Japan aquariums say they'll stop getting Taiji-hunt dolphins

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP

By YURI KAGEYAMA

TOKYO (AP) — Japan's aquariums promised Wednesday to stop acquiring dolphins captured in a bloody hunt that was depicted in the Oscar-winning documentary "The Cove" and has caused global outrage.

The move by the Japanese Association of Zoos and Aquariums follows a decision last month by the Swiss-based umbrella group World Association of Zoos and Aquariums, or WAZA, to suspend the Japanese organization's membership.

WAZA characterized the Taiji hunt as "cruel," and decided that none of its members should acquire dolphins in such a way.

In that hunt, dolphins are scared with banging, herded into a cove and speared by fishermen for their meat. The best-looking ones are sold to aquariums.

FULL story at link.


Read more: http://bigstory.ap.org/article/ed52d00d0f774bed821ebd781e693036/japan-aquariums-say-theyll-stop-getting-taiji-hunt-dolphins

[Lodestar]

1. I wish that Japan had come to this decision on their own without this pressure

but am so very relieved to hear it.

[Little Tich]

2. I didn't like “the Cove” documentary, but I applaud the decision.

It was biased and an example of bad journalism. Nevertheless, this decision is good, because dolphins can't be held in captivity in a humane manner. Most of the money made from the dolphin hunt is probably from catching live ones and selling them to dolphinariums. If that revenue is lost, then there will be little profit from killing the rest, so the hunt will probably stop.

[Sunlei]

4. they can slice up thin a 'suchi animal', at $100+ a serving make thousands off each animal.

[0rganism]

5. iirc, the dolphin meat was not a big seller

the "hunters" had to give away a lot of it to local schools, where it may have made a number of children sick
of course that's going by "The Cove" documentary which may have been selective in its information

[Sunlei]

6. Those creatures are full of mercury and other contaminates, plus the bitter taint of terror.

I hope they choke on their food.

[Sunlei]

3. wonder how much they got for the albino baby from last years "hunt" and what breeding place

she sits in now to start an albino dolphin bloodline