Yesterday, I wrote that 50-60 dolphins were about to be killed in Taiji, Japan. Now, today is Worldwide Anti-Whaling Day, where protests are being held outside Japanese embassies and consulates around the world against the killing of whales and dolphins. I may have been wrong about the dolphins in Taiji in that the reality could be much worse. Follow me after the jump.
Yesterday, I pieced together bits and pieces of information relayed by activists on the ground in Taiji. This information is now posted to blogs and facebook groups nearly as quickly as things happen there thanks to the efforts of dedicated volunteers from groups such as Save Japan Dolphins and Sea Shepherd Conservation Society.
I believed that 50-60 dolphins would be killed at dawn in Japan as they usually see if a few may be young and pretty enough for captivity, and then kill the rest. It turns out that they may have caught as many as 100 or more dolphins as per the facebook page of teenage cove guardian Elora Malama.
The "fishermen" got so greedy that they apparently spent the entire day helping the dolphin trainers select many dolphins for captivity. It was reported that they selected as many as 37 dolphins(including 1 infant) for a life in captivity for a sum as high as $300,000 each. However, several of them were removed from the pens dead before they could even make it to their new lives of being forced to entertain humans for food.
It is now possible that 60 or more dolphins that were not "pretty" enough for captivity are locked in the infamous killing cove. Their fate will now likely be decided in the next hours as Saturday morning soon approaches in Japan. Will they be slaughtered for food? Perhaps if they are very "lucky" they will be driven back out to sea, forever missing their family members(some of whom have already died from the stress of capture) that have been cruelly taken from them.
There is no need for anyone to eat dolphin meat. There is no reason for dolphins to entertain humans in captivity. Dolphins are to the sea as we are to the land. Dolphin killing "season" in Japan lasts all the way through March so please take a moment to act as Japan will eventually decide that this is no longer worth all the negative attention. Japanese whaling season is also now starting.
Let the Japanese consulates and embassies know how you feel about the dolphin issue. Call the Japanese embassy in Washington DC @ 202-238-6700. If you are in southern California call the Japanese consulate in Los Angeles @ (213)617-6700. You can find a full list of contact information for consulates throughout the US right here, and embassies and consulates throughout the world right here.
It is a 1 minute phone call for the dolphins. Ask to speak to someone about the dolphins in Taiji. Give the government of Japan a short and polite message about why this shameful practice should now end. Share this with your friends as it is only a matter of time before these two dozen "fishermen" will have to find a new way to make a living if we keep the pressure on them. Share with your friends & pass the word along. End this.
Update: ugh. SSCS cove guardian Scott West now reporting that as many as 100 dolphins are currently awaiting their fate in the cove. Make some calls.
Final update: More dolphins were selected for captivity. Even more were driven in to the cove. Slaughter has now begun. This is going to be terrible. Sounds like the biggest slaughter of the year by far.
You can still call and leave a message after hours, but you will need to select the "emergency" option.
follow up diary in series