Taiji dolphin drive hunt
Encyclopedia
The dolphin drive hunt in Taiji
, Japan
, takes place every year from September to April.
According to the Japanese Fisheries Research Agency, 1,623 dolphins were caught in Wakayama Prefecture in 2007 for human consumption or resale to dolphinarium
s, and most of these were caught at Taiji.
The annual dolphin hunting provides income for local residents, but has received international criticism for both the cruelty of the dolphin killing and the high mercury levels of the dolphin meat.
s for commercial purposes in Taiji still continues. In 2008, 1,484 dolphins and whales were caught, while fisherman planned to catch around 2,400 in 2009. Some of the dolphins are sold to aquatic parks, instead of slaughtered, and Ted Hammond
is one of the main brokers for Taiji.
in the whale and dolphin meat sold around Japan. In their studies, Taiji residents who eat dolphin meat had high level of mercury in their hair. Research done by the National Institute for Minamata Disease (NIMD) in 2008 tested mercury levels in 7 pieces of whale meat
(2 were pieces from Taiji) and one bag of mixed whale innards from Taiji. Their results showed that the meat from Taiji had over 13ppm of mercury; over 65% of which was methyl mercury. The whale innards (which are also consumed in the town) had a high concentration of mercury caused mostly by inorganic mercury. Whale meat contaminated with mercury is commonly eaten in the town, and residents have been found to have 10 times the level of mercury in their hair when compared to average Japanese citizens. The Japanese Ministry of Health issued warnings on the consumption of some species of fish, whale and dolphin since 2003. It recommended that children and pregnant women avoid eating them on a regular basis.
) has been reported but, some of the residents were found to have high levels of mercury in their hair. The collection of data will be finished by the end of March 2010.
first went to Taiji to attempt to free 200 melon-headed whale
s which had been captured by fishermen for food for lions at the Shirahama Zoo. Jones, who founded BlueVoice.org
with film star Ted Danson
in 2000, has returned to Taiji numerous times to try to stop the capture of dolphins and small whales
. His film The Dolphin Defender, produced by the PBS
series Nature
documents these events.
In 2003, two activists cut a net to release captured dolphins (pilot whales) and were arrested for forcible obstruction of business and for damage to property. They spent 23 days in jail, and were released after paying fines of $5,000 and $3,000 each. Taiji's fishery cooperative union argues that these protesters "continue to willfully distort the facts about this fishery" and their agendas are "based neither on international law nor on science but rather on emotion for economic self-interest."
Other celebrities have protested the dolphin killings as well. On November 1, 2007, Hayden Panettiere
claimed that she was confronted by Japanese fishermen, as she and several other activists were interfering with their annual hunt by attempting "to rescue a pool of dolphins captured in fishing nets." She drove straight to an airport with her fellow activists and left the country "to avoid being arrested for trespassing by the Japanese police
". An officer of the Taiji Fishery Union contradicts such claims, and pointed out "On the 29th a whaling ship which had been fishing in nearby waters returned to port (so there was enough whale meat). We do not want to extinguish whales because we understand that overfishing leads to self-destruction. The activists came into sea again when we were trying to drive small pilot whales off the coast." "[We tried to let the activists go ashore, as the whales might run wild when drove away. But the activists do not understand our language. So we tried to push them away with a stick we use for hunting." The video footage published on Sea Shepherd website shows that the incident took place well after the cull, and also shows a fisherman driving the whales off the coast. The Whaling Industry in Japan claim this kind of act to be an attack on their culture.
Activists report that they have been harrassed and threatened when trying to document the hunts by local supporters of the dolphin fishermen. Although the killing cove is adjacent to Yoshino Kumano Kokuritsu Koen, a public park, the park is often sealed to visitors by the police during the hunts.
Japanese noise musician and PETA
activist, Masami Akita, more commonly known as Merzbow
, has produced an album, Dolphin Sonar
, as a protest against these annual dolphin killings.
In August 2010, activist Ric O'Barry
canceled a planned protest of the dolphin hunt in Taiji after threats from ultra-nationalist groups. Said O'Barry, "It was too dangerous. The big losers are the people of Taiji."
and shows controversial dolphin killing techniques and discusses high mercury levels in Taiji dolphin meat. When the film won an Oscar, the mayor of Taiji and the chief of the Taiji Fishery Union said, "Dolphin and whale hunting in Taiji is not an illegal act, [it is] in compliance with the Fisheries Act and under Wakayama Prefecture's approval." Taiji town officials have also contested some of the scientific evidence presented by the film.
Since the release of the film, a larger number of activists, mainly non-Japanese, have visited Taiji to protest or film the dolphin hunts. The activists observe and monitor the hunting throughout the hunting season from September until it ends in April. The Taiji fishermen responded by constructing an elaborate structure of tarps
to better conceal the drive-hunting activities in and around the cove. Also, the town set up a police box staffed with 10 policemen near the cove to prevent conflict between the protesters and the fishermen.
Taiji, Wakayama
is a town located in Higashimuro District, Wakayama, Japan.As of 1 January 2011, the town has an estimated population of 3,225 and a population density of 541 persons per km². The total area is 5.96 km². Taiji is the smallest local government by area in Wakayama Prefecture because, unlike others,...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, takes place every year from September to April.
According to the Japanese Fisheries Research Agency, 1,623 dolphins were caught in Wakayama Prefecture in 2007 for human consumption or resale to dolphinarium
Dolphinarium
A dolphinarium is an aquarium for dolphins. The dolphins are usually kept in a large pool, though occasionally they may be kept in pens in the open sea, either for research or for public performances...
s, and most of these were caught at Taiji.
The annual dolphin hunting provides income for local residents, but has received international criticism for both the cruelty of the dolphin killing and the high mercury levels of the dolphin meat.
History
Residents of Taiji have been refining whaling techniques and have had significant whaling operations since the early 17th century, and became known as a center for whaling in 1675. Hunting of dolphinDolphin
Dolphins are marine mammals that are closely related to whales and porpoises. There are almost forty species of dolphin in 17 genera. They vary in size from and , up to and . They are found worldwide, mostly in the shallower seas of the continental shelves, and are carnivores, mostly eating...
s for commercial purposes in Taiji still continues. In 2008, 1,484 dolphins and whales were caught, while fisherman planned to catch around 2,400 in 2009. Some of the dolphins are sold to aquatic parks, instead of slaughtered, and Ted Hammond
Ted Hammond
Ted Hammond is an American veterinarian and amusement park consultant based in Asia. He is a founding member of the International Association for Aquatic Animal Medicine...
is one of the main brokers for Taiji.
Health risks
Since 2000, Researchers such as Tetsuya Endo, a professor at the Health Sciences University of Hokkaido, have found high concentrations of mercuryMercury (element)
Mercury is a chemical element with the symbol Hg and atomic number 80. It is also known as quicksilver or hydrargyrum...
in the whale and dolphin meat sold around Japan. In their studies, Taiji residents who eat dolphin meat had high level of mercury in their hair. Research done by the National Institute for Minamata Disease (NIMD) in 2008 tested mercury levels in 7 pieces of whale meat
Whale meat
Whale meat is the flesh of whales used for consumption by humans or other animals. It is prepared in various ways, and is historically part of the diet and cuisine of various communities that live near an ocean, including those of Japan, Norway, Iceland, and the Arctic...
(2 were pieces from Taiji) and one bag of mixed whale innards from Taiji. Their results showed that the meat from Taiji had over 13ppm of mercury; over 65% of which was methyl mercury. The whale innards (which are also consumed in the town) had a high concentration of mercury caused mostly by inorganic mercury. Whale meat contaminated with mercury is commonly eaten in the town, and residents have been found to have 10 times the level of mercury in their hair when compared to average Japanese citizens. The Japanese Ministry of Health issued warnings on the consumption of some species of fish, whale and dolphin since 2003. It recommended that children and pregnant women avoid eating them on a regular basis.
2008 AERA article and research
In June 2008, AERA, a Japanese weekly journal, reported that the whale and dolphin meat sold in Taiji contained 160 times higher level of mercury and hairs of 8 men and women had 40 times higher, based on a research conducted by the National Institute for Minamata Disease (NIMD). The NIMD published the full data of the research online a few days later, and explained it in detail to avoid misrepresentation of the research. It has pointed out that the amount of Methyl-mercury, which causes neurological damage, was not exceedingly high, and the mercury in hair showed rapid decrease since tests carried out by other institutions a few months ago to the same people. The NIMD agreed to help in monitoring the health of Taiji residents. The NIMD has checked more than 1,000 Taiji residents since last year. No sign of Minamata disease (mercury poisoningMercury poisoning
Mercury poisoning is a disease caused by exposure to mercury or its compounds. Mercury is a heavy metal occurring in several forms, all of which can produce toxic effects in high enough doses...
) has been reported but, some of the residents were found to have high levels of mercury in their hair. The collection of data will be finished by the end of March 2010.
2010 mercury testing
In 2010, hair samples from 1,137 Taiji residents were tested for mercury by the National Institute for Minimata Disease. The average amount of methyl mercury found in the hair samples was 11.0 parts per million for men and 6.63 ppm for women, compared with an average of 2.47 ppm for men and 1.64 ppm for women in tests conducted in 14 other locations in Japan. 182 Taiji residents showing extremely high mercury levels underwent further medical testing to check for symptoms of mercury poisoning. None of the Taiji residents, however, displayed any of the traditional symptoms of mercury poisoning, according to the Institute. Japan's National Institute of Population and Social Security Research, however, reports that the mortality rate for Taiji and nearby Koazagawa, where dolphin meat is also consumed, is over 50% higher than the rate for similarly-sized villages throughout Japan.Environmentalist activities
In 1979, environmental filmmaker Hardy JonesHardy Jones
Hardy Jones is a wildlife and conservation filmmaker. He began his career in radio at WNOE in New Orleans and has worked for United Press International, The Peruvian Times, and CBS News. He has been a television documentary producer since 1978 and has produced over 75 films for PBS, Discovery, TBS,...
first went to Taiji to attempt to free 200 melon-headed whale
Melon-headed Whale
The melon-headed whale is a cetacean of the oceanic dolphin family . It is closely related to the pygmy killer whale and pilot whale, and collectively these dolphin species are known by the common name blackfish. It is also related to the false killer whale...
s which had been captured by fishermen for food for lions at the Shirahama Zoo. Jones, who founded BlueVoice.org
BlueVoice.org
BlueVoice.org is an ocean conservation organization founded in 2000 by Hardy Jones and Ted Danson. Its mission is to protect dolphins, whales and other marine mammals and to raise popular awareness about the plight of the oceans....
with film star Ted Danson
Ted Danson
Edward Bridge “Ted” Danson III is an American actor best known for his role as central character Sam Malone in the sitcom Cheers, and his role as Dr. John Becker on the series Becker. He also plays a recurring role on Larry David's HBO sitcom Curb Your Enthusiasm and starred alongside Glenn Close...
in 2000, has returned to Taiji numerous times to try to stop the capture of dolphins and small whales
Whaling in Japan
Whaling in Japan may have begun as early as the 12th century. During the 20th century, Japan was heavily involved in commercial whaling until the International Whaling Commission moratorium on commercial whaling went into effect in 1986...
. His film The Dolphin Defender, produced by the PBS
Public Broadcasting Service
The Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
series Nature
Nature (TV series)
Nature is a wildlife television program produced by Thirteen/WNET New York. It has been distributed to United States public television stations by the PBS television service since its debut on October 10, 1982. Some episodes may appear in syndication on many PBS member stations around the U.S. and...
documents these events.
In 2003, two activists cut a net to release captured dolphins (pilot whales) and were arrested for forcible obstruction of business and for damage to property. They spent 23 days in jail, and were released after paying fines of $5,000 and $3,000 each. Taiji's fishery cooperative union argues that these protesters "continue to willfully distort the facts about this fishery" and their agendas are "based neither on international law nor on science but rather on emotion for economic self-interest."
Other celebrities have protested the dolphin killings as well. On November 1, 2007, Hayden Panettiere
Hayden Panettiere
Hayden Leslie Panettiere is an American actress and singer, best known as cheerleader Claire Bennet on the NBC television series Heroes. She began her acting career by playing Sarah Roberts on One Life to Live , and Lizzie Spaulding on Guiding Light , before starring at age 10 as Sheryl Yoast in...
claimed that she was confronted by Japanese fishermen, as she and several other activists were interfering with their annual hunt by attempting "to rescue a pool of dolphins captured in fishing nets." She drove straight to an airport with her fellow activists and left the country "to avoid being arrested for trespassing by the Japanese police
National Police Agency (Japan)
The is an agency administered by the National Public Safety Commission of the Cabinet Office in the cabinet of Japan, and is the central coordinating agency of the Japanese police system....
". An officer of the Taiji Fishery Union contradicts such claims, and pointed out "On the 29th a whaling ship which had been fishing in nearby waters returned to port (so there was enough whale meat). We do not want to extinguish whales because we understand that overfishing leads to self-destruction. The activists came into sea again when we were trying to drive small pilot whales off the coast." "[We tried to let the activists go ashore, as the whales might run wild when drove away. But the activists do not understand our language. So we tried to push them away with a stick we use for hunting." The video footage published on Sea Shepherd website shows that the incident took place well after the cull, and also shows a fisherman driving the whales off the coast. The Whaling Industry in Japan claim this kind of act to be an attack on their culture.
Activists report that they have been harrassed and threatened when trying to document the hunts by local supporters of the dolphin fishermen. Although the killing cove is adjacent to Yoshino Kumano Kokuritsu Koen, a public park, the park is often sealed to visitors by the police during the hunts.
Japanese noise musician and PETA
Peta
Peta can refer to:* peta-, an SI prefix denoting a factor of 1015* Peta, Greece, a town in Greece* Peta, the Pāli word for a Preta, or hungry ghost in Buddhism* Peta Wilson, an Australian actress and model* Peta Todd, English glamour model...
activist, Masami Akita, more commonly known as Merzbow
Merzbow
is the main recording name of the Japanese noise musician , born in 1956. Since 1979 he has released in excess of 350 recordings.The name "Merzbow" comes from German artist Kurt Schwitters' artwork, "Merzbau”. This was chosen to reflect Akita's dada influence and junk art aesthetic...
, has produced an album, Dolphin Sonar
Dolphin Sonar
Dolphin Sonar is a studio album by Japanese noise musician Merzbow, released in August 2008. The album consists of a suite called Dolphin Sonar divided into 3 parts. Merzbow as a PETA activist made this album in protest of the annual brutal slaughtering of some 2,500 dolphins in Japan.-Track listing:...
, as a protest against these annual dolphin killings.
In August 2010, activist Ric O'Barry
Ric O'Barry
Richard "Ric" O'Barry is an American first recognized in the 1960s for capturing and training the five dolphins that were used in the well-known TV series Flipper. O'Barry made a radical transition from training dolphins in captivity to assertively combating the captivity industry soon after...
canceled a planned protest of the dolphin hunt in Taiji after threats from ultra-nationalist groups. Said O'Barry, "It was too dangerous. The big losers are the people of Taiji."
Documentaries
A film titled The Cove (formerly The Rising) was secretly recorded over five years with high-tech video and sound equipment in Taiji. This full-length documentary was funded by billionaire James H. ClarkJames H. Clark
James H. Clark is an American entrepreneur and computer scientist. He founded several notable Silicon Valley technology companies, including Silicon Graphics, Inc., Netscape Communications Corporation, myCFO and Healtheon...
and shows controversial dolphin killing techniques and discusses high mercury levels in Taiji dolphin meat. When the film won an Oscar, the mayor of Taiji and the chief of the Taiji Fishery Union said, "Dolphin and whale hunting in Taiji is not an illegal act, [it is] in compliance with the Fisheries Act and under Wakayama Prefecture's approval." Taiji town officials have also contested some of the scientific evidence presented by the film.
Since the release of the film, a larger number of activists, mainly non-Japanese, have visited Taiji to protest or film the dolphin hunts. The activists observe and monitor the hunting throughout the hunting season from September until it ends in April. The Taiji fishermen responded by constructing an elaborate structure of tarps
Tarpaulin
A tarpaulin, colloquially tarp, is a large sheet of strong, flexible, water-resistant or waterproof material, often cloth such as canvas or polyester coated with urethane, or made of plastics such as polyethylene. In some places such as Australia, and in military slang, a tarp may be known as a...
to better conceal the drive-hunting activities in and around the cove. Also, the town set up a police box staffed with 10 policemen near the cove to prevent conflict between the protesters and the fishermen.