Japan’s secret dolphin slaughter exposed
Oct 12, 2009
© Save Japan Dolphins
Multi-award winning docu-drama The Cove gets a UK-wide cinematic release on Friday 23rd October. The film, which exposes the brutal capture and slaughter of dolphins in Japanese ‘drive hunts’, has already made waves in the US and looks set to create an international tidal wave of opposition to the cruel hunts.
WSPA will be at the UK VIP premiere screening tonight, urging British government officials to put pressure on Japan’s new Government to stop these unnecessary killings.
We will also be joining several of our member societies at a vigil outside the Japanese embassy in London on 21st October, in a peaceful protest against the hunts.
The secret is out
Around 20,000 dolphins, porpoises and whales are killed in Japanese waters each year. Many are killed in ‘drive hunts’ - chased by motorised boats into small coves where they are then brutally slaughtered.
Others, like the Dall’s porpoise, are speared with hand harpoons further out at sea, then tied to buoys and left to slowly bleed to death.
‘The Cove’ focuses on the Japanese coastal town of Taiji, where around 2,000 dolphins are killed each year for their meat. It also follows the quest of animal welfare groups to expose this ‘secret’ slaughter to the world. Watch the trailer below (please be aware that this film contains content that some people may find distressing).
Captive incentive
© WSPA
A few select dolphins are captured alive from Taiji’s bloody waters to feed the demand of the captivity industry.
Aquariums and ‘swim with dolphins‘ parks around the world pay as much as £100,000 per animal. Demand for live dolphins is the biggest economic incentive for the hunts to continue – dolphins are literally dying to entertain us.
WSPA is opposed to the keeping of whales and dolphins in captivity. These highly intelligent animals suffer both physically and mentally during brutal capture operations and are then subjected to lifetime confined in concrete underwater prisons, unable to express normal behaviours or social interactions.
Stress, disease and infections all contribute to a six-fold increase in mortality rates for dolphins after capture and studies show that life expectancy in captivity is severely reduced. Our report The Case Against Marine Mammals in Captivity explains the truth behind the dolphins’ smile.
Take action against dolphin cruelty
If you want to take action against dolphin cruelty, there are a few things you can do to help us and other charities working on this issue.
If you live in or near London, please come and join WSPA and other organisations in a lunchtime vigil outside the Japanese Embassy in London on 21 October, 12 noon – 2pm, in protest against the cruel hunts. Here's how to find the embassy, hope to see you there.
Ask Gordon Brown to express the concern of British people to the new Japanese Prime Minister - join in and sign the petition
We want to stop any more dolphinariums being built and end the trade of wild whales and dolphins in Europe. Sign WSPA’s petition for a ban on captive dolphin facilities in the EU
Take your friends to see ‘The Cove’, opening at selected cinemas across the UK on 23rd October. Please check your local cinema listings and ask them to show this important film. Find out more about the movie or search for your nearest cinema screening the film
Learn more about why WSPA is against the keeping of dolphins in captivity
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