What Happens To Dolphins In Taiji? Honoring The Victims of Slaughter and Captivity [GRAPHIC]
6,385
Published on Aug 30, 2013
This
video tells the full story of what happens to dolphins in Taiji
[graphic kill footage included]...and hopefully, inspires you to join
the fight to help them! Today, over 100 events took place all over the
world for Japan Dolphins Day 2013. The Cove Guardians are also in Taiji
for the fourth season of Operation Infinite Patience, standing in
solidarity with the People Of The Sea. The killing begins again on
September 1st. Please join the fight to stop this cruel, horrific
practice. The suffering must end!
***
Every year, from September 1 to March 31, thousands of dolphins are brutally slaughtered in Taiji, Japan. The killing method is slow and horrific, as is the dark truth about what motivates these massacres: the 'money dolphins' taken for captivity. This is not about 'food culture'. Taiji killers have only been hunting dolphins regularly since post-WWII, and only 6-8% of the town's population is associated with Isana Fisheries Union, which issues the kill permits and represents the killers. Worse still, the Japanese government knows that the meat is poisoned with high levels of mercury. Mercury poisoning sickens and kills people, and cause deformities in babies. They've dealt with this before in Minamata, where mercury poisoning from consumption of toxic meat devastated the town. Now, the resulting pathology is named after this tragedy (Minamata Disease). Despite international outrage and worldwide activism to stop the senseless killings of these bright, beautiful animals, Japan allows the massacres to continue.
Recently, scientists have presented evidence that dolphins meet the definition of personhood. The complexity of their brains, self-awareness, language and even culture place them closer to us than any other species -- and the gap between our two species and the rest of Life on this planet is wider than ever previously imagined. Recognizing the depth and significance of this knowledge makes the reality of both the slaughter and captive keeping of cetaceans morally and ethically bankrupt. Dolphins even have names for each other, and when separated, they call for specific loved ones. One is devastated, thinking what they must say when in the hands of the cruel killers in Taiji.
What is done:
The dolphins are hunted by a method called "oikomi" drives. Killers go out to known dolphin migratory routes and find a pod (family). Then, they spread out, placing long metal pipes with flared ends into the water and bang on the tops with hammers. The sound is terrifying and disorienting to dolphins, disrupting their sensitive sonar. They flee the resultant wall of sound. In this way, the killers drive the dolphins from open sea into a small cove. Many thrash themselves against the rocks in their desperate attempt to flee the painful noise. Once driven into the cove, the dolphins are netted off. If the family caught is of a "money dolphin" species (e.g., bottlenose), trainers from the nearby Taiji Whale(ing) Museum and associated dolphin profiteers are called in. They select the most attractive animals, for which they pay top dollar (a Live dolphin is worth $10,000 USD; a trained dolphin, $150-300,000 USD or more. A dead dolphin is only worth ~$700. Taiji is the largest exporter of captive dolphins in the world). After the family is robbed of their young and attractive loved ones, the killers herd the remaining dolphins toward shore and the sick, slow killing begins. The screams and thrashing sounds of the agonized dolphins can be heard as the killers move from one to the next, driving a metal spike by hand behind the head of each deeply traumatized animal, purportedly to sever their spinal cord and "kill them instantly" -- only accurate if one defines "instantly" to mean as much as TWENTY MINUTES or more. This sickening technique is called pithing, and done by hand, slowly and ineffectively, it is nothing short of pure torture for the victims. Dolphins have been seen suffering as long as 20 minutes or more; Pilot Whales, over an hour and still moving on the way to the butcherhouse. :'(
The Academy Award-winning film, "The Cove," addresses the Taiji dolphin slaughters and the issues surrounding them. The killings are still happening, right now. Please join the fight to END this cruel, senseless, inhumane and unethical action!
SEE COVE MONITORS' LIVE FEED OF DOLPHIN DRIVES:
http://www.taiji.ezearth.tv/
WEBSITES: BE INFORMED AND JOIN THE FIGHT!
http://www.takepart.com/thecove
http:www.opsociety.org
http://www.savejapandolphins.org/
http://www.takepart.com/actions/cove-...
http://www.seashepherd.org/
http://www.championsforcetaceans.com/
TWITTER:
@CoveGuardians #tweet4taiji #tweet4dolphins #captivitykills #sjdolphins
To learn more about cetaceans meeting the definition of personhood, please visit:
http://www.indefenseofdolphins.com/
http://www.cetaceanrights.org
***
Every year, from September 1 to March 31, thousands of dolphins are brutally slaughtered in Taiji, Japan. The killing method is slow and horrific, as is the dark truth about what motivates these massacres: the 'money dolphins' taken for captivity. This is not about 'food culture'. Taiji killers have only been hunting dolphins regularly since post-WWII, and only 6-8% of the town's population is associated with Isana Fisheries Union, which issues the kill permits and represents the killers. Worse still, the Japanese government knows that the meat is poisoned with high levels of mercury. Mercury poisoning sickens and kills people, and cause deformities in babies. They've dealt with this before in Minamata, where mercury poisoning from consumption of toxic meat devastated the town. Now, the resulting pathology is named after this tragedy (Minamata Disease). Despite international outrage and worldwide activism to stop the senseless killings of these bright, beautiful animals, Japan allows the massacres to continue.
Recently, scientists have presented evidence that dolphins meet the definition of personhood. The complexity of their brains, self-awareness, language and even culture place them closer to us than any other species -- and the gap between our two species and the rest of Life on this planet is wider than ever previously imagined. Recognizing the depth and significance of this knowledge makes the reality of both the slaughter and captive keeping of cetaceans morally and ethically bankrupt. Dolphins even have names for each other, and when separated, they call for specific loved ones. One is devastated, thinking what they must say when in the hands of the cruel killers in Taiji.
What is done:
The dolphins are hunted by a method called "oikomi" drives. Killers go out to known dolphin migratory routes and find a pod (family). Then, they spread out, placing long metal pipes with flared ends into the water and bang on the tops with hammers. The sound is terrifying and disorienting to dolphins, disrupting their sensitive sonar. They flee the resultant wall of sound. In this way, the killers drive the dolphins from open sea into a small cove. Many thrash themselves against the rocks in their desperate attempt to flee the painful noise. Once driven into the cove, the dolphins are netted off. If the family caught is of a "money dolphin" species (e.g., bottlenose), trainers from the nearby Taiji Whale(ing) Museum and associated dolphin profiteers are called in. They select the most attractive animals, for which they pay top dollar (a Live dolphin is worth $10,000 USD; a trained dolphin, $150-300,000 USD or more. A dead dolphin is only worth ~$700. Taiji is the largest exporter of captive dolphins in the world). After the family is robbed of their young and attractive loved ones, the killers herd the remaining dolphins toward shore and the sick, slow killing begins. The screams and thrashing sounds of the agonized dolphins can be heard as the killers move from one to the next, driving a metal spike by hand behind the head of each deeply traumatized animal, purportedly to sever their spinal cord and "kill them instantly" -- only accurate if one defines "instantly" to mean as much as TWENTY MINUTES or more. This sickening technique is called pithing, and done by hand, slowly and ineffectively, it is nothing short of pure torture for the victims. Dolphins have been seen suffering as long as 20 minutes or more; Pilot Whales, over an hour and still moving on the way to the butcherhouse. :'(
The Academy Award-winning film, "The Cove," addresses the Taiji dolphin slaughters and the issues surrounding them. The killings are still happening, right now. Please join the fight to END this cruel, senseless, inhumane and unethical action!
SEE COVE MONITORS' LIVE FEED OF DOLPHIN DRIVES:
http://www.taiji.ezearth.tv/
WEBSITES: BE INFORMED AND JOIN THE FIGHT!
http://www.takepart.com/thecove
http:www.opsociety.org
http://www.savejapandolphins.org/
http://www.takepart.com/actions/cove-...
http://www.seashepherd.org/
http://www.championsforcetaceans.com/
TWITTER:
@CoveGuardians #tweet4taiji #tweet4dolphins #captivitykills #sjdolphins
To learn more about cetaceans meeting the definition of personhood, please visit:
http://www.indefenseofdolphins.com/
http://www.cetaceanrights.org
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