Attention Taiji, The Dolphin Slaughter Will Be Stopped

Cover of The CoveBy Ben Pittsley

Pressure mounts in Taiji as efforts rapidly increase to stop the annual killing of more than 26,000 dolphins.

Thousands of dolphins are captured every year in Taiji, Japan. The strongest and healthiest are shipped off to aquariums and marine parks around the world and the rest are simply slaughtered for their meat.

Taiji has come into the media spotlight recently after a 2009 American documentary, The Cove, shed light on the annual slaughter where migrating dolphins are herded into a hidden cove then netted and killed by means of spears and knives. The water is stained bright red from all the bloodshed.

Ric O'Barry, lead activist in the Oscar winning film, The Cove, has launched a new series, Blood Dolphins, on Animal Planet.

Dolphin activists all over the world are converging on the small town including Michael Dalton of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society. Sea Shepherd rescued fifteen dolphins in 2003 after cutting nets and releasing them back to the open ocean. "If a hundred people could be here throughout the ordeal faced by these dolphins, the killing could be significantly reduced, if not stopped altogether," said Dalton.

Although the Japanese Coast Guard has stepped up their response, threatening to arrest anyone who interferes with the fishermen, the slaughter has yet to commence. "Our plans will depend on the actions of the fishermen. If they plan to start killing dolphins, then we will take appropriate action," Dalton said.

Increased pressure to stop the slaughter in Taiji has and will continue to negatively affect the local economy  until the annual killing is stopped. "The key to saving the dolphins is for people to constantly be in Taiji so the slaughter is not allowed to go on out of sight of cameras and witnesses," said Paul Watson, captain of the Sea Shepherd vessel and well known for Whale Wars, a reality television series on Animal Planet.

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