Taiji dolphin slaughter
Archive - November 2003

This year's drive fisheries in Japan have added to the ongoing worldwide furore and condemnation of the killing, capture and confinement of these wonderful free-ranging marine mammals.

During these hunts, small whales and dolphins are rounded up into shallow bays and slaughtered with knives and hand-held harpoons. The drive fishery in Japan continues due to the demand for the meat however the demand for the animals to supply marine parks far outweighs the demand for consumption.

This killing must be stopped. Since late September members of Sea Shepherd have been in Taiji documenting the slaughter in an attempt to stop the kills. On 23 October, 30 Melon Head whales were rounded up and driven into the bay but the crew blocked 17 of the animals and saved them from slaughter, however so far 69 striped dolphins and 13 pilot whales have been killed. Dolphin campaigner Ric O'Barry is currently documenting the situation, and there have been no further kills to date. This is compared to last year when hundreds of dolphins and whales were slaughtered in October 2002.

It is obvious that the presence of conservationists like Sea Shepherd and O'Barry is making a difference to the amount of kills taking place, however, it is extremely disconcerting to note that these campaigners lives have been threatened by the local fishermen participating in these hunts and it is vital that their peaceful protests be acknowledged and they be protected from assault or threat. Many of the general public in Japan are unaware of these hunts taking place in their country and are disgusted when advised of the slaughter.

The drive fishery in Taiji is conducted by Taiji Fishery Cooperative, being granted by the governor of Wakayama prefecture.

WHAT YOU CAN DO

Please help stop this atrocity by writing to the following voicing your condemnation and disgust at this continued inhumane slaughter of wild marine mammals: Taiji Fishery Cooperative 3167-7 Taiji, Wakayama, 649-5171, Japan Telephone: +81 735 59 2340 Fax: +81 735 59 2821 Email: taijitfc@cypress.ne.jp Mr. Yoshiki Kimura Governor of Wakayama Prefectural Office of Wakayama, 1-1 Komatsubaradouri, Wakayama-shi, Wakayama-ken, 640-8269, Japan Telephone: +81 73 441 2034 Fax: +81 73 423 9500 Email: teigen-s@office.wakayama.go.jp or e0001003@pref.wakayama.lg.jp Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi 1-6-1 Nagata-cho 1 Chome, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, 100-8968, Japan Japan Form available on website: www.kantei.go.jp/foreign/forms/comment.html Mr Yoshiyuki Kamei Minister of Fisheries 1-2-1 Ksumigaseki 1 Chome, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, 100-8907, Japan Fax : +81 3 3502 8220 Email: white56@maff.go.jp Ambassador Masaki Orita Japanese Embassy 101-104 Piccadilly, London, W1J 7JT Tel: +44 (0)20 7465 6500 Fax: +44 (0)20 7491 9347 Email: info@embjapan.org.uk To find the nearest Japanese Embassy to you visit: www.mofa.go.jp/about/emb_cons/mofaserv.html

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Thanks to Marine Connection www.marineconnection.org for the above information. Also see Sea Shepherd for details www.seashepherd.org/taiji.shtml. Photographs © Sea Shepherd/Brooke McDonald.