Time's Up for Dolphins in Taiji

There's a little town in Japan called Taiji which used to seem like an unremarkable place with Buddhist temples, a whale museum, fisherman and a verdant national park nestled around a small cove. It used to have a big secret too. Through the award-winning documentary, the Cove, the bloody secret of this town has been exposed to the world. Beginning September 1st through March 23,000 dolphins and porpoises are slaughtered.

With the world watching,Taiji is now at the epicenter of an ongoing battle to and stop this horrible practice. The thousands of dolphins are routinely rounded up by fisherman and driven into the cove. There, they are chosen by dolphin trainers for a destitute life in a tank somewhere around the globe or a swim-with dolphin program. The so-called less appealing ones are chopped up and found neatly stacked in styrofoam trays in Japanese supermarkets (often mislabeled as whale meat). Most Japanese people are completely unaware of what is happening in Taiji.

While Taiji might be thousands of miles away, there's much you can do right now to help stop this slaughter.

1. Send a letter to Obama Administration officials and the Japanese Ambassador to the US

2. Ask others to get involved.

3. As a tourist, think twice before you participate in a swim-with-dolphin program or visit a captive dolphin. There's a good chance such an animal could be from Taiji.

4. See the Cove! It's a beautiful, engaging, enthralling and fascinating film that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

The secret is out. The slaughter has begun in Taiji. We can all take action now to shut the cove down.

Sarah's Social Action Snapshot originally appeared on Takepart.com

 

 

Follow Sarah Newman on Twitter: www.twitter.com/SarahNow

Comments

[QueenCeleste]

Thank you for this piece. I have been protesting porpoise slaughter since the murderous tuna fishing methods years ago. (An old bumpersticker read "Would You Kill Flipper for a Tuna Sandwich?")

This Japanese slaughter is revolting. I never cease to marvel at the hideous cruelty man shows to creatures. Thank goodness for "The Cove" and those dedicated to stopping this atrocity.

[sammyj48]

So far no word from any newsgroups regarding if the slaughter is going on, supposedly France's La Monde media is there today. hopefully no news is good news.

What I find very ironic and I just noticed this (I am surprised no one else has), pertaing to this article you might want to get rid of ( or ask) the "SWIM WITH DOLPHINS" GOOGLE ad right below Glen Beck in the More in Green section. I'm pretty sure that Ric O'Barry, and the OPS's goal along with the dolphin slaughter is to rid these kind of dolphin captivity programs.
Just my 2 cents.

[LukeM]

I urge people to go see The Cove while it's still in theaters. Success as a film shows that the public is aware and supportive of this issue. It's an easy way to show that people care.

[protoceratops]

:(

[protoceratops]

poor dolphins

[sammyj48]

So far good news, no dolphins have been slaughtered on the first day of the kill, looks like a lot of world media is in Taiji including for the first time Japanese media.

http://www.savejapandolphins.org/blog.html

[Sarah Newman - Huffpost Blogger]

Yes-today was fortunately a great day for the dolphins of Taiji.

[cinder]

Now that The Cove is in theaters, are there news organizations watching the slaughter? Probably the best advice is to avoid swimming with the dolphins and the dolphin show. Thanks Sarah.

[Sarah Newman - Huffpost Blogger]

Ric O'Barry is in Taiji and sending updates. You can follow them on savejapandolphins.org

[sammyj48]

Bad news Dolphin Slaughter resumed today after the large group of media left.

http://www.japanprobe.com/?p=12533#comments