As dolphins and whales are highly social animals who form strong friendships, it also seems probable that they would be distressed by being torn from their family members, or witnessing family members being injured or killed. The ability of dolphins and whales to communicate through language may add another dimension still to their suffering. For instance, when they are killed, dolphins are lined up next to each other.
They can be heard whistling to each other over the sounds of thrashing dolphins. It is possible that the dolphins last in line are "told" by those first in line about what will happen to them, and that they are aware as they wait that they are about to suffer a long and painful death. The treatment of dolphins and whales that takes place in Taiji would not be tolerated in any regulated slaughterhouse in the developed world. Indeed, it would not be allowed in Japanese abattoirs farm, domestic and laboratory animals are protected in Japan by animal welfare legislation which is not extended to dolphins and whales.
Footage in videos on this page is from the documentary "The Cove" and AtlanticBlue. Sign the petition to help dolphins in Australia. I've seen this and gosh - you've just got to see it for yourself.
What happens? Why do they do it? Can it be justified by culture or tradition? Why is it bad? Does Japan own the dolphins? And, from a monetary standpoint, the profits on the sale of dolphin meat are often marginal.
But the increase in demand for live dolphins, captured and shipped to aquariums and swim-with programs, has created a huge incentive for fishermen to step-up the dolphin drives which result in so may brutal deaths. BlueVoice executive director Hardy Jones, often accompanied by board member and marine conservationist Larry Curtis and Japanese environmentalist Sakae Hemmi, has worked to end this killing for more than twenty years.
There has been much success. Now only one village regularly hunts dolphins --Taiji. We monitor other villages to make certain hunting does not begin again. Traveling into these villages where the dolphins are killed is always a heart-wrenching thing. But some good news came out of our trip -- there is not the slightest doubt that the explosion of protest around the world against the brutality of dolphin hunting in Japan has had enormous impact on the Japanese government and the fishermen who conduct it.
At both Futo and Taiji we were told the same thing -- that foreign reaction is the main obstacle to the continued dolphin killing and that the fishermen fear the government will shut them down to avoid further international protest. We learned that the government suggested Futo suspend dolphin hunting operations until the public loses track of this issue.
Wildlife Watch is an investigative reporting project between National Geographic Society and National Geographic Partners focusing on wildlife crime and exploitation. Send tips, feedback, and story ideas to NGP.
WildlifeWatch natgeo. Natasha Daly is a staff writer at National Geographic where she covers how animals and culture intersect.
Follow her on Twitter and Instagram. All rights reserved. Animals Wildlife Watch. Bottlenose dolphins, caught on the first day of Taiji's infamous dolphin hunt, are held in the cove, while fishermen arrange nets. Members of the coast guard, in hard hats, observe. Share Tweet Email. Read This Next Wild parakeets have taken a liking to London.
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The Taiji dolphin slaughter continues. Many Japanese who oppose the hunts are afraid to speak out publicly because of threats from the government and the extremist anti-foreigners groups. We continue to work inside Japan with many brave Japanese activists and organizations to fight the dolphin killing and spread the news about mercury contamination of dolphin meat.
We also joined in filing the successful first-ever lawsuit in Japan against the Taiji Whale Museum, which brokers many of the live dolphins caught in Taiji during the slaughter. With success in the courts, the Museum and other dolphinariums cannot prohibit entry of activists.
Donate today and receive this beautiful new Save Japan Dolphins campaign t-shirt.
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