Taiji Photo Says It All
By Mark J. Palmer
Photos by Kunito Seko
Every once in a while, a photo reaches us that explains just how horrible the dolphin hunts are in Taiji, Japan.
Our friend Kunito Seko, a photographer and activist living in Taiji, snapped such a photo during a capture operation in the notorious Cove, showing three divers grabbing a young bottlenose dolphin.
That dolphin will spend the rest of its short life in captivity, in miserable concrete tanks, doing tricks for tourists, the same tricks over and over again.
Three divers grab a baby dolphin for captivity. Photo Credit: Kunito Seko
It’s not clear from the photo, but the young dolphin being captured appears very young, probably accompanied by its mother, which may be the dolphin in the foreground, anxiously watching her baby being grabbed by divers, soon to be torn away from her forever.
Not just one life is destroyed: The mother will grieve her for an unknown period of time. The rest of the pod, which are usually all related, will also miss the young dolphin.
The international aquarium industry continues to source live dolphins from Taiji. While other dolphins are slaughtered for meat, the Taiji hunters and their enablers in the town government and captivity industry obtain most of their money from catching dolphins for sale. Dolphins caught and tamed in Taiji are sold all over the world, especially in Japan, China, and the Middle East.
The Taiji hunts for live dolphins must halt. We must continue to shame the captivity industry, and the aquariums should be shamed for buying dolphins from Taiji.
What You Can Do:
You can also write a letter to the Japanese Consulate in Washington DC:
Embassy of Japan
2520 Massachusetts Ave NW
Washington, DC 20008
Be polite, and urge the Japanese government to take action to end the Taiji dolphin hunts, once and for all.
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The International Marine Mammal Project of Earth Island Institute is at the forefront of organizations working to end the slaughter of dolphins in Taiji. Your support has led to fewer dolphins being killed and numerous aquariums coming out against the Taiji hunts, but the hunts persist. We want to save dolphin calves from this terrible, bloody hunt. It is inhumane and unacceptable. Please consider donating today!
