Dolphin Massacre Ensues...

Hi animal lovers, 

The Cove, Taiji Japan



Every September 1st, near a cove in Taiji, Japan, a dolphin hunt ensues and lasts six months. During these six months, the town's "fishermen" catch about 20,000 dolphins.  Half are then sold to aquariums, half are killed and disguised as whale meat, even though dolphins are very high in mercury.  The fishermen are quick to point out that dolphins are not covered by the whaling suspension. Thanks for the information.

What is seen by most human beings as senseless, disgusting killing is seen as pest control by these fishermen, blaming the dolphins for devastating the Taiji fish supply.  They also claim that dolphin killing is a cultural tradition, but if this is true, why is it kept secret from the community and the rest of the world? The dolphin-killing cove is shielded by steep cliffs, dense undergrowth, and barriers. Land that used to be part of a conservation area is now gated, locked, covered with “NO TRESSPASSING” signs and surrounded by authorities.  Cultural tradition? It doesn’t seem so.

A typical dolphin hunt goes a little like this…


The Taiji fishermen in their boats, herding the dolphins
into the cove


Numerous fishermen set out in boats and pursue pods of dolphins across the open ocean.  They stick long metal poles into the water and bang them together to confuse the dolphin’s hyper-sensitive sense of sound.  The dolphins become distorted, frightened and exhausted.  They are driven into a large cove (not the cove) and sealed off with nets to prevent them from escaping.  After dolphin trainers from aquariums around the world pick through the ones that they want, the rest are tied up by their back fins (flukes), and dragged by boat around to the hidden cove (the "Killer Cove").  They are given a night to expend all their energy and in the morning are butchered by the fishermen with knives and spears.

The Cove, after one of the many
senseless killings

This is absolutely horrifying.  We must act now and stop this cruelty.  The fishermen of Taiji are getting away with this by the help of the Japanese government, which is making lots of profit.   The only way to stop this insanity is to raise awareness.  Until the people of Japan and the rest of the world know what’s going on, it will continue every September.  However, change does not happen overnight.  An activist named Ric O’Barry recently filmed a documentary in Taiji called ‘The Cove’.  It follows a team of activists as they pull a dangerous, undercover mission and enter the cove in Taiji.  They are trying to bring light to this dark and devastating situation.  It won an Academy Award for best documentary in 2009.  We need to join the fight with Ric O’Barry from the Save Dolphins Now campaign.  He has many ideas and ways to get involved and you find his website and blog here.  To join the petition site, click here.

Victoria xo.


p.s.  Watch this... it's the trailer for The Cove...