The Hunts Begin Again in Taiji

 

The Hunts Begin Again in Taiji

By Ric O’Barry

Campaign Director

Save Japan Dolphins

Earth Island Institute

A sad day for dolphins, as our volunteers Tim and Carrie Burns report from Taiji:

Bad weather did not keep the banger boats in port today.  11 of the 12 boats went on a hunt early. 

After several hours, we noticed the outline of boats charging towards the harbor, chasing a large pod of dolphins.  First 8 boats, then another came from the south to help.  Once they got near the mouth of the bay, two other boats came from the north to help.  The dolphins slipped away several times only a few hundred yards from the mouth of the cove.  The pod split into a smaller group and a larger group.  The larger group was determined to get out of the bay, and they did.  Unfortunately, the smaller group was pushed directly into the killing cove and netted off. 

The fisherman headed back to the Fishermen’s Union to have lunch and get all the gear ready.  About an hour later a boat full of trainers and fisherman arrived.  I think the thing that surprised me the most, was that the trainers are under the tarps, picking the live dolphins they want for captivity, while the others are being slaughtered.   The Vet at Dolphin Base went to great lengths to express how he loved dolphins to me, only a few days prior, but to watch them being slaughtered next to you as you determine the best ones for marine parks is horrific. 

These dolphins that the captive industry are promoting around the world as loving, caring creatures are being slaughtered right next to the guy promoting this.  This was my first slaughter and after being here for a week I had felt seasoned, but I assure you nothing prepares you for this.  Not a movie, or a hundred You-Tube videos.  No posts you read on Facebook with pictures.  It is truly sad!  This is not something I will forget, ever!

This is the footage of what I saw today: 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lwn5W-QuFm4

 

Photo by Tim Burns.