Today on September 1st, the annual dolphin hunts in Taiji, Japan are starting. This is happening in spite of a tremendous amount of negative publicity around the world highlighting this brutal slaughter. The hunt will run from September to March 2012. At the same time the village of Futo, just southeast of Tokyo, will be resuming it's dolphin hunts, mainly to secure dolphins for captivity. At the end of last year's 2010-2011 "dolphin hunt" season, a total of 850 dolphins were killed in the Cove. Another 171 were sold into captivity.
This year the fishermen from the Japanese town of Taiji that is depicted in Oscar-winning eco-documentary “The Cove” will kick off their annual dolphin hunting season, undeterred by any international criticism. The fishermen will herd about 2,000 dolphins into a secluded bay using high tech luring equipment. They will then select several dozen for sale to aquariums and marine parks and harpoon the rest for meat.
Although many people around the world have opposed this annual hunt, the dolphin fisherman still have the support of many of the local people in the tiny town of 3,700 who defend hunting dolphins, porpoises and small whales as a centuries-old tradition. Right-wing nationalist groups in Japan have attacked the documentary “The Cove” and also the environmentalist's protests as anti-Japanese. Japan being a "proud sovereign nation" is determined not to back down to the demands of any environmentalists.
But what is both ironic and frightening is the discovery of diseases such as brucellosis and papillomavirus that are being found more frequently in dolphins. There are also thirteen additional RNA-based viruses that cause intestinal disease and encephalitis in humans that have been discovered in dolphins recently. So it might just end up that despite all the activist's efforts to end this horrific dolphin slaughter for meat that it is the dolphin carrying diseases that will put an end to it.
It is very sad that at a time when we have learned so much about these magnificent creatures about their intelligence and their compassion towards humans that this mindless killing still goes on in the 21st Century. The fact that whale and dolphin watching can generate over $2.1 billion (U.S) per year around the world for ecotourism (which is much greater than whale and dolphin killing for meat) should be a major incentive to switch approaches in Japan.
As you watch the video below you will see that the Japanese have now perfected a way to commit "bloodless" killing of the dolphins. They are touting it as bloodless and humane but it is anything but humane. They have also covered up the killing area of the dolphins with tarps so that it cannot be seen from the outside. However, footage has been shot of what really goes on. After you watch the video, please take a minute to sign the petition and send an email to those in Japan that are continuing to allow this to go on. Thank you for helping to put an end to this barbaric practice on such beautiful animals of the sea.
Taiji Urgent Contact List
PETITION: Stop the Dolphin Slaughter in Taiji, Japan
This year the fishermen from the Japanese town of Taiji that is depicted in Oscar-winning eco-documentary “The Cove” will kick off their annual dolphin hunting season, undeterred by any international criticism. The fishermen will herd about 2,000 dolphins into a secluded bay using high tech luring equipment. They will then select several dozen for sale to aquariums and marine parks and harpoon the rest for meat.
Although many people around the world have opposed this annual hunt, the dolphin fisherman still have the support of many of the local people in the tiny town of 3,700 who defend hunting dolphins, porpoises and small whales as a centuries-old tradition. Right-wing nationalist groups in Japan have attacked the documentary “The Cove” and also the environmentalist's protests as anti-Japanese. Japan being a "proud sovereign nation" is determined not to back down to the demands of any environmentalists.
But what is both ironic and frightening is the discovery of diseases such as brucellosis and papillomavirus that are being found more frequently in dolphins. There are also thirteen additional RNA-based viruses that cause intestinal disease and encephalitis in humans that have been discovered in dolphins recently. So it might just end up that despite all the activist's efforts to end this horrific dolphin slaughter for meat that it is the dolphin carrying diseases that will put an end to it.
It is very sad that at a time when we have learned so much about these magnificent creatures about their intelligence and their compassion towards humans that this mindless killing still goes on in the 21st Century. The fact that whale and dolphin watching can generate over $2.1 billion (U.S) per year around the world for ecotourism (which is much greater than whale and dolphin killing for meat) should be a major incentive to switch approaches in Japan.
As you watch the video below you will see that the Japanese have now perfected a way to commit "bloodless" killing of the dolphins. They are touting it as bloodless and humane but it is anything but humane. They have also covered up the killing area of the dolphins with tarps so that it cannot be seen from the outside. However, footage has been shot of what really goes on. After you watch the video, please take a minute to sign the petition and send an email to those in Japan that are continuing to allow this to go on. Thank you for helping to put an end to this barbaric practice on such beautiful animals of the sea.
Taiji Urgent Contact List
PETITION: Stop the Dolphin Slaughter in Taiji, Japan
Video: Inhumane dolphin slaughter in Taiji, Japan 2011
Absolutely deplorable . Shame !
When anyone wants to know the definition of shame, show them the photo above. They know what they are doing, and yet they still do it!!
The men that do this must have no soul! I do not begin to understand this unbelievable evil that I witnessed in this video, the dolphins fight to live and this new bloodless killing causes so much pain and suffering- why is this not on CNN and FOX news!!!?!Please pray for the dolphins so this will end!
How cruel and disgusting to kill such sensitive, beautiful animals who teach us so much about companionship, kindness, playfulness etc. We have not yet learnt to treat these compassionate animals with the kindness that they truly deserve and have always shown to mankind.
how horible and just horrid.i think i just lost alot of respect.for some typs of people.may god forgive them.animals of the wild and all around need some type of majore protection .i mean we're fighting discusting people here that are just after money and selfish gain.and all the most beautifule creatures of the earth are suffering for thier stupid beliefs.
WHERE ARE THE PETITIONS SO WE CAN SIGN THEM TO STOP THESE IDIOTS? THEY SURE WOULDN'T WANT WHAT THEY ARE DOING TO THESE POOR DOLPHINS...DONE TO THEM!! MAYBE WE SHOULD CORNER A FEW OF THESE IDIOTS & DO THE SAME TO THEM ...LET THEM FEEL WHAT ITS LIKE!