Over the years the Japanese have been going on annual dolphin hunts. The Japanese have issued over 23,000 dolphin hunting permits each year. This is giving permission to hunters to kill thousands of dolphins in the six month period from September to March. The way these dolphins are being killed is brutal and inhumane. The Japanese hunters have gone great lengths in the past years to hide this hunt from the public. They send about 26 men out on boats early in the morning to ensure that no one hears or sees the blood and screams coming from the dolphins.
The men get the dolphins in a panic by banging pipes under the water to make loud noises, making it easier for these hunters to corral the dolphin in their secret, slaughter cove. These chases can last up to 8 or more hours, and many dolphins die just from the stress of the chase. Once they have corralled the dolphins in this secret cove, the massacre begins. The men trap and begin to stab them to death using spears, fishing hooks and knives. This results in a blood-filled ocean. The Japanese put so much effort into hiding this slaughter from the public that a majority of the people in Japan has no idea about the dolphin slaughter. The hunters claim that this is a means of “pest control” and a way of providing food. What they do not disclose is that the dolphin meat that they are selling to the stores and schools is highly contaminated with high levels of mercury that is over the allotted amount for human consumption. They are also falsely selling this meat, claiming that it is whale meat, which is considered a delicacy in Japan. Also the dolphins that appear to be show worthy are captured and sold to aquariums and zoos for a grand total of $154,000 per dolphin.
Student Researcher: Ciara Egerton, Constanza Ulloa Colina
Faculty Evaluator: Elliot D. Cohen, Ph.D.
Indian River State College
Source: Save Japan Dolphins.com http://www.savejapandolphins.org/index.php/