Dolphin fish catching trick12/28/2023 ![]() The hunt only continues because of the demand for human entertainment. In fact, our research revealed that as of March 11, 2022, 269 dolphins and small whales were being kept as inventory in a massive set of sea pens in Taiji’s Moriura Bay, waiting to be sold to aquariums across Japan and the world. In essence, it’s an animal export industry. In reality, this is about the trade of dolphins to aquariums for entertainment across the world, hiding behind “tradition”. The Japanese government has defended the hunt as part of local culinary tradition, but hardly anyone in the country eats dolphin meat. This was around the time when the United States was booming with dolphinariums driven by a popular TV series Flipper, in which a dolphin was a lead character.Ī live dolphin is sold for as much as JPY 5 million ($36,000) overseas, while it only fetches JPY 50,000 ($360) as meat. It’s a little-known fact that hunting really started only in 1969 with the establishment of the Taiji Whale Museum in order to display live dolphins. Today, hunters are unable to meet the annual government-set catch quota of 1,849 dolphins. Taiji is particularly notorious because hunters here usually catch entire pods, leaving no chance for families to recover and causing a devastating impact on the dolphin population.Īlready, the number of dolphins that hunters are trapping is declining - it has dropped almost to a quarter of the 2,077 dolphins caught in 2000 - even though they go out to the ocean searching for their prey every day during the season. The dolphin hunts are conducted across Japan, often using spearfishing. Our investigation revealed that at least 563 dolphins were taken from the wild in Taiji alone during the 2021-22 season, of which 498 were slaughtered and 65 were kept for aquariums. This makes it easy for hunters to catch entire pods. ![]() Dolphins are also generally gentle and do not attack humans even to defend themselves. Dolphins form strong family bonds, moving together to protect the young and old who cannot swim fast enough when chased by hunters. Sadly, in Japan, dolphin hunts continue as they did earlier, while the world’s attention has faded away.ĭuring the six-month hunting season each year, I’m confronted with a truth that’s inconvenient for many people considering the enormous popularity of dolphins at aquariums. Governments and corporations around the world are working towards sustainability goals, including wildlife conservation. ![]() Climate change is considered humanity’s biggest challenge. More than a decade has passed and the world has changed. While the film was highly acclaimed worldwide, it received a backlash in Japan as conservatives called it an attack on the country’s culture. The small town of Taiji made global headlines after the 2010 Academy Award-winning documentary film, The Cove, highlighted Japan’s little-known dolphin hunting practice. On September 1, a new season of cruelty will begin. In a matter of a few hours, an entire family of dolphins was destroyed as part of what some local fishermen and Japanese politicians call a “tradition”. Their dead bodies were dragged into Taiji fishing port, soon to become meat products. Hunters struck them with a sharp metal spike into their necks just behind the blowholes, making them suffocate in their own blood, turning the ocean water around them red. The fate of the 16 unchosen dolphins was even more cruel. ![]() Now, they were facing a life in a small concrete pool, performing tricks to entertain people who rarely think about how the dolphins ended up there. Just an hour earlier, these dolphins had been swimming freely in the ocean with their family. Keep reading list of 4 items list 1 of 4 The Shark Fin Hunters list 2 of 4 US says climate change threatens wolverines with extinction list 3 of 4 Photos: ‘Out of control’ fires endanger wildlife in Brazil’s wetlands list 4 of 4 What is panda diplomacy, and why are the bears going back to China? end of list
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