Dolphin Ecology & Acoustics Project
Conserving Through Research
Conserving Through Research
White Sided Dolphin, Japan Photo (c) Karl Goodsell 2010
Taiji dolphin drive fishery update Each year in Japan from September to April fisherman round up and slaughter thousands of dolphins and small whales under a veil of secrecy and false pretences. In a small fishing town called Taiji, entire schools of dolphins are driven into a cove protected from the public eye and killed or sold. After welcomed media surrounding the movie ‘The Cove’ many people may now be aware of the atrocities involved in the Taiji dolphin drive fishery, which is the largest dolphin kill in the world. What is even more disturbing is that many members of the international captive dolphin industry use the Taiji dolphin drive to select dolphins to be removed into captive dolphin shows and dolphin swim programs! This year reports have come in that live dolphins captured in the Taiji dolphin drive sold for $154,000 per dolphin, and this will continue as long as these businesses are supported.
The Japanese government and fisherman hide behind words such as “food culture” and “tradition” but the truth is under 30 people and 13 boats take part in the fishery in a region with other fishery resources. The inaction to revoke permits and phase out the fishery has led new beliefs that the Japanese Government is issuing permits for the killing of dolphins as pest control! Reports on savejapandolphns.org quoted a fisherman in Taiji admitting that they “don’t kill the dolphins primarily for their meat. We kill them as a form of pest control,” in an absurd hope that killing the competition will preserve the ocean’s fish for themselves. What’s more very few people actually eat dolphin meat in Japan, which is filled with deadly levels of mercury and PCBs, so the product is often sold as counterfeit whale meat in the cities. International pressure has forced the fishery to become more discrete which in turn make it harder to get their job done as efficiently.
There are many organisations with people based in Taiji for the period of the hunt whom risk jail, deportation and fines, but are determined to uncover the truth behind this highly unsustainable fishery. Our own DEAP member and Positive Change for Taiji volunteer Karl Goodsell is heading over to Taiji to help with the campaign to end the slaughter. It is only through increased international pressure and public awareness that the dolphin drive fisheries can be stopped. For more information and news about Taiji join the Positive Change for Taiji Facebook Group
