I have written this paper about the dolphin slaughter that happens annually in Taiji, Japan for my AP Environmental Science class. This barbaric practice is concerning me since dolphins and small whales are being brutally harmed and no one seems to care about this issue. I decided to share my article with you, giving you both perspectives from the conservationists and fishermen. This way you will be able to come up with your own opinion about this issue. However, please consider the suffering that these animals go through in your thoughts and help activists and conservationists stop this practice. I also posted various ways that you can help the dolphins after the main article.
Dolphin Slaughter in Taiji: An Atrocious practice
In
the Japanese coastal town, Taiji, the dolphin and porpoise slaughter takes
place annually and it is a cruel and inhumane practice according to many
conservationists and animal protection organizations. Even though it is
considered a barbaric practice, locals defend the slaughter claiming that it
has been part of their culture for many years.
Annually,
fishermen in Taiji, use a technique called “drive hunting” to herd and capture
as many dolphins as possible. Each fisherman is permitted by the Wakayama prefectural
government to hunt 2,000 dolphins annually for their meat. They use metal
banger poles to create a wall of sound in order to disorient the dolphins. This
technique forces the dolphins to swim away from the boats into the cove where
the killing takes place. Into the cove, the hunters use large metal rods to
stick and penetrate the animal’s spinal cords. Then, the dolphins are left to
die from bleeding or drowning. While many dolphins are killed for their meat,
dolphin trainers from many international entertainment parks select the most
attractive dolphins to take into captivity. Conservationists often claim that
the trade in captive dolphins is the main motivation for the dolphin hunting
due to the fact that each dolphin is sold for over $100,000 to aquariums and
parks across the globe.
After
the release of Academy Award-winning 2009 film The Cove, which exposed the
slaughter that the dolphins go through each year, the Taiji controversial
practice became the main target for activists and animal protection agencies.
Also, countless celebrities such as Ricky Gervais, Shannen Doherty and the
United States ambassador to Japan Caroline Kennedy have publically opposed the
hunting. Doherty said, “You wonder how they (the
hunters) are able to go to bed at night… I think being here rocks even the most
hardened human being, because it is just atrocious.” Founder of The Dolphin
Project, Ric O’Barry, who was in the past a former dolphin trainer, speaks
determinately against dolphin captivity and the dolphin hunting industry. He
claimed, “They’re self-aware like humans and the great apes. They look in the
mirror and they know what they’re looking at. They’re not domesticated
animals.” Despite the international opposition, the locals defend the practice
saying that the dolphin and whale hunting is a tradition among the local
residents and it is important to the economic survival of Taiji.
Environmentally speaking, the dolphin and whale slaughter is
driving conservation concerns since the practice is depleting dolphin and whale
populations such as the striped dolphin and pilot whales. Even when few
dolphins are taken into captivity, it still can have an enormous impact on
dolphin populations since important breeding individuals or matriarchs can be
taken from the group. This is an important fact to learn since we are
responsible for creating awareness to this conservation issue.
In conclusion, the dolphin slaughter that takes place annually
in the cove of Taiji is considered an inhumane practice that is threatening dolphin
populations as well as the marine ecosystem. Fisherman use the technique “drive
hunting”, which is condemned by many animal protection organizations and
celebrities, to kill dolphins and small whales for their meat or sell selected
individuals for aquariums. Despite this, locals defend the hunting because it
sustains the town’s economy. Although it is important for locals, this cruelty
needs to stop before species of small cetaceans become part of the critically
endangered species list. Also, both articles should talk more about solutions
to this issue since they just state the problem and say why people are going
against it. They should come up with solutions that would inspire more people
who are not physically involved with this issue to urge for a change.
Take the pledge to not buy a ticket to a dolphin show --- http://dolphinproject.net/take-action/take-the-pledge-not-to-buy-a-ticket-to-a-dolphin-show/
Go to frequently Asked Questions on the Ric O'Barry's Dolphin Project main website, so you can learn more about what is happening with dolphins --- http://dolphinproject.net/campaigns/save-japan-dolphins/frequently-asked-questions/
Watch the Academy Award-winning 2009 film The Cove that has inspired audiences worldwide to action
SPREAD the world videos and articles like this to end dolphin exploitation and slaughter
Work Cited
About Whales and
Dolphins. “Dolphin Hunts – Conservation Concerns.” n.d.
< http://us.whales.org/issues/dolphin-hunts-conservation-concerns>
Hume, Tim, and Junko Ogura. “Dolphins killed
as Taiji’s controversial hunting season resumes in
Japan.” CNN.
25 September 2014.
< http://www.cnn.com/2014/09/24/world/asia/japan-taiji-dolphin-hunt/>
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