Germana Carillo The dolphin captures that take place every year in Taiji, Japan, have now attracted international attention. But the images still arriving from that bay are disturbing
Has the world heard about the dolphin mass slaughter and inhumane captive selection process? Yes. Has it done anything to stop the killing in Taiji Bay, Japan? No.
This is why the inhumane capture techniques never cease, but continue in silence, as pictures we hope never to see again show up every day.
The latest case has once again been documented in Taiji by the Dolphin Project organization: two bottlenose dolphins were seized by force and relocated to the Taiji Whale Museum, the center of the world’s largest dolphin trade.
The entire process is nothing short of brutal
First, the dolphins are separated from their herd, something that causes them tremendous distress. Then, the “best specimens” are transported to be sold to aquariums, where they will be utilized for entertainment.
It is over 15 years now since the Academy Award-winning documentary film The Cove, which took Best Documentary Feature in 2010, first highlighted the Taiji dolphin hunts and captures, exposing the vicious trade that benefited from them. The film provoked international protests, yet now this cruel practice remains uninterrupted. Killing, along with captures and sales, no longer serves any customary purpose and ought not to be allowed to carry on.
The Dolphin Project continues to record these atrocities, but the brutality never stops.
