Dozens of pilot whales, Risso's dolphins and other species have been the target of drive hunts in Taiji since September. The hunts are highlighted in the film, "The Cove". The hunts are also used to select dolphins to capture alive for the aquarium industry. This is exposed in WDCSs report Driven By Demand.
The dolphin drive hunts occur every year from September through April, and are a brutal reminder that we have a very long way to go towards securing a safe and humane future for all cetaceans. WDCS has been active in confronting the drive hunts in Japan on a number of levels, from raising awareness of the hunts, taking part in peaceful protests and visiting Japan to document them. We have worked with the marine mammal scientific community to garner a public statement against these hunts, and helped secure a US congressional resolution condemning the practice.
WDCS has also worked to secure the acknowledgement of the dolphinarium industry of its complicity in fuelling the dolphin drive hunts through the demand generated by marine parks and aquaria that either directly, or indirectly, source live dolphins from these hunts. And within Japan, we have developed an educational campaign with our Japanese colleagues to educate the public about whales, dolphins and their suffering in drive and other hunts.
Please help our campaign to bring about an end to the hunts.
Go and see the film The Cove when it appears at a cinema near you.
Send a polite message of protest to the Japanese Ambassador in London.
Sign the No. 10 petition
Ask your MP to sign Parliamentary Early Day Motion (EDM) No. 2087 entitled ‘DOLPHIN HUNTING’ which calls on Gordon Brown to raise this issue with the new Japanese Prime Minister and Government. You can find out the name of your MP and send him or her a message by clicking here.