chase the whale back into the killing cove. The pilot whales' lack of fear of humans combined with their docile nature make them an easy target for the Taiji dolphin killers.
By late morning all the pilot whales and striped dolphins captured yesterday had been reduced to small chunks of meat on the cold concrete floor of the makeshift slaughter house. The hunters went back out to sea, and a few hours later returned with at least 20 more striped dolphins and several pilot whales. They, too, face a long wait in the killing cove followed by painful, prolonged deaths.
Taiji December 10, 2006
By Ric & Helene O’Barry
The seas have calmed down, which translate into danger for the dolphins near Taiji. The 13 boats left port at daybreak and at noon returned herding about 25 Striped Dolphins along with a school of pilot whales. Trapped in the killing cove, they are moving around so fast, it is impossible to determine exactly how many dolphins are there. There is no way for them to get out of this nightmare that has only just begun. By sunrise tomorrow, the Taiji dolphin hunters are going to slaughter them in the most savage and uncivilized manner one can envision.
Taiji December 9, 2006
by Ric & Helene O’Barry
The raging sea kept the fleet of drive boats in the harbor yesterday and today. This is bad news for the dolphin hunters and very good news for all the dolphins who were migrating offshore in the last two days. They made it past Taiji Town in safety. Long may they run!
Taiji December 7, 2006
by Ric & Helene O’Barry
Striped Dolphins live in schools that vary in size from just a few individuals to a couple of thousand. Streamlined and gracefully slender, they are among the most beautiful and acrobatic of dolphins. They can easily leap up to 23 feet above the surface of the water. They can also be seen bow riding, tail spinning, somersaulting and breaching. It may be that Striped Dolphins use breaching as a way of communicating with one another.
It is probably easy for the Taiji dolphin hunters to detect a school of Striped Dolphins even from a long distance, as this particular dolphin species, when swimming at a very high speed, makes frequent and high jumps out of the water. During our campaigns in Taiji, we have seen several schools of Striped Dolphins being chased down by fishermen and herded into the killing cove. The dolphins always appeared to be in a state of panic, hyper-ventilating and spinning around and around.
The Striped Dolphins captured yesterday spent the entire night in a small body of water, swimming in circles and hyper-ventilating. At sunrise, the fishermen arrived with their fishermen's hooks, knives and long spears. By sweeping a net toward the rocky beach of the hidden cove, they forced the dolphins into shallow water. Some fishermen began stabbing dolphins at random with sharp hooks. In many instances, a dolphin had to be stabbed several times before the hook penetrated deep enough that the fishermen could haul it onto their boat. The dolphin was still alive at this point. Other fishermen were throwing spears at the dolphins. Some even seemed to be having fun doing it, as if they were participating in some kind of sporting event.
The dolphins suffered a great deal. Some were bleeding to death after being speared. It took them a long time to die. Others were cut up alive when struck by the whirling propeller of the outboard motor of a dolphin hunter's boat. When that happened, a sick laughter filled the air.
We are familiar with Japanese culture – they are a beautiful people with a rich heritage. As we have often noted, many Japanese we speak to outside of Taiji are shocked that the Japanese Fisheries Agency allows the Taiji dolphin slaughter to continue, year after year. The slaughter definitely does NOT represent Japanese culture.
The dolphin hunters are simply lying when they say they kill the dolphins "humanely." No wonder they won't let anyone witness and document what they are doing. These dolphins all suffered terrible, prolonged deaths. The dolphin hunters seemed to have fun torturing the dolphins to death. And this, they say, is part of Japanese culture, something to be "proud" of?
It makes one ashamed to be a human being.
Taiji, December 6, 2006
by Ric & Helene O’Barry
Some good news and some bad news.
The good news is that two more supermarkets in Katsuura, a small village located just a few miles from Taiji, have removed dolphin meat from their shelves. Shopping Park Okuwa and A CO-OP Supermarket both sold dolphin meat before the Japan Times article carried a front page article exposing the fact that the dolphin meat is contaminated with mercury. We visited both markets a number of times in the past,and dolphin meat was always available. Today,it is not. We will know more about this situation when our translator arrives from Tokyo next week, and we can interview the store managers.
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| Dolphin trainers have tied these dolphins with ropes, to prevent them from escaping the selection process. Any dolphins that did not satisfy the criteria for dolphin shows and swim programs were deemed rejects and hauled into the killing lagoon by trainers and fishermen. O’Barry photo |
The bad news is that the dolphin hunters rounded up more than sixty Striped Dolphins (Latin Name: Stenella coeruleoalba). The bluish-gray dolphins are locked up in three separate areas of the killing cove. About forty of them are netted off near the mouth of the cove. Another twenty are contained near the shoreline. The opening of the killing cove is sealed with a net, which means that more dolphins are trapped inside. I can't see into the hidden cove, so I can't tell how many are there.
It is always stressful and extremely depressing to see the dolphins trapped in the cove like this, because I know EXACTLY what is about to happen to them. They can only swim around in frantic circles and guess.
This is their last day on earth, and they don't even know it.
No sleep tonight.
Taiji, December 5, 2006
by Ric & Helene O’Barry
Today was another bad day for the dolphin hunters. They went out to sea at sunrise as usual and spent most of the day trying to drive a school of dolphins ashore. For hours, they terrorized the dolphins with the loud noise they create by constantly banging on metal poles submerged into the water.
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| The dolphins lined up under the blue tarp are tied up by their tail flukes and cannot get back into deep water. Many died, either from injuries or capture shock. The dolphins to the left of the tarp have been selected for captivity and will be taken to the steel cages in Taji harbor. O’Barry Photo. |
When observing the hunt, we always picture in our minds the nightmare that goes on beneath the surface of the water. The exhaustion and fear the dolphin families experience during the chase must be enormous. Surely, some dolphins die during the chase or later from accumulated physiological stress. We have seen some of these dead dolphins drifting ashore near Taiji harbor. What a barbaric way to treat these social and intelligent mammals.
This time, however, the dolphins finally managed to escape from the twelve fishing boats. It is always such a wonderful feeling to see a school of dolphins break free from the boats. I could see the scene from my lookout on the top of a mountain. This is the second day in a row that the hunters failed to drive any dolphins into the killing cove.
Today was another day of negative cash flow for the hunters. It is very expensive to run twelve boats all day on diesel fuel. In recent years, fuel has become very expensive in Japan. It might not even be profitable to conduct the dolphin drives if only the dolphin captivity industry would stop doing business with the dolphin hunters and paying such high prices for individual captives. The profit from the dolphin captures is far greater than the profit derived from selling mercury-tainted meat by several orders of magnitude. For this reason alone, it's imperative to get the dolphin captivity industry out of Taiji. If this happened, it would change the economics of the dolphin slaughter.
Taiji, December 4, 2006
by Ric & Helene O’Barry
The fleet of boats went out to sea at sunrise looking for dolphins. They returned at 10:30 a.m., empty-handed. A bad day for the dolphin hunters; an excellent day for the dolphins. Tomorrow morning, the dolphin hunters will have no dolphins to kill. Maybe we can sleep tonight. But, of course, we know that the fishermen will be out again, looking for more dolphins for the slaughterhouse.
Taiji, December 3, 2006
by Ric and Helene O’Barry
At 5:30 a.m., the parking lot across from the secret killing cove filled with cars and pick-up trucks. Some were marked "Taiji Whale Museum." Others read "Dolphin Base."
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| Two dolphin trainers hang on to a dolphin's dorsal fin, subduing the animal. They inspected the dolphin that was deemed unsuitable for captivity. The trainers let them fishermen kill and butcher it. O’Barry photo |
The dolphin trainers had returned. They entered the secret cove along with the dolphin hunters to select the pilot whales they wanted for captivity. The rest were to be slaughtered for meat in Japanese markets. An hour later, some of the so called "lucky ones" for captivity were tied to stretchers and hung on the side of the boats. They were hauled through the water two at a time like this, to the steel cages near the slaughter house. They will become "dolphins with jobs." They will be shipped to aquariums and dolphinariums where they will amuse an endless line of people for the rest of their lives, likely shortened by their captivity. All the others were dragged out of the secret cove backwards by their tail fluke. They were taken to the offshore barge to be gutted. Some were still alive at this point. From the barge they were dragged by larger boats to the slaughter house about a mile away.
Back at our hotel in Taiji, we were forced to listen to a constant loop of American Christmas carols. All of the standards are played over and over again. White Christmas, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Jingle Bells etc. The muzak is piped through speakers everywhere in the hotel, even on the roof. There is no escape from it. The image of the vivid blood-red water and the green boats in the secret cove is burnt into my mind like a sick musical Christmas card.
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| The dolphins lined up under the blue tarp are tied up by their tail flukes and cannot get back into deep water. Many died, either from injuries or capture shock. The dolphins to the left of the tarp have been selected for captivity and will be taken to the steel cages in Taji harbor. O’Barry photo |
There is an American film crew here. I learned that they asked for permission to film the dolphin hunt. Wanting to be fair to both sides, they gave the dolphin hunters a chance to show the world that dolphins and other small whales are killed humanely, as the hunters routinely claim to be the case. The crew provided the hunters with an opportunity to prove that baby dolphins are never separated from their mothers – another claim made by the hunters – and that the dolphins are killed quickly and painlessly. Their request, not surprisingly, was turned down.
Our coalition is not connected to this film crew in any way. In fact, there are more and more international journalists, film makers and NGOs coming to Taiji. There is no way of knowing exactly what motivates others who come here, and so we avoid them. We will of course grant an interview to all of the media and film-makers that ask for it, but we do not socialize with them or talk to them about what they are doing. Given the tensions locally surrounding this hunt, we cannot be held responsible for anyone but ourselves, and for this reason I am avoiding contact with the film crew. They are here on their own.
Taiji, December 2, 2006
by Ric & Helene O’Barry
The fleet of dolphin-drive boats remained in port today. The pilot whales are still in the killing cove, stressed out to the max. The dolphin hunters have not yet discovered that I have returned. I observe them from a distance and photograph their activities from a rented car. We are told they monitor our
website daily, as do the Shingu, Taiji and Katsuura police departments. I expect to see the usual four police officers at my hotel after they read this message. Our coalition has a good working relationship with the police, and we really don't mind being interviewed by them. They allow us to witness the activities of the dolphin hunters as long as we respect Japanese law. We appreciate the fact that they are being professional and fair to both sides involved in this intense conflict. The police told us that they, too, are concerned about mercury poisoning. They say that they do not eat dolphin meat.
Later in the day, I drove to the Okuwa Supermarket in Shingu to look for dolphin meat. In late October, there were many packages of dolphin meat for sale here. Boyd Harnell of the Japan Times confronted the store manager with documentation that the dolphin meat from Taiji is highly contaminated with mercury. He refused to comment on the issue and directed us to the main Okuwa office in Tokyo. This time, I confronted an employee in the seafood department and asked him if he had any dolphin meat for sale. He became very defensive and told me that they do not sell dolphin meat! Very encouraging indeed. Are we starting to see the demand side of the dolphin meat trade dry up? Only time will tell.
Taiji, December 1, 2006
by Ric & Helene O’Barry
Coalition member and Ric O’Barry of Earth Island Institute has returned to Taiji once again to expose the gruesome capture and slaughter of dolphins that go on there.
About fifteen pilot whales were driven into the killing cove today. The cove was sealed with a net by the Taiji dolphin hunters. It is important to note that these dolphin hunters represent a small minority of the people of Taiji. There are many fishermen in Taiji. Most of them are not involved in killing dolphins. The Taiji fishermen and the Taiji dolphin hunters are two different groups of people.
Taiji, November 6
by Helene O’Barry
We inspected the Taiji Whale Museum, hoping to find the young dolphin that was captured October 28th and trucked to the museum the following day by dolphin trainers. If he survives, he will become a huge money-making attraction: He has not two but four fins. The two extra fins are located halfway between the dorsal fin and the tail fluke on either side, where the pelvic structure would be found. This is reportedly the first time such a dolphin has ever been seen. Ric inquired about the four-finned dolphin and was told that he is not at the Taiji Whale Museum yet, rather he is being held in one of the steel cages in Taiji harbor. According to the Taiji Whale Museum, the dolphin is five years old.
News of this "freak" dolphin has reached many parts of the world, but there is not a word about the deadly dolphin capture that brought this dolphin into captivity. This is the story that the Taiji Whale Museum, just like any other captive dolphin facility in the world, is concealing from the public. Hiding the truth about dolphin captures is typical of the international dolphin captivity industry. Our only comfort is the fact that we were able to document the capture. We will make sure that the world is told the truth about the four-finned dolphin. And we will make sure that the dolphin trainers who assisted in killing his pod members on that dreadful day are exposed.
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| A trio of captured baby dolphins swim in a small tank at Taiji's whale museum, last Friday. Without being able to nurse, their continued survival is in doubt. The fate of their mothers is unknown. 11/3/06 Boyd Harnell photo |
We discovered that the Taiji Whale Museum keeps two very young dolphins in a small tank at the back of the facility, out of the public’s view. It appears as if the museum is conducting some sort of experiment on them. The dolphins were taken away from their mothers at a time when they were still nursing. Museum staff is force-feeding them artificial milk through a tube. And once again, the public or the media will never be told how the dolphins were captured, or what happened to their mothers who were either killed for their meat or sold to another captive dolphin facility, never to see their offspring again.
The fishermen’s fleet of thirteen boats left harbor this morning and at noon drove several pilot whales (a species of dolphin) into the lagoon. They are absolutely frantic and swim in circles so fast, it is difficult to count them. But we think there must be at least fifty. There are some very large males among them. We could see them encircle their pod members, as if trying to protect them. Two dolphins got entangled in the fishermen’s nets. One of them succeeded in swimming under the net and for a short while had a chance to escape. But pilot whales are very social animals. They are known to help pod members in distress. Not surprisingly, therefore, the escaped pilot whale remained close to its pod members, and the fishermen took advantage of that. It was easy for them to drive the dolphin back into the killing lagoon. We are expecting to witness another slaughter scene tomorrow at sunrise.
The Taiji dolphin killing machine, which in its efficiency reminds us of a military operation, just never stops.
Taiji Nov. 5
by Helene O’Barry
Many festivities took place in Taiji today. The fishermen’s fleet of decorated dolphin drive boats were lined up in the harbor. The whaling boat, too, was part of the celebration, decorated with bamboo greenery and flags. It was an obscene sight: Boats of death and destruction decorated with cheerful colors. It’s like an episode of The X Files.
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| A pair of drive boats displaying festive flags line up proudly beside Taiji's slaughterhouse during Japan's "Bunka," or Culture Day, last Friday. Boyd Harnell photo. |
All the usual dolphin hunters and the local fishermen were there. They seemed to be very upset that we had attended their party with our ever-present cameras.
We need to be here with our cameras during the entire dolphin killing season. We are having an effect on their operation by bearing witness to and documenting everything that takes place in Taiji.
Only if we expose the slaughter to the world will the Japanese Fisheries Agency be pressured into shutting it down.
Taiji November 4
by Helene O’Barry
The fishermen remained in port this morning. The killing lagoon contains no dolphins. With no panic-stricken dolphins swimming in circles, the lagoon looks tranquil and peaceful. All the blood from the previous massacre has washed away. It is as if nothing ever happened here.
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| Spy shot of entrails from freshly slaughtered dolphins lined up on the Taiji's slaughterhouse floor. 11/3/06 Boyd Harnell photo |
November 3rd is Culture Day, a national holiday in Japan. This is a day for promotion of culture and the love for freedom and peace. In Taiji, Culture Day evolves around the town’s history of whaling. Bus-loads of tourists have arrived. Many buy tickets to watch the dolphin show at the Taiji Whale Museum. After the show, they flock to the souvenir shop to buy whale and dolphin meat. But they do not know about the horror that goes on in the killing lagoon nearby. The fishermen have erased all evidence of the drive hunt. The killing lagoon is empty, the slaughter house is neat and clean, the knives have been put away, and so have all the signs that warn people not to enter the lagoon. It is obvious that the fishermen, perhaps guided by their government, want to hide the slaughter from the Japanese tourists.
"Hunting dolphins is part of our culture, and we are proud of it," the fishermen told us during a meeting with them in January 2004. It is very revealing, therefore, that they would conceal all evidence of the hunt on Culture Day, of all days.
The fishermen have spent hours cutting long bamboo poles. They have placed the poles on their boats, like flag poles, waving the Japanese flag and other colorful flags. The boats will take part in the festivities on Sunday, November 4th.
Clearly, it is up to you and us to make sure the people of Japan and all the world do not forget the dolphins in the killing lagoons! We must expose this terrible slaughter.
Taiji, November 2
by Helene O’Barry
The fishermen have killed almost all dolphins by now. Around noon they cleaned up the slaughter house and took down the blue tarp that is supposed to conceal the slaughter from our cameras. Apparently they were done, for the time being, butchering.
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| A baby dolphin languishes in Taiji's bloody holding cove after five days without its mother's milk. The mother was either killed or selected as a show dolphin. The capture area which was so packed with trapped dolphins that many had to await their butchery for several days. Ultimately, over 200 bottlenose and Risso dolphins were brutally massacred. Boyd Harnell photo |
But four or five Risso’s dolphins were still in the lagoon, alive. They were all tiny, just babies. They lost their mothers to either butchery or captivity. We do not know the reason for what the fishermen did next: They removed the nets that contained the babies. When the dolphins did not move, the fishermen started banging on their metal pipes. It looked to us as if they deliberately herded the dolphins out of the lagoon, into the open sea. Why did they do this? Perhaps they felt that this few baby dolphins were not worth bothering with. Perhaps they were even more paranoid about being filmed than before, due to The Japan Times article published yesterday on the front page.
We can only guess. What we do know, however, is that the dolphins will not survive out at sea without their mothers. They will very quickly fall victims to starvation or shark attacks.
It is up to us to end this slaughter of dolphins, young and old, once and for all. Please take a moment to look at our Action page, and send letters and cards as soon as possible! It is only a matter of time before the next group of dolphins are herded into the killing lagoon.
Taiji, November 1
by Helene O’Barry
We now see that there are some Risso’s dolphins among the surviving dolphins in the killing lagoon. They and the bottlenose dolphins that are left have begun their fifth day in the shallow lagoon. They look very lethargic. By now, most of them hardly move at all. None of them dive any more. They are obviously dehydrated. The only fluid a dolphin gets is in the fish he or she eats. These dolphins have not eaten since their capture and thus have received no fluids. Some have developed blisters on their skin, from the burning sun. One dolphin is bleeding from its mouth. Another is unable to keep its balance in the water, floating sideways.
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| Several baby dolphins group together after being separated from their mothers in Taiji's holding cove, five days after their capture. 11/2/06 Boyd Harnell photo |
The babies in the lagoon need their mothers’ milk to survive. They are not going to get that, of course. Their mothers were either killed and slaughtered or selected by dolphin trainers for sale to dolphinaria. Or, if they are still alive in the lagoon, they must be too weak to feed their young. We watch the dolphins for hours, and not once do we see any of the calves receive any milk.
Every once in a while a dolphin trainer walks by and glances casually at the dolphins. They hide their faces as soon as they see our cameras. Meanwhile, chain-saws are roaring at the slaughter house. Large males, mothers, babies and pregnant females are lined up on the concrete floor. A huge amount of blood is washing into the harbor through a metal pipe. We have never seen this many dead dolphins in the slaughter house before! The fishermen are working non-stop all day killing dolphins and butchering them. In just a few days, the fishermen of Taiji, aided by dolphin trainers from the international captive dolphin trade, have horribly killed at least 200 dolphins. Counting how many dolphins we are speaking of is very difficult. It could be as many 300. Regardless of the numbers, it is a cold-hearted slaughter.
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| Two dolphin trainers hang on to a dolphin’s dorsal fin, subduing the animal. They inspected the dolphin that was deemed unsuitable for captivity. They trainers let them fishermen kill and butcher it. O’Barry photo |
The strangest thing of all is to see how well the dolphin trainers and fishermen get along. They are really not that different. In fact, it seems as if the dolphin trainers might as well be dolphin hunters. Their relationship with dolphins is based on heartless exploitation and a total lack of compassion for the dolphins' obvious suffering. The dolphin trainers see dolphins dying right in front of them, and they do nothing to help them. On the contrary, we saw them help the fishermen drag struggling dolphins into the killing lagoon. These dolphin trainers are clearly not the dolphins' friends, as they would have the public believe. They are the dolphins' worst nightmare. They killed several dolphins during the selection process, they tied them up with ropes and let them suffocate to death. They took mothers away from their babies, knowing that the babies have no chance of survival alone. I think that is what angers us the most: The direct involvement of dolphin trainers in this brutal slaughter.
Today, The Japan Times published an important article about the mercury-contaminated dolphin meat, in full color, by journalist and Genesis award winner Boyd Harnell. Historically, this is the first time that a Japanese newspaper has published a story about the dolphin drive hunt on the front page. We see this as a breakthrough and hope that other Japanese news media will pick up on the story. Unfortunately, Harnell’s article was cut in half in the editing process and fails to mention that Earth Island Institute made it possible for us to be here by sponsoring our costs.
Taiji, Oct 31
by Helene O’Barry
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| Dolphin trainer watches as a school of dolphins is driven into the killing lagoon. O’Barry photo |
The fishermen spend the entire day killing and butchering dolphins. Once again, the sound of chain saws fill the air at the slaughterhouse.
As usual, the fishermen are paranoid about our cameras and try to block us from filming the butchery. By the end of the day, all the pilot whales were dead. Their guts are piled up on the floor. We think they will be processed into pet-food or fertilizer, perhaps both. What a horrible use for these intelligent mammals.
Many bottlenose dolphins still remain alive in the lagoon. They have spent four days in the killing lagoon by now, no doubt very scared and hungry. For four days, they have had nothing to eat. It is a very depressing scene. The dolphins swim very slowly now. Mothers and their calves stay close together. One baby is swimming all by itself in a corner of the lagoon. The baby must be just a few days old. This newborn dolphin could very well have been born in the lagoon in the past 4 days, only to face certain death. Some of the dolphins are completely motionless on the surface of the water, close to the rocky beach. Some can hardly keep themselves afloat. Their skin looks sun-burnt. Two dolphins look as if they are almost dead.
There are other dolphins out there who are swimming freely and living their lives this very moment. They, too, will fall into the same trap. We can see it coming, but they cannot. They cannot even imagine that kind of hell. If only we could save them from it.
Taiji, Oct 30
by Helene O’Barry
Several of the remaining bottlenose dolphins and pilot whales were killed and butchered this morning. The fishermen forced them into the killing lagoon with a large net. The dolphins panicked at the sound of their boats and tried to escape, but it was impossible. The dolphins do not have a chance. The lagoon turned a deep red as the massacre went on late in the afternoon. The dolphins that have not yet been killed are swimming around surrounded by the blood of their own school mates. The pilot whales are all spy-hopping, as if trying to find out what is going on. They must be able to hear the screams of their pod members. They must be aware that something terrible is going on in the killing lagoon.
At the slaughter house the dolphins’ heads are cut off with chain-saws. Dolphin heads are scattered everywhere on the concrete floor, and dead bodies of dolphins are lined up in long rows. The fetus of a pilot whale had been tossed on top of a pile of guts. The brutality with which the Japanese dolphin hunt is carried out is simply beyond belief.
Taiji, Oct 29
by Helene O’Barry
Today was a deadly day for the dolphins in Taiji.
We arrived at the killing lagoon at 5:30 a.m. to find about 25 dolphin trainers milling about the area. They were gearing up for a dolphin capture. As the sun came up, they erected a huge blue tent along the shore line, which would be used to cover up their dirty little secret.
The scene that followed was terrible. The trainers and the dolphin hunters worked together as a team herding the 150 bottlenose dolphins into the tent. Sometimes the dolphin hunters working from their skiffs would hand a rope to the trainers in the water. The trainers would tie the rope around a dolphin`s tale fluke, and a boat would then drag the dolphin backwards into very shallow water. The dolphin was then tied to something under the tent, thereby ensuring that he or she could not escape back into deep water. Several dolphins were tied up by their tail flukes like this. They were the dolphins that the trainers did not want for aquariums or swim-with-dolphin programs – the show "rejects" where rejected means death. They would be trashing about for hours trying to get free. They were gasping for air and banging into one another. Some suffered broken pectoral fins. Many had blood coming out of their mouths, indicating internal bleeding. Some died during the process, perhaps from heart failure or capture shock.
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| Offloading dead dolphins at slaughterhouse hidden under blue tarp. © Boyd Harnell |
The about 25 dolphins that the trainers had selected were treated very differently. Two trainers would hold on to the dorsal fin of each selected dolphin, wetting the dolphin down. They obviously wanted these to remain alive, considering the huge amount of money that each would bring on the global captivity market.
This capture is the most cruel thing we have ever seen during our three years of coming to Taiji. The most shocking thing of all was to witness the cruelty of the dolphin trainers. They were as guilty as the fishermen in killing these dolphins. They simply walked around in their wet-suits, joking with the fishermen, paying no attention to the dolphins that were suffering and dying all around them. It was as if they enjoyed being part of this scene. At one point, while filming them, they waved at us, laughing out loud.
A man whom we believe to be a veterinarian took blood samples from the dolphins that the trainers had selected. The dolphins were then hauled away, hanging in stretchers from the fishermen`s skiffs, to the dolphin cages in Taiji harbor.
There were many babies in this school of dolphins. One adult stayed very close to her baby, until the fishermen and trainers separated them. The baby was taken by truck to the Taiji Whale Museum. Its mother was put in a stretcher and pulled trough the water by boat to the dolphin cages in the harbor.
About 25 dolphins were selected for aquariums and dolphinariums. The rejects were dragged by the ropes that the trainers had tied to them. Some of them were dead; others were still clinging to life. The dolphins that had drowned or beat themselves to death were hauled away to the killing lagoon, barely alive, pulled through the water, unable to breathe. Here, their throats were cut. They suffered a great deal. It made us sick to observe this nightmare once again.
In the background of this horror show were the about 75 long finned pilot whales. They were confined to another area near the mouth of the lagoon. The pilot whales were all spy-hopping and watching the bottlenose dolphins being tortured to death. They could hear everything. They could see everything inside the hidden lagoon that we could not see.
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| Ric O'Barry shows dolphin meat being sold at the okuwa supermarket in Shingu Wakayama--probably from Thursday's culling © Boyd Harnell |
Several bottlenose dolphins were still swimming around in the lagoon, awaiting their fate. Some could hardly swim, while others seemed to have suffered internal damage, bleeding out of their mouths. Some crashed into the granite walls of the killing lagoon, smashing their head into the wall. Others simply sank to the bottom, dead.
We know that all of this sounds astonishing and hard to believe. But we have proof. We were fortunate enough to be able to document all of this for the world to see.
It is our job, together, to make sure the world does see this horror. It is the only way the dolphins in Taiji can be saved. It is too late for many of the dolphins we saw today, but it is not too late for the many other wild dolphins that will face the same fate unless we put an end to the Taiji dolphin slaughter once and for all.
Taiji, Oct 28
by Helene O’Barry
The dolphin killing machine continues in Taiji.
The Risso`s dolphins driven into the lagoon yesterday were all killed today at sunrise. After cutting the dolphins into bloody chunks of meat, the fishermen went out again to find more.
Once again, dolphin trainers from aquariums observe the progress of the hunt from the sea wall. When the boats approach the shore, driving a school of dolphins in front of them, the trainers call one another on their cell phones: "They have dolphins, they have dolphins!" we hear them say. Their total lack of compassion for the hunted dolphins is astounding to us. Yesterday, when they selected dolphins for sale to dolphinaria, they and the fishermen worked side by side in the killing lagoon. The trainers selected the six they wanted, knowing that the rest of the school – all likely related individual dolphins – would be killed.
And the trainers did not leave the lagoon at this point. They remained in the lagoon while the massacre was going on. They were either spectators to the blood-bath, or they assisted the fishermen in killing the dolphins! The dolphin trainers and fishermen always leave the lagoon together, after the dolphins have all been killed. The trainers hear the dolphins’ cries, and they see them struggle to escape. But they just do not care. There is no sign of regret in their faces when they leave the lagoon.
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| With drive fishing boats in the background, a group of trapped dolphins surface inside the capture net. © Boyd Harnell |
It is amazing to us that members of an industry that claims to "love" dolphins can participate in such a brutal scene.
In the afternoon, about 150 bottlenose dolphins and 75 long-finned pilot whales were driven into the lagoon. We have never seen this many dolphins in the lagoon. The water is literally boiling with hyper-ventilating dolphins. The bottlenose dolphins and the pilot whales are confined in two separate compartments of the lagoon. Some can hardly swim after the long, exhausting chase. As soon as the fishermen had cut off the dolphins’ escape with nets, the dolphin trainers all of a sudden got very busy. They drove back and forth between the killing lagoon and the "World Dolphin Resort," getting capture equipment ready. They lined up dolphin stretchers on the beach, and at "Dolphin Base," which is a company that brokers dolphins from the drive hunts to various captive dolphin facilities, new wooden transport boxes are being built. This can only mean one thing: The trainers will be there in the morning to select dolphins for dolphin shows and swim programs all over the world.
And then the remaining dolphins and pilot whales will be killed.
Taiji, October 27
by Helene O`Barry
At sunrise several dolphin trainers and the fishermen gathered by the killing lagoon. The trainers selected six bottlenose dolphins for dolphin shows and let the fishermen hack the rest to death.
This is the dirty secret of the drive fishery – the captive dolphin industry, which entertains millions of people around the world every year with "friendly" dolphins doing astonishing "tricks", is subsidizing the mass slaughter of thousands of these same dolphins for meat in markets. Most Japanese (and, of course, most of the people who attend and enjoy dolphin shows around the world) are completely unaware of this bloody and deadly underside of the aquarium industry. It is our job to get this truth out to the public, via a reluctant media. With your help, we can succeed in getting rid of the dolphin slaughter – the public will demand it once they know the truth.
When the butchery was over, our team was stalked by car all the way to Shingu. One of the two men that followed us was the head of the Taiji Fisheries Union, Mr. Akira Takeuchi. Perhaps they wanted to know which hotel we are staying at, or perhaps they were simply trying to intimidate us?
At 3:45, a new school of 30 Risso’s dolphins were driven into the lagoon.
Taiji, October 26
by Helene O`Barry
We continue our vigil in Taiji, with more tragic dolphin drives in progress.
After being chased for at least six hours, about 50 bottlenose dolphins were driven into the killing lagoon. They were in two separate schools, and one of them almost got away. The dolphins succeeded in getting quite far out to sea. But they still could not swim fast enough to escape the motorized boats that followed right behind them. No doubt, they were exhausted from the long chase. We counted ten small babies among them. There could have been more. How many may have died from shock before they even reached the killing lagoon, we will never know. But we are certain that not all dolphins survive the chase.
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This Risso’s dolphin died, possibly from shock or stress, while being |
This morning, for example, we spotted the dead body of a Risso’s dolphin floating on the surface of the water near Taiji harbor. Collateral damage from the drive, one might call it. No one seemed to even notice the dolphin – it was as if dead dolphins floating around in the water is a completely normal sight here.
The capture of this many bottlenose dolphins often indicates the involvement of the dolphin captivity industry, with representatives from international aquariums coming in to buy "the best" of the dolphins for shows. The chase was closely monitored from the sea wall by staff members of the two captive dolphin facilities in Taiji - World Dolphin Resort and Taiji Whale Museum. When asked if she knew what would happen with the dolphins that were not selected for sale to dolphinaria, a dolphin trainer from World Dolphin Resort claimed that she had no idea. She was lying, of course. All these dolphin trainers tried to hide their faces when they saw our cameras.
The Japanese dolphin slaughter is exceptionally cruel and must be stopped. We held an impromptu protest in front of the Taiji Fisheries Union, holding up large posters depicting the brutal dolphin massacres.
Taiji October 25 continued....
by Helene O`Barry
After several hours of searching for dolphins, the Taiji fishermen returned empty-handed for a change.
In the afternoon, the Katsuura and Shingu police came to our hotel to interrogate us. The four police officials asked us the usual questions: When did you arrive in Japan, how long are you staying, and why are you here? They are very friendly toward us and seem interested in hearing the reasons why we want to expose the dolphin slaughter to the rest of the world. We talked mostly about the mercury-contaminated dolphin meat. They were surprised to hear that a recent Japanese study reports that some dolphin meat is heavily polluted with mercury and thus poses a serious health risk to those who eat it.
While there is little the local police can do about the dolphin slaughter, we hope they take our warnings and concerns to heart. Bit by bit, we are educating the local and the national Japanese people about these horrible drive fisheries and the adverse consequences for both dolphins and people.
Taiji October 25
by Helene O'Barry
The Risso’s dolphins were all killed and butchered this morning at sunrise.
At 5:30 a.m. we are met at the killing lagoon by angry fishermen who carried their large signs, reading "No photos!" At some point during the killing process, one of the dolphins got entangled in the nets. The fishermen cut the dolphin’s throat from his skiff. The dolphin’s tail fluke thrashing above the surface of the water for a few seconds before sinking underwater. It’s blood mingles with the blood of thousands of other dolphins slaughtered here over the years.
The fishermen are furious to see us here. Some of them spent the entire time waving their signs at us, trying to block us from viewing and photographing the extremely violent and bloody scene. An independent filmmaker and Genesis Award-winner Boyd Harnell is with us documenting the scene for the Japan Times newspaper and other print media.
At the slaughter house, the fishermen scrambled to put up large pieces of blue tarp to prevent us from taking any pictures. We are creating a lot of extra work for them, and this factor alone makes it worthwhile coming here.
Yesterday, this pod of Risso’s dolphins was swimming peacefully off shore. After 65 million years of evolution, they are complete and perfect. Now they are laying on a cold concrete floor in a hundred small bloody pieces.
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| Ric O' Barry, Helene O'Barry, and their daughter, Mai, protest dolphin killing in Taiji harbor.. © Boyd Harnell |
After the butchery, the fisherman scramble into the fleet of 13 boats and head back out to sea in search of more dolphins. We will be waiting for them when the boats return.
Thanks to , France, and our other supporters at Earth Island Institute and Elsa Nature Conservancy of Japan. We are here to document and bring the horror of the Japan dolphin slaughter, the largest left in the world, to the attention of the world. We plan to continue to do so until these barbaric hunts are stopped. We know only the public can put the necessary political pressure on the Japanese Fisheries Agency to stop the hunts.
Taiji October 24
by Helene O'Barry
This morning, the fishermen of Taiji drove a school of about 25 Risso’s dolphins into the killing lagoon. About 20 others had managed to escape. There are several young calves among the doomed dolphins. While the horrendous drive was taking place, we noticed that some of the younger dolphins could not keep up with their mothers, who were being driven ashore by the 13 boats. These strays are doomed to a slow death by starvation without their mothers’ milk. If starvation does not kill them, the sharks will.
After being driven into the killing lagoon, the confused pod of dolphins spend the entire day swimming in a tight circle near the mouth of the lagoon. The fishermen have cut off their escape with two large nets.
A new boat is anchored in Taiji harbor, a small blue whaling ship with a harpoon on the bow, which is covered with a tarp. The vessel is moored dockside next to the dolphin slaughter house. We will closely monitor this new killing machine.
We know the mayor Taiji came to the last International Whaling Commission in St. Kitts to join the Japanese Fisheries Agency delegation to argue for a local quota to kill minke whales for commercial purposes. The IWC to its credit turned down the request for Japan's coastal commercial whaling proposal, as the IWC has done for several years now. We are concerned this new boat may be part of another grand scheme to circumvent the IWC and international law, as the Japan Fisheries Agency has been doing for decades.
Taiji October 23, 2006
Our coalition team is once again on patrol in Taiji, monitoring the dolphin hunters. This morning at sunrise, only six of the hunters’ fleet of 13 boats went out to sea. The killing lagoon at Hatakejiri Bay is empty, and there is no sign of the fishermen’s capture nets. The fishermen seem to know we are here. Perhaps the immigration officials or the hotel tipped them off. There is a great deal of tension in the air in Taiji. Despite our peaceful purpose, our every move is being watched by hostile eyes.
The nine steel cages in Taiji harbor holds several dolphins that were captured for sale to dolphinaria around the world. (As we have noted, the Taiji drive fishery started up a month early this year.) Six dolphin trainers spent the entire morning throwing fish into the pens, trying to make the dolphins eat. We cannot tell how many dolphins are there or what kind they are. We will have to try to sneak up on the pens at a time when the trainers and fishermen are not around. As reported by Sakae Hemmi, the Taiji fishermen captured several pseudorcas (also known as false killer whales) in September, marking an unusually early start on this year’s killing season. Of the ten pseudorcas selected for sale to dolphinaria, one has already been reported dead.
We will be on patrol in Taiji for several weeks. During this time, we will continue posting our eyewitness reports and hopefully some new photographs, too. We urge the readers to hit the TAKE ACTION button and get involved in stopping this nightmare.
Your continued support is critical to ending this annual dolphin slaughter!
Futo Update, October 16, 2006: Hunt Announced
by Sakae Hemmi, Elsa Nature Conservancy of Japan
I have been to Futo and confirmed that the Ito City Fishing Cooperative - Futo Branch announced that they would carry out a drive hunt for dolphins this season. The Futo branch and Japan Fisheries Agency are putting pressure on a hotel where we took photos of the drive hunt in 2004. The owner of this hotel has to buy fish from the Futo branch. It is difficult for her to refuse the request from the Fishing Co-op that she should not allow her guests to take photos of the drive hunt from her hotel. This hotel, which commands Futo fishing harbor, is the only good place people can take photos and videos of the inhumane dolphin drive hunt.
On October 11th, the Ito City Fishing Cooperative held a meeting at its Futo Branch, inviting media reporters. They outlined a brief history of the drive fishery in Futo and declared that they would continue the dolphin drive hunt. According to the Cooperative, aquariums have already ordered 30 bottlenose dolphins from the Ito City Fishing Cooperative. About 20 fishing boats with forty fishermen will participate in the drive hunt this season, and, if necessary, spotter boats will go out to sea and try to find pods of dolphins.
The catch quota the Japan Fisheries Agency permits Futo to take is 600 dolphins – 70 striped dolphins, 75 bottlenose dolphins, and 455 spotted dolphins! As we well know, fishermen in Futo are permitted to butcher all of these dolphins on the shore of Futo harbor for dolphin meat in Japanese markets or sell them to the aquariums at a much higher price. The dolphins driven into the harbor will be butchered in a tent on the shore of Futo harbor. And fishermen in Futo have the right to butcher them or capture them alive up to the quota. (We further know that they cannot kill/capture enough dolphins to meet the inflated quota, but they keep the right to do it.)
According to the local people, they saw pods of dolphins off the shore of Futo three weeks ago.
Taiji Update, September 2006: Taiji Dolphin Hunts Begin Early!
From information supplied by Sakae Hemmi, Elsa Nature Conservancy of Japan:
Normally, the fishermen of Taiji begin the annual hunts for dolphins on October 1st, but the inhumane hunts have started early this year!
According to authorities, they moved the date of the hunt up by one month (possibly to disrupt our coalition's efforts to expose the dolphin slaughter to the world). The Japanese press claims the early hunt was to fill the dolphin capture quota, as in recent years the fishermen have been unable to fulfill the quota in six months of drive fisheries. Needless to say, the population status of these dolphin populations off Japan is largely unknown, a key criticism of the hunt by the International Whaling Commission's Scientific Committee.
As we prepare for Japan Dolphin Day on September 20th, it is important to realize that dolphins will be dying in the most cruel ways imaginable during our global protests!
The newspaper reported that, on September 6th, 35 bottlenosed dolphins were surrounded and captured, but the Marine Resources Management Division, in Wakayama, states that the correct number is 25. This pod of dolphins, likely a family group, were driven into Hatakejiri Bay by 13 fishing boats. Reportedly, fishermen took four and a half hours, constantly banging on pipes in the water, to drive the dolphins into the shore.
We also know that the Taiji Whale Museum bought six of these bottlenosed dolphins this time.
The local Taiji Whale Museum has an air of the unreal about it. You see, visitors to the museum are treated to dolphins in captivity, just like any other aquarium or amusement park. But the local visitors often do not know that, close by, dozens of dolphins are being slaughtered for sale as meat in Japanese markets. The Taiji Whale Museum and other marine parks from around the world come to Taiji, taking only the "best" dolphins from the drive hunts (usually females, which are more tractable in captivity than males, and usually the best-looking specimens – those without blemishes). These captive dolphins are sold for the equivalent of fifty thousands dollars or more each, helping support the Taiji drive fishery. And the rest of the dolphin pod? They are slaughtered in a welter of blood.
Now, more than ever, we need to let Japanese embassies around the world know that the world public will not tolerate this abuse and cruelty towards dolphins.
For more information on Japan Dolphin Day and what you can do, click here.
April 2006 – Dolphins From Inhumane Drive Fishery Still Being Traded!
The following is an update concerning Taiji dolphins due to be exported to China:
- The Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry issued permission for
exporting dolphins on March 30, 2006. - One dolphin already died, and Taiji is planning to export seven dolphins.
- The seven dolphins, which are in a sea-pen in Taiji Harbor, will be shipped out to Dalian, China by the end of April.
- We have learned that the two false killer whales that have been missing since this January were already dead. One died on February 16, the other on February 26.
- The "Committee to Build a Town of Whales and Nature-parks" reported the following things in January this year:
** Taiji officials visited Dalian and Beijing. Taiji established a friendly tie with two aquariums in Dalian and one aquarium in Beijing to promote "scientific research" by trading dolphins, caught in the drive fishery.
** Mr. Kazutaka Sangen, Taiji town mayor, announced his plan to capture
orcas and send them to Dalian and Beijing for more "scientific research" to improve relations between Japan and China. He expects that the governments of the two countries will permit and support this orca-trade.
** The Beijing Aquarium has ordered ten dolphins. (No information about when the dolphins are to be supplied from Taiji, but it should be in 2006.)
Please continue to send faxes and e-mails objecting to the dolphin exports!
– Sakae Hemmi, Elsa Nature Conservancy, Japan
February 2006 – Progress report from our team on the ground in Taiji:
Our coalition team has returned to Japan once again to document and expose the annual dolphin slaughter. Our team is accompanied by two important media outlets that will expose the dolphin slaughter to millions of people worldwide. That’s exactly what the dolphin hunters and the Japanese government don't want: International exposure. Bringing the media to Japan is essential in our efforts to apply pressure on the Japanese government to stop issuing permits to eradicate entire schools of dolphins each year.
The dolphin slaughter in Japan has been going on for at least 400 years, most of that time unchallenged. Since January 2004, we have had a regular presence in Japan, monitoring the dolphin hunters from sunrise until nightfall, documenting the slaughter to the the rest of the world. Since we showed up in Taiji the first time, the fishermen have become increasingly paranoid about our cameras. They are so scared of being filmed, they conceal the slaughter behind blue tarp. What they don't seem to understand is the fact that the tarp draws even more attention to their activities. Each time we are in Taiji, Japanese tourists ask us what is going on behind the tarp. When we show them the images of the dolphin slaughter, they can hardly believe it. Not one of the tourists we have talked to was even aware that dolphins are being killed by the thousands in Japan. They are shocked that the slaughter is being concealed from them.
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| Harpoons used by Taiji dolphin hunters to capture and kill dolphins out at sea. Photo Helene O'Barry |
During our team’s two-week long stay in Taiji, no dolphins have been killed. The fishermen simply have not been able to find any dolphins. We are not sure why this is. Dolphins respond to changes in ocean currents, the climate and the distribution and abundance of prey. It could be that the ocean currents have changed, or that the dolphins are unable to find any food in their usual feeding areas. Or it could be that the fishermen have eradicated so many dolphins, there aren't many left in the waters off the coast of Taiji.
Another important aspect of our campaign is to document that dolphin meat is contaminated with mercury and poses a health hazard to those who eat it. The Japanese government so far has done very little to inform the public of the dangers associated with the consumption of dolphin meat. The Japanese media has not reported this health hazard to the public. Their silence is absolutely irresponsible, and it is also one of the main reasons that the annual dolphin slaughter continues. The recent Japan Times article by Boyd Harnell (click here, free registration required) may change all of this.
January 2006
Dear Ric,
According to Kaori’s E-mail, it seems that you need data on the export of dolphins. Maybe Kaori will send you the data, but the following is what I have now.
- March, 2005: 2 dolphins were exported to China for \13,079,000 (total price)
- April, 2005: 3 dolphins were exported to China for \10,800,000 (total price)
- May, 2005: 4 dolphins were exported to China for \17,413,000 (total price)
- June, 2005: 8 dolphins were exported to China for \43,264,000 (total price)
- September,2005: one dolphin was exported to Taiwan for \2,754,000
I traced the export from January through November, 2005–18 dolphins were exported for \87,310,000 in all. (one dollar is about \160 at present) Data in December is not available yet.
I could not confirm that they were unmistakably sent out from Taiji, but I believe that most of them were exported from Taiji, for Futo didn't capture dolphins so far. I could not detect the species, but I think almost all of them will be bottlenose dolphins.
Fourteen dolphins were exported in 2004; 4 to Phillipines(\10,550,000), 5 to China(\23,749,000) and 5 to Taiwan(\14,053,000).
Hope this will help you. Best wishes,
Sakae