Dolphins herded in Japanese cove but none killed

[Cetacea]

Source: Asociated Press

By YURI KAGEYAMA, Associated Press Writer Yuri Kageyama, Associated Press Writer – 32 mins ago

TOKYO – Japanese fishermen herded dolphins into a cove made famous by an Oscar-winning documentary about the hunt but did not kill any Friday, as conservationist groups ramped up scrutiny of the annual slaughter.

An official in the seaside village of Taiji, depicted in the film "The Cove," said a handful of the best-looking dolphins were kept to be sold to aquariums, but the rest were set free Friday morning. He declined to give details.



Conservationist group Sea Shepherd said it has been monitoring Taiji with a small crew of activists this week, and urged people to come to the village to help save the dolphins.

Dolphins swim in pods in the ocean. Taiji fishermen herd them by scaring them with noise into the cove, save some for aquariums and kill the rest, piercing them repeatedly until the waters turn red with blood.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100903/ap_en_mo/as_japan_dolphin_hunt

---

Hopefully this isn't just a show until the media are gone. Still, a very good sign!

[Submariner]

1. Good

Maybe the Taiji fishermen got death threats and decided they would not want to be herded and stabbed to death like their prey.

[secondwind]

2. It's not good in my book, because those poor dolphins that will be sold will have a worse life

Especially if they are sold to "water parks", where they will be touched by humans on an everyday basis, making it traumatic for them.

Imagine if you can, children and adults "patting" you over and over and over and over. It's enough to make the poor animal nuts.

[Cetacea]

3. I suspect that six figures per dolphin trumps "tradition".

There needs to be a huge public awareness campaign linking dolphin swims and sea parks with the cove atrocities.
The rounding up of the more attractive dolphins for use in sea parks and the subsequent loss of family/community most likely scars those "lucky" survivors for the remainders of their lives. It's amazing that none of dolphins that have been perpetually touched by humans for years have not gotten seriously violent. A form of Stockholm Syndrome I believe...

[mod mom]

4. My 12 yo wants to be a marine biologist and watched The Cove

Her & her friends(some have) have long wanted to swim in controlled programs. Now, the movie has made it perfectly clear to her how inhumane the captivity is to the dolphins, she is on a mission to inform others. The importance of the movie is that it informed a large population of what is occurring.

[Cetacea]

5. That is great to hear!

The movie was very successful in many ways. In case you or your daughter are interested, Ric O'Bary has a three series mini right now entitled "Blood Dolphins" . It runs right before "Whale Wars" on Animal Planet.
I wish your daughter great success.
:)

[mod mom]

6. I'll let her know. We enjoyed watching Planet Green's "Blue August " series.

:hi:

[flvegan]

7. Sea Shepherd's call to action was yesterday, too.

http://www.seashepherd.org/news-and-media/new-100902-1.html

Thursday, September 02, 2010
Ten Dolphins Captured at The Cove in Taiji, Japan!
Sea Shepherd Crew Calls for Assistance at the Cove to Save the Dolphins

The first dolphins to be caught in Taiji this season were herded into the notorious Cove at Taiji, Japan today. These dolphins will be killed unless people come to Taiji to defend them.

Sea Shepherd has a crew of Australians, New Zealanders, Americans and Japanese in Taiji, but are seriously out numbered.

There are some 100 people in Tokyo who came to Japan to defend the dolphins, Sea Shepherd is calling for these people to come to Taiji immediately. The Dolphins will not be saved from Tokyo.

“The dolphins need defenders at the Cove today and tomorrow,” said Michael Dalton of Sea Shepherd Brisbane who is leading the Sea Shepherd team on the ground at Taiji, “If you came to Japan to save dolphins, the place to be is Taiji and the time to be here is now.”

[buckrogers1965]

8. Good first step.

The second step is to stop herding them into the cove in the first place.