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FISHERMAN AND DIVERS caught at least 25 dolphins in a controversial Japanese fishing village Saturday, according to environmentalists, who said the process was captive selection ahead of a mass slaughter.
Activists from the militant environmental group Sea Shepherd streamed live footage of the dolphin capture in the village of Taiji, which drew worldwide attention in 2010 when it became the subject of the Academy Award-winning documentary “The Cove”, a hard-hitting film about the annual dolphin hunt.
Every year the fishermen of Taiji corral hundreds of dolphins into a secluded bay, select a few dozen for sale to aquariums and marine parks, and stab the rest to death for meat.
The town’s fishermen defend the hunt as a cultural tradition, and “The Cove” was met by protests from right-wing activists when it was screened in Japan in 2010.
Sea Shepherd said Saturday that at least 25 dolphins were taken away from their pods for possible sale to aquariums, and that the selection is likely to continue Sunday.
“Those taken captive are forced to watch as the remaining members of their family are brutally killed for human consumption,” the environmentalist group said in a statement.
The slaughter had not begun by the time the selection process ended Saturday afternoon, and it was unclear when it would.
The Taiji Fisheries Cooperative Association, which is in charge of the dolphin hunt, was not immediately available for comment.
Claiming its tradition in no way justifies it, burning ‘witches’ used to be a tradition in Europe.
How about a protest at the Japanese embassy in Dublin?
What % of Japanese people support this barbarism? I’d imagine the majority are totally opposed to it.
I dont know, but blue whale feotus is a highly prized celicacy in japan. They flout the world wide ban on whaling by stamping ‘for research’ on the side of every one they kill. They have a huge whaling fleet so it cant be that unpopular. Iceland, norway and the faroes do the same.
‘Delicay’
balls
Fox hunting & coursing happen in Ireland but I would say the majority of people here are opposed to both.
The Japanese should realise that international opinion is against this practise & it will cause embarrassment unless it’s stopped. The Tokyo Olympics should be used to encourage Japan to stop whaling & dolphin hunting.
but no one eats foxes and theres no market for hares, its a commercial enterprise in japan and its worth millions, so it has to have customers
they know well that international opinion is against this practise, they dont care
“The Tokyo Olympics should be used to encourage Japan to stop whaling & dolphin hunting.”
I disagree with this, just as I would disagree with the boycott of the coming games in Russia. Let’s keep politics and sports separate.
Cows are not sacred in India
Hahaha. :)
Wake up and smell the coffee because just because some nations dose’nt make it right
Muppet
Thanks for reporting this massacre.
Horrific scenes in Taiji last night & probably worse to come.
http://livestream.seashepherd.org/
Without sounding too harsh why are people so upset about Dolphins being fished? Are they endangered or is it because they are thought to be friendly animals (like dogs) which mean we have decided they can’t be farmed or fished! Who made the rules on what is right and what is wrong? We eat cows which in India are sacred, do they look upon is as monsters who should be forced to change our ways! I don’t support this industry or condone it but merely curious as to the hypocrisy I our positions regarding different animals!
Eh…bcos they are wild animals who have vast territories not farm animals, they are highly intelligent wit defined societies, traditions and rituals, they are living creatures and we as humans should have evolved sufficiently to realise that we need to respect nature in order for our planet to survive.
Leaving the debate about whether they should or shouldn’t be fished aside, surely the manner in which they are killed is barbaric by anyone’s standards? Photos from previous hunts available online and they are pretty shocking
So Niamh it’s OK to slaughter animals in the thousands just as long as they were raised in farms and are regarded as lacking intelligence?
Yes John, maybe you should try reading wot I ACTUALLY said, again.
Ted watch the captive/slaughter process here http://livestream.seashepherd.org/
This will be live streamed tonight as the huge pod is further processed.
Failing that I recommend watching “The Cove” movie to get an informed insight into what the Taiji fishermen hide with their tarps around the killing cove.
Niamh in your comment you cited the fact that dolphins live in the wild and not in farms as a reason why they shouldn’t be eaten. This implies that you see nothing wrong with raising animals for slaughter.
‘John’ as I’m sure ur well aware, the argument as to whether it’s right to farm animals is a different argument to the reasons why we shouldn’t herd dolphins into a bay, trap them for days, then slaughter them in front of their families. As I said we should respect nature, not once did I justify farming….that’s just a strawman you threw in. Fyi I don’t eat meat, but that’s beside the point. This is about the horror that wild animals have to endure at the hands of humans who should know better.
@Ted.
It’s because dolphins are one of the most intelligent animals on the planet. They are one of very few animals that, when placed in front of a mirror will recognise their reflection instantly and not mistake it for another animal. They’re so intelligent that some people think they should be given rights similar to human rights. Look up non-human persons.
So why bring up farm animals at all then Niamh? If your argument is that killing animals is inherently wrong what is the relevance in comparing the wild lifestyle of dolphins with the herded lifestyle of farm animals?
Thanks for the replies guys, like I said I don’t condone any of this and I love dolphins having seen them in the wild quite a few times, I can’t force myself to watch the video, it’s something I’d rather live without! There are still fundamental hypocrisies at play here (except Niamh who I assume is against the slaughter of animals completely) but the fundamentals seem to be, intelligent animals off the menu while the less intelligent are fair game as long as humanely (privately) killed!
John, instead of picking fights wit strangers on the Internet, how about you tell us ur opinion on the slaughter of dolphins? Do something useful wit ur time.
Can I ask where exactly I picked a fight? Your comment implies something which I found rather unusual (namely the fact that dolphins live in the wild makes it less acceptable to eat them then it does farmed animals) and I asked you for some clarification. I’m sorry if you regard an attempt to broaden debate as ‘picking a fight’.
As for my own views on this matter, they primarily revolve around interesting fact that the internet never seems to get outraged when the Scandinavians go on a dolphin hunt.
Ah come on Ted , cows can’t swim or jump through a hula hoop now can they .
There was huge outrage two yrs ago when the Faroes had their hunt… but again you still haven’t given ur opinion, just ‘why object to A, when B happens’…
It doesn’t matter which side of the fence people are regarding eating meat or not, what takes place in Taiji is wrong. If you love Dolphins so much and enjoy them in the wild then don’t ignore what happens to them in Taiji.
Given the fact that that Scandinavian hunts take place every year, and we rarely hear about them does indicate the two industries are not of equal interest to the press.
To be honest I have no strong opinions on the issue one way or the other. I mean I’ve had dolphin once and while the meat is not without it’s charms it wouldn’t bother me if no dolphin is caught again.
What I always find more interesting are peoples reactions, especially how many folks list a set of qualifications an animal most possess before it becomes offensive to eat.
So wot qualities wld make an animal unsuitable to eat in ur book? Wld you eat chimp, gorilla, blue whale, black rhino, tiger, human? Where exactly do you draw the line?
Well cannibalism is illegal so it’s silly to imply that someone would like to try human.
As for the others, I’m open minded and I won’t lie, if I saw blue whale or Kentucky fried panda on a menu curiosity may win the day. Me not eating something won’t make the animal any less dead.
I see where John is coming from, and sort of thought like that before. One of the nicest things I have ever eaten was a bowl of shark fin soup, I still think about it occasionally to this day but after seeing how the ingredients of it are procured, i could never eat it again.
Its the simple rules of supply and demand, if everybody stopped eating dolphin meat or shark fin soup…then the producers would make no money off it and have to adapt and sell something their customers would like to eat….so simply saying not eating it will not make it any less dead doesn’t justify it.
I think the only reason people don’t like the idea of this specific slaughter is that dolphins are cute, friendly and intelligent creatures…and the method in which they are slaughtered is pretty heinous.
Organisations like Arran fight very hard against the capture and killing of dolphins.
And the capturing and enslavement of wild animals for entertainment and profit, are you ok with that too John? Maybe next year you should head over to Tajii and see for urself, maybe then you might come off the fence.
It’s actually spelled Taiji.
While I have been to beautiful Wakayama prefecture, I didn’t get a chance to visit the that particular town. However, if my visit to an industrial abattoir didn’t put me off ordering a stake that very evening, I hardly think witnessing fishermen doing their jobs will make me “come off the fence”.
It’s actually spelled ‘steak’.
Zing!
Glad to see your mood has lightened a bit!
Only if u had the understanding of how intelligent these animals are u would understand but u don’t comparing dolphins to dogs is comparing me to Einstein plebeian
Faceless trols like u ,,and the answer is yes urn iq is obviously in single digits
Now ur getting it Ted but put up ur pic otherwise ur like some trols who put opinions up and don’t own them
Tradition my arse, no other reason than for fcuking money
You got mate
Just because something’s “culture” doesn’t make it right!
Pavee Point would beg to differ.
As would Unionists.
Well about time journal
This was really sickening to watch and the rare albino dolphin worth more than the other dolphins was taken from her mother straight away for a life of captivity in a Taiji museum
This must stop!!!!!!!
Its our culture boss.
“Culture”…….this word is used in so many ways and can bring out the worst in human behaviour……I know this for a fact, I live in the north of Ireland!!
Why are people to emotional about cute animals?
If this was a school of ugly fish nobody would care. How about cows, pigs, chickens and sheep? Not cute enough to bother protecting?
Dolphins are another level of intelligence than the animals you mention, it’s not because they’re cute but because we can empathise with them.
johngahan
It’s not about them being cute, unlike cows pigs and sheep as you mentioned these dolphins have to endure painful slaughters in which they don’t die straight away their tails still flapping as their taken to the slaughter house
Actually I think pigs are adorable I would love one, but man bacon is so darn tasty! Baby back ribs nom!
I think people are more upset by dolphins because they are so intelligent and let’s face it we don’t know what it tastes like!
im not too bothered if theres a stable population, but they predate many endangered species, all excused (to them) under the same mentality
people obviously have no idea what goes on in an abbatoir if they think it’s a pleasant stress-free experience for the partially electrocuted animals hanging upside-down as their blood drains out.
Many vermin are highly intelligent and i hear no outcry for their welfare.
This is another case of ‘don’t hurt the fluffy bunny’ while I eat my sausages.
1Lamb tastes good but I don’t buy it
2 free range eggs taste the same as non
3 Dogs are nice companions don’t eat them
4 Horse maybe great meat but it’s a no no
5 As for placenta Disgusting
It’s a matter of taste and opinion
@cliona, what is ‘man bacon’?
It’s bacon made from man…….obviously
ah, i wasnt sure if you were reffering to food or some kind of perverted sexual taste
No it’s about protecting species. The animals we eat are domesticated animals, bred for the purpose. Dolphins are not bred, but wild, and form important parts of natural food chains, which balance habitats. There are several species endangered, with some critically endangered.
We have quotas on every fish stock that is used commercially. So it’s not just “fluffy” animal sentiment.
Humans have accelerated the rate of extinction of other species by a factor of 100 at least.
http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2010/mar/07/extinction-species-evolve
I think we can do without a “luxury” non-essential fish stock considering we have domesticated food sources and agriculture,
Like if people eat dolphins then we may as well eat man rashers! (Good save?)
WRONG! This journal report states 25 dolphins were forced into Taiji cove. It was actually 250, not 25. I watched this unfold online on Friday. It was horrific to watch. For anybody questioning if people have an issue with this just because of it involving ‘Cute dolphins’, I suggest you watch the footage as it’s broadcast every night live from Taiji by volunteer ‘Sea Shepherd’ activists. Because of the time difference, midnight Irish time is when the broadcast begins usually. It really is horrific to watch how man yet again treats other living creatures. I have emailed the Japanese embassy in Dublin twice this week objecting to the slaughter going on in Taiji, but they haven’t had the courtesy to reply. The broadcast can be viewed live on ‘Sea Shepherd’s cove guardians’ Facebook page, or website.
Arseholes, leave the gay sharks alone! Down with that sort of thing
Ah here!!! Now RTE will be praying for the Gay Sharks.
It’s “save the Gay Whales for baby Jesus” Cliona
And what a terrible time to use dark humour…
Your really sick in the noggin
But they are so flashy and happy and the way the do that tail flip darlinggggggg……
I loved flipper…..a lot
Them Japanese are some shower of assbackwards hillbilly inbreds to continue such barbarism in the name of tradition. It used to be tradition to fall on their swords but very few of these cretins are practising that.
This isn’t news it happens all the time it’s only when it’s brought to light that people give a shit.
How are people supposed to give a shit if it isn’t reported?
Sometimes our species disgust me.
Sick fuks no wonder this planet is screwed.
Kill em all
A lot of news sites make it seem like whaling is widely supported in Japan but it is very contraversal there as well. There’s only a tiny market for whale meat there and the whaling fleet is only viable due to billions of yen in government subsidies and a lot of younger Japanese are of the opinion that quite a lot of that money disappears due to corruption with the subsidies being used as cover.
Also, considering the size of the subsidies and the unviablity of commercial whaling and Japan’s two decades of economic slow down many question if this money is being well spent.
Dolphin is lovely ….. Tastes like chicken!!!!!!
What is happenning on our own shores by trawlers to our own fish stocks is more cause for concern..i am a sport angler and i return nearly everything i catch..over the last number of years stocks of fish from seabass to cod are dwindling so much so that a catch from shore is few and far between.the fishing industry here is not regulated properly and we are abusing our native marine species.if everyone is so concerned about dolphins in japan than they should voice their concerns to our own government about the mass slaughtering of our own fish at unsustainable levels..you cannot differentiate between animals over their intelligence levels..we are top of the food chain and every savoury animal is fair game as long as it is sustained in a mature and sensible fashion.
Hairy Japanese bastrds
These intelligent animals are now spending a fourth day without food and subjected to brutal handling for the live capture as babies are torn from their families at the hands of these people! Make no mistake these drive hunts are happening because of the Aquarium/ Dolphinarium demand. Utter greed there is no “tradition” there!
Each to their own when it comes to the types of food we like to eat, whether that’s beef, horse, whale, dolphin, cat/dog or deep fried grasshopper but I do have an issue with the slaughter of that food, it should be done in a manner that is humane and of the least amount of stress to the animal involved.
I have seen video’s of this dolphin slaughter and it is horrific, there has to be a far more humane way .
And they say the Japanese are a cultured civilization and this barbaric slaughter goes on these dolphins are very intelligent animal and they have feeling and they have awareNess that makes them close to us maybe the Japanese need to lose dome (face) as they say in Japan shame on these Japanese cultured nation ha ha ha
have your say