Tuesday, September 26, 2006


WHAT DON'T THEY WANT US TO SEE?


"Drive fishing, the method of killing the dolphins, is criticised as particularly cruel. Off the coast fishermen surround a pod (group) of dolphins. They lower long metal poles into the water and strike them to create a wall of sound that scares the dolphins and confuses their navigational skills. In Taiji, the dolphins are then driven into a shallow cove and a net across the mouth of the cove prevents escape. The next day the dolphins are herded into another cove away from prying eyes and camera lenses and are killed with knives or stabbed to death with spears. Japanese officials state that the dolphins die quickly and with minimum pain. NGO observers say the dolphins clearly suffer a prolonged, excruciating death. [In fact largely for use as pet food and fertilizer.]

Until a few years ago, the hunts were carried out in public. Now, due to increased interest, tarpaulins over and around the cove mask the killing, cliff paths overlooking the cove have been put out of bounds, and photographers are chased away...

Such incidents and the hunts in general rarely appear in the Japanese media..."


Further info:

Save Taiji Dolphins Campaign [What is being hidden]

One Voice

The Ecologist

With thanks to Jeff Bryant...

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thanks for providing the links...the brutality must be stopped.

Joy Des Jardins said...

My God Robert...that's about as brutal and horrid as it comes. Similar to the despicable clubbing of seal pups. Can't imagine why they WOULDN'T want to keep this as secret as possible. Thanks for the info...I think.

Anonymous said...

The whole thing makes me ill, from the captivity of dolphins in small pools for local shows to the killing for "pet food". I just wonder if there's any information as to what pet food it's in? I regularly buy cat food here and wonder if that's safe. What kanji would we see on products we might buy, do you know?

Anonymous said...

Many thanks for the post Robert. Long term residents may know of photo-journalist Boyd Harnell. He wrote one the most comprehensive articles yet on the drive hunts for the Japan Times last November and won an award. Ric O'Barry will be going to Taiji to protest this fall. From Ric's web site, "We will work in a respectful, peaceful manner within the framework of Japanese law." If you'd like to join him, please contact Ric here marinemammal@earthisland.org

As far as reading labels, look for the kanji for whale or kujira. Dolphin meat is often mislabeled as whale meat

http://www.safetyfirst.gr.jp/english/misad.html

Jeff Bryant