Option #4: Donate

For those of us who can't get too involved, there are a multitude of organizations that are working everyday to put an end to this inhumane practice.  These non-profits pool together individuals and resources to intervene in Taiji and raise awareness for the cause worldwide.

These non-profit organizations, while highly passionate, face the same limitations as any other company... they require money to operate.  While it may not seem like much, any donation that one can afford to give will ultimately go to further the cause.  If we are to put a stop to this atrocity, we're going to need all the resources we can get. 

The following is a list of non-profit organizations that are working to end the massacres:

(Simply click on any of the logos to be directed to the organization's respective donations page)

 

 

*Option #3: Become an ACTIVIST

Of the many ways to get involved with this issue, becoming an activist is the most intense, demanding, and rewarding option of them all.  Not only are you standing up for your beliefs, but you are actively and publicly making a difference at the same time. There are many different types of activists, each requiring a different level of exertion and commitment. 

Here are a few ways that you can become an activist:

1. Protest

Perhaps one of the oldest methods of activism, protesting serves as the most public and emotionally contagious way of spreading awareness for a given cause. Since putting an end to the Taiji drive hunts is a worldwide movement, protests are organized annually in all major cities around the world. If you feel strongly enough about this cause, then make a sign, collaborate with others, and protest against the dolphin massacre.

2. Get Friends and Family Involved

If you haven't already spread awareness of this atrocity to your friends and family members, I suggest you share this blog with them immediately. Friends and family are great people to get involved since they are usually supportive of issues that are most important to you. If your passionately contagious attitude isn't enough to get them behind the movement, then the writings and videos on this blog will definitely change their minds. To be honest though, I haven't showed one person this video that didn't immediately feel the urge to do something about this atrocity afterward. 

3. Risk It All for Reward

The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society is offering a $10,000 cash reward for the person or persons who can best document the annual slaughter of dolphins and small cetaceans in Taiji, Japan. Due to increasing access restrictions by the Taiji government, the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society is looking to motivate Japanese citizens to intervene and capture footage of the slaughter. The cash prize goes to the person who captures the most graphic images of the hunt. The photos and/or videos will be utilized by the Society to further expose the annual dolphin massacre.

Option #2: Sign the Petition

Seashepherd.org has organized an enormous online petition that includes signatures from supporters around the world. This petition will be presented to the Japanese Prime Minister, the Japanese Minster of Fisheries, as well as Japanese embassies and consulates around the world. 

Option #1: Write to a Government Official

Since the Taiji drive hunt is such a deep-rooted operation, involving a variety of individuals, each with different levels of authority, it means that there are multiple change agents that we as activists need to target in order for our presence to be felt. One of the best ways to connect with these change agents is to send them a letter or an email regarding your feelings on the issue, and demanding that they put a stop to the drive hunts immediately. 

SeaShepherd.org provides a nice sample letter to get you started:

SAMPLE LETTER I am outraged by the annual brutal slaughter of dolphins and whales that takes place in Japan. The images of bloody red water clearly show the world that Japan has little respect for the state of the world’s oceans and for the conservation of the marine resources it claims to support. Many scientific studies show that the oceans are in decline. We must take whatever actions are necessary to stop their over-exploitation and to protect the creatures that live in them. These dolphins do not belong to Japan. The status of the species of dolphins and whales that you kill are either endangered, threatened, or unknown. It is an unthinkable waste that they will likely end up as a meat product or deceptively sold as whale meat, polluted with toxic levels of mercury and cadmium, killing people that eat it. It is tragic and unacceptable that the remaining dolphins that are not killed will end up destined for death in an aquarium, water park, or "swim with dolphins" program. In addition, the methods used to kill these animals are cruel. Corralling the dolphins into bays, then making them suffer a long and painful death by spears, hooks, and drowning is an inhumane way of fishing. This action is disgraceful and has caused much disappointment in the international community. We demand that Japan permanently and immediately renounce and stop this slaughter. We will work diligently to bring this issue to international light until you have ceased your reprehensible violence. Sincerely,

 

Once you finalize your letter, send it out to the following government agents:

 PRIME MINISTER OF JAPAN

Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda
1-6-1 Nagata-cho 1 Chome
Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo. 100-8968 JAPAN

Fax: +81.3.5511.8855
E-mail form:
http://www.kantei.go.jp/foreign/forms/comment.html

MINISTER OF FISHERIES
1-2-1 Ksumigaseki 1 Chrome
Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo. 100-8907 JAPAN

Tel:+81-3-5510-3303 (direct) or 3-3502-8111
Fax: +81-3-3502-8220 or +81-3-3502-0794
E-mail: sinsei01densi@nm.maff.go.jp
E-mail form: http://www.voice.maff.go.jp/maff-interactive/people/ShowWebFormAction.do?FORM_NO=5

THE DOLPHIN HUNT IN TAIJI IS CONDUCTED BY TAIJI FISHERY COOPERATIVE
3167-7 Taiji
Wakayama, 649-5171 Japan

Tel: +81.735.59.3517
Fax: +81 735 59 3018

PERMISSION FOR THE DOLPHIN HUNT IS GIVEN BY THE GOVERNOR OF WAKAYAMA
Mr. Yoshiki Kimura
Prefectural Office of Wakayama
1-1 Komatsubaradouri, Wakayama-shi
Wakayama-ken, 640-8269 Japan

Tel: +81-73-441-2034
Fax:+81-73-423-9500
Public comment lines: +81-73-441-2028
Fax: +81-73-431-0462
E-mail: e0006001@pref.wakayama.lg.jp

THERE IS A FISHERY AGENCY POLICY EVALUATION GROUP 
WHICH HAS THREE PEOPLE WHO ARE IN CHARGE:
Kawase, Yoshino and Tokura
Tel: +81-3-3502-8111 ext. 7057 and 7058
OR: +81-3-3591-5613 ( direct)
E-mail: sui_hyoka@nm.maff.go.jp

EMBASSY OF JAPAN IN WASHINGTON D.C.
Ambassador Ryozo Kato
2520 Massachusetts Ave., N.W.
Washington D.C. 20008-2869

Tel: (202) 238-6700,
Fax: 202-328-2187
Hours: M-F 9:15-12:30 and 2:00-6:16
E-mail: jicc@embjapan.org 
www.us.emb-japan.go.jp

OR FOR A CONSULATE OR EMBASSY NEAR YOU
visit: http://www.us.emb-japan.go.jp/jicc/consulat.htm 
or http://www.mofa.go.jp/about/emb_cons/mofaserv.html

*What Can YOU Do to Get Involved?

Throughout this blog, I've covered a multitude of reasons as to why the dolphin massacre must be put to an end.  By now, it should be very clear that this is an atrocity that violates multiple legal and ethical standards. However, it is not enough to merely be upset. 

You must take ACTION

There are a variety of ways to get involved, depending on your level of passion and commitment. There is no "right" choice of involvement; each of these options adds to the momentum of our movement. I will cover this array of options throughout the next few posts.

Danger: Falling Rocks and Failing Cover Ups

Nik Hensey is an animal rights activist who spent several months in Taiji during the drive hunt to try and capture the massacre on film. In his recent interview with the Sea Shepherd News, he talks about his experiences with both the fishermen and the City Hall officials. 

There are some who have called us "terrorists" for saving dolphins here. If we are terrorists for believing that life is more important than property, than what terms does one reserve for those who take life, threaten life, and engage in the wholesale slaughter of innocent life? One must ask her/himself: "What drives someone to the point where s/he feels it necessary to jump into cold waters to save a pod of dolphins?" That pod of dolphins four days ago would have been butchered (except for those that were to be sold into captivity) and the local government, police, and whalers have made it impossible for us to document the slaughter and to educate the public about the massacres of Taiji. We were left no alternative as the Taiji Town Office and local police made it illegal to climb rocks and hillsides, walk near a pod of penned dolphins after 5:30pm, say out overnight in the hills, or go anywhere within eyesight of the blockaded cove as there was a "danger" of "falling rocks" that was only present when a pod was driven in.

It's one thing to deal with the ignorance of the individual fishermen, but going up against them when they have government support and legal backing is painfully discouraging.

The bogus new laws of Taiji and their "Danger: Falling Rocks, No Trespassing" signs are nothing more than a smokescreen for the bloody slaughter that occurs behind those signs and obstructions. Clearly there was no danger of falling rocks, but like their "culture" argument, it is an attempt at a baseless defense for brutality that has no legitimate defense in the 21st century. The fact of the matter is that the dolphin drives of Taiji are big business for a handful of men, and the biggest profit comes not from dolphin and whale meat, but from the live dolphins that are sold into captivity. If aquariums and "swimming with the dolphins" operations are a part of Japanese "culture," than I might stand corrected. But first show me the Kanji scrolls.

Perhaps the danger isn't falling rocks, but a crumbling industry that's bound for extinction. 

It's quite the metaphor, actually.

True Activism from the Sea Shepherds

In November of 2006, Sea Shepherd crew Allison Lance Watson and Alex Cornelissen took it upon themselves to swim out in Taiji Bay and attempt to free a pen of dolphins that were scheduled to be slaughtered later that day.

Although they weren't completely successful in releasing all the dolphins, they gave it their all and rescued a fortunate few. 

*WAZA and JAZA: Violating National Treaties

While the capturing of dolphins for captivity programs is wrong on an ethical standpoint, it is also a violation of international treaties and their codes of ethics. Fully understanding it all can be a bit confusing, so I will explain the situation as simply as possible.

There are two organizations involved, ranked here in hierarchical order:

1. The World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA)
2. The Japanese Association of Zoos and Aquariums (JAZA)

With more than 1,300 members , WAZA is the world's largest network of zoos and aquariums, serving as an "umbrella organization" for many of the top animal facilities, veterinarians, and educators in the industry worldwide. Their mission is based on a code of ethics, as follows:

The continued existence of zoological parks and aquariums depends upon recognition thatour profession is based on respect or the dignity of the animals in our care." Furthermore, WAZA officially opposes what it refers to as "Cruel and non-selective methods of taking animals from the wild.

Most of the 500 dolphins that are held captive in Japan's 50 dolphinariums were capture violently in a dolphin drive hunt. Many of these dolphinariums are members of JAZA and openly do business with the Taiji fishermen.

One would think, based on the code of ethics alone, plus the given information, that it would be impossible for WAZA to allow JAZA to become a member of their organization. This is not the case. WAZA welcomes JAZA as an association member, giving them credibility with their stamp of approval. 

Quite simply:

WAZA must expel JAZA

*Ric O'Barry - The Man Behind Flipper

Ric O'Barry was a well-known member of the dolphin captivity industry back in the 1960's.  An Ex-Navy diver, he was the dolphin trainer behind five of the cetaceans in the hit movie, Flipper. 

Then, in 1970, he turned around completely and began actively campaigning against dolphin captivity. In a recent interview with David McNeill for the Asia Pacific Journal, O'Barry shared the defining moment that caused his mental and ethical shift...

I captured about 100 dolphins myself, back in the 1960s, including the five that played Flipper. I was the highest-paid animal trainer in the world. If I wanted I could set up one of these dolphin training programs and make 3-4 million dollars a year. I changed when Flipper died in my arms from suicide. I use that word with some trepidation but I don’t know another word that describes self-induced asphyxiation. Dolphins and other whales are not automatic breathers. Every breath that they take is a conscious effort, which is why they don’t sleep. If life becomes miserable, they just don’t take the next breath. Flipper looked me in the eye and stopped breathing. 

Now, O'Barry is one of the world's best known environmentalists, traveling to Japan at least once a year to try and film the massacre. He has stood his ground alone against threats from the Japanese government and held protests in front of Japanese embassies around the world. 

Check out www.savejapandolphins.org to read more about Ric O'Barry and the coalition that he actively supports.

*The Trifecta of Evil

If the Taiji Dolphin Massacre wasn't immoral enough for any of you, I present yet another reason why this atrocity must be put to an end. But first, a recap of what's wrong with this situation...

1. The fishermen of Taiji are killing tens of thousands of dolphins not for food, but as a form of pest control
2. The mercury level in the meat is highly toxic, and unfit for human consumption. However, it's still being fed to the Japanese people. 

Here's another factor to consider:

• Parts of the dolphin captivity industry in Japan, with their waterparks, aquariums, and "swim with the dolphins" work in partnership with the butchers in Taiji, supporting them with large sums of money for live dolphins

The truth of the matter is, dolphin captivity is a multi-billion dollar business, one that is solely responsible for fueling the drive hunts in Taiji, Japan. What's crazy is that five of the dolphins that played Flipper came from this exact origin. 

Makes you look at Flipper in a whole new way, doesn't it...

Spreading Awareness

This video is due to premiere in January of 2009.

I'm excited to see the public reaction.

The following is a write-up taken from the organization's website:

The Oceanic Preservation Society (OPS) presents its first documentary film, The Rising, an examination of our oceans and our hearts. An annual dolphin massacre in a secret cove in Taiji, Japan suggests a microcosm of a larger picture, man’s disregard for life. The theme broadens – coal-burning facilities multiply across the planet, leading to high mercury levels in seafood, man’s primary source of protein.

Louie Psihoyos, recognized as one of the world’s most prominent still photographers, debuts his filmmaking talents in this feature-length documentary film about the oceans. Through photography, he has established himself as one of the most prolific and profound visionaries and social observers. He has circled the globe dozens of times for National Geographic Magazine on photographic missions for 18 years. His imagination, wit, and iconic imagery guide viewers through complex issues.

Throughout history, we have stories of dolphins saving humans. In Ancient Greece, it was a crime punishable by death to harm them. With this film OPS hopes to save dolphins, and ultimately…ourselves.

Mass Slaughter In the U.S.

I have received responses from a few individuals who said that we as Americans are hypocrites. We protest the drive hunts of Taiji saying that it is inhumane, but at the same time, we live in a country that slaughters much greater numbers of farm animals, including cows, pigs, and chickens. Most of these animal processing facilities keep these animals captive in less than acceptable conditions.

I have three things to say about this:

1. The slaughterhouses in the U.S. are a completely separate issue, and not the purpose of this blog.
2. Even so, the animals in the U.S. die much quicker deaths, and thus suffer less.
3. These animals are safe to eat, and we eat them as a primary food source. The same cannot be said for the Taiji dolphins.

*What Right Do We Have...

The fishermen of Taiji have been conducting drive hunts for close to 4oo years. Only a select few fishermen, about 25, are allowed to participate in the hunt every year. This is a very noble position, and they take it with honor. To them, this is not an animal rights issue, it's tradition. Who are we to deny them the right to carry on what has been passed down from generation to generation?

They want you to feel guilty.

They are trying to justify the killing of dolphins by saying that the hunt itself has a deeper meaning for their culture. This is a lie. Some 400 years ago, when the drive hunts first started, the fishermen only hunted for whales. They would utilize every part of the whale, both for food and for supplies. It became tradition to pass down the knowledge of whale hunting from generation to generation. The inclusion of dolphins has been a recent addition to the hunt and they are now the primary species that are targeted and killed every season.

Don't listen to their guilt trip about "culture". The methods of killing that are utilized are inhumane, and must be stopped. There is obviously something fishy going on (no pun intended) if they go to such great measures to hide what they are doing.

It's not about culture. It's not even about whose culture is right or wrong. It's about our responsibility as global citizens to see this atrocity and its negative effects and to know that something must be done to stop it.

*Violating the Constitution

The Japanese Constitution

Article 21:

"Freedom of assembly and association as well as speech, press, and all other forms of expression are guaranteed. No censorship shall be maintained, nor shall the secrecy of any means of communication be violated"

Taiji City Hall Meeting

Activists from SaveJapanDolphins.org attended this meeting, stating that they had come to Taiji to document the dolphin massacres and let the Japanese people know the facts about the hunt. This is the reaction they received:

"The Japanese people have no right to know about the dolphin slaughter. It is none of their business."

This is absolutely ludicrous. They have every right to know.

Many people, when first informed of the dolphin massacre, react by expressing disgust for the Japanese. "How can they do that?", and "They make me sick" are two of the most common responses. Many people become angry and suggest that we boycott the nation of Japan for their actions. However, the truth is, most people in Japan have no idea that this is taking place. It is one small town of 26 whalers and 13 boats in a hidden cove that are giving Japan this negative, worldwide reputation.

What we need to do is work with the Japanese people.

Bringing attention to the dolphin massacre is the best thing we can do to stop it. The people of Japan have a right to know what is going on. The Japanese news organizations must inform their people of this slaughter and the worldwide view of Japan that is happening as a result. It is one thing for foreigners to criticize this event, but it is entirely different when citizens speak out against the actions of their nation.

We must spark change from the inside.

*The New Minamata

The story takes place fifty years ago in Japan in a little village called Minamata Bay.

It started off slowly. The villagers first started noticing their cats wobbling around on the docks. They would randomly go into conniption fits, and keel over into the water. The villagers couldn't understand why, and named the phenomenon the Minamata Disease.

Scientists began to study the cats, and after thorough testing, they found that the felines had ingested high levels of mercury, and were exhibiting all the classic signs of mercury poisoning.

Unfortunately, the disease didn't stop at the cats. It began to affect the villagers as well. They contracted the poisoning from eating fish and shellfish from the bay, which had been contaminated from years of factory run off. The disease would affect their central nervous system, causing people to twitch and jerk around uncontrollably, inhibiting their speech and even causing death. Furthermore, pregnant women and their babies were highly susceptible to mercury poisoning, which led to a high number of severe birth defects. Needless to say eating from the bay was banned.

That was fifty years ago. Since then, the amount of mercury in our environment has increased dramatically due to worldwide industrial production and factory run off. In fact, the level of mercury found in Dolphins today is anywhere from 4 to 36 times higher than the Health Ministry's "safe level" of .04 parts per million.

Youji Kaneko, pictured above, suffers from fetal mercury poisoning and has to be cared for till this day. If this is the result of the Minamata Disease when the levels were dangerous then, imagine the potential consequences that could come from eating meat thats 35 times more contaminated! This very meat is being fed to Japanese citizens through school lunch programs and in supermarkets. Most are unaware of the dangerous levels of contaminants the meat contains.

This is more than an animal rights issue. The people of Japan must be informed.

SaveJapanDolphins.org is demanding that a warning label be placed on each and every package of dolphin meat, warning Japanese consumers of the serious health hazards associated with mercury consumption.

Help make a difference. Write a short, respectful letter to Ms. Seiko Noda, Japan's Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food Safety, and Science and Technology, and ask for her cooperation with this issue. Her email address is: seiko@noda-seiko.gr.jp

Make sure to CC The World Health Organization as well.

Dr. Maria NEIRA, Director

Department of Public Health and Environment

World Health Organization

Email: neiram@who.int

Celebrity Wonder-Girl Takes a Stand

In the Fall of 2007, Heroes star Hayden Panettiere personally took a stand against the dolphin massacre by joining the Sea Shephard activist group and staging a protest in the Taiji Bay.

The following is a news segment covering the event.

Can I Please Have a Side of Dolphin With My Mercury?

Looks tasty doesn't it?

Hopefully the last post helped you to see why this massacre is such an outrage... It's not about food!

If it got you fired up... then good. But that's only half the issue.

Interestingly enough, the next reason correlates with the first.

We confirmed and established that the dolphins weren't being killed for food. However, the fishermen of Taiji realized that they would have no reason to kill dolphins if they weren't doing anything with the dead carcasses, so they came up with a brilliant solution... start eating them!

I use that phrase loosely. The wording should be more like, "Start selling the meat to the Japanese school systems!"

That's exactly what they started doing.

If only the kid's knew what they were eating... and if only the parents knew the effect this would have on their children.

We'll go more into depth on this issue with scientific findings and history lessons in the next post.

Happy Fishing!

*Let's Clear a Few Things Up

I may not have made it clear in my last post as to exactly why this dolphin massacre is an outrage. Hopefully this post will clear things up.

Ok, so first we established that dolphins are awesome. I think everybody can agree... Great.

Then we established that killing dolphins is wrong. However, some people disagreed, stating that while killing dolphins for food may seem wrong to Americans, it's a part of Japanese culture and must be respected. We kill hundreds of thousands of pigs and cows in the United States to feed our people, so who are we to decide which animals are or aren't okay to eat?

This is where the misconception lies.

IT IS NOT ABOUT FOOD.

The massacre is an outrage because it is a form of pest control.

"As shocking as it sounds, some Japanese government officials view dolphins as pests to be eradicated in huge numbers. During a meeting at Taiji City Hall, the fishermen of Taiji admitted this to us. "We don't kill the dolphins primarily for their meat. We kill them as a form of pest control," they told us. In other words, killing the competition is their way of preserving the ocean's fish for themselves."

-SaveJapanDolphins.org

Makes you look at the situation in a whole new way, doesn't it?

*How could this happen...

I love dolphins.

If I were to be any animal in the animal kingdom, I would undoubtedly be a dolphin. Think about it; you're still a mammal, you live in the ocean, you eat and play in the waves all day, sharks are your bitch, and best of all, you're the only other species besides humans that has sex for pleasure...SCORE. To top it all off, dolphins are one of the smartest creatures in the ocean.

These loving creatures have been a large part of our lives. Dolphins swim with humans, they perform tricks at dolphin centers, they interact with children in dolphin programs, they appear as lead roles in television (think Flipper), and have even been used by humans to detect sea mines during times of war.

Then please let me know why humans would do this...

In the small fishing town of Taiji, Japan, there is a dolphin massacre taking place. They are not killing these animals for food. They are killing them because their diets consist of the same fish that the Japanese catch and sell to the markets. This massacre is cruel, unnecessary, and of epic proportions. Worst of all, the government of Taiji is protecting this ritual, and the mercury laden dolphin meat is finding its way into the lunches of Japanese school systems.

This is sickening, and something must be done.

This blog is here to create awareness and motivate global citizens to put pressure on the Japanese government to end this massacre. Throughout this blog, I will be bringing up specific issues regarding the massacre and its impact on the citizens of Japan, the dolphin population, and global treaties.

The man who we are targeting is the Prime Minister of Japan, Mr. Shinzo Abe. Through an enormous online petition, we seek to outlaw the killing of dolphins, and as a first step, to require the Japanese government to put warning labels on dolphin meat, informing Japanese citizens of the dangerous levels of mercury that the meat contains.