ENVIRONMENT: Japan Justifies Dolphin Slaughter

By Suvendrini Kakuchi Reprint | | Print |

Suvendrini Kakuchi

Oct , Oct 31 2005 (IPS) - Japanese authorities are refusing to bow to pressure from animal rights activists and conservationists who say that dolphins are being slaughtered wholesale, and often cruelly, in the name of traditional food and ‘scientific’ purposes.

”Japan supports the sustainable use of cetacean creatures and our catch of dolphins is based on scientific evidence. We will not bow to pressure from activists,” said Hideki Morikuni, director of whaling at the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, reacting to new pro-dolphin campaigns launched this month.

Japan has a catch quota of 21,120 dolphins from eight species per year for ‘scientific’ purposes under a regulation passed 13 years ago.

According to Morikuni, the catch varies each year and is geared mostly to consumption in areas where dolphin meat has been a traditional food. Dolphins caught alive are sold to aquariums.

But activists beg to differ. Elsa Conservancy of Japan, a leading animal conservancy group, accuses the government of allowing indiscriminate slaughter of dolphins for commercial purposes and accuses officials of not monitoring the hunting properly.

”Often the figures reported to the government are taken from the fishermen themselves. The system is haphazard and has no regard for the protection of animals,” says Sake Henmi, head of Elsa Japan.

Conservationists are also lobbying hard for an end to cruel killing methods using knives and harpoons, and also stop the dispatch of the animals to aquariums.

”Dolphins butchered by fishermen are left to die a slow and cruel death, a method that is not permitted in most other countries. Dolphins sent to aquariums suffer a lot of stress,” said Henmi.

Reports gathered by conservation groups indicate dolphin-driven fisheries are a lucrative business. The maximum price for an average size live dolphin is 25,000 US dollars while the lowest is around 6,000 dollars.

When catches are low, fishermen can sell the captured dolphin to aquariums for double the price. Dolphin meat is also processed for fertilizer and pet food.

With more countries banning dolphin catches, the animal has begun to fetch higher prices and are sought after in the international market, according to various media reports.

Scientific research on dolphins has proved that the animals are intelligent and follow complex social habits which, activists say, make their lives under capture extremely stressful.

The graceful creatures are major attractions in aquariums where they are forced to train under harsh conditions including denial of food to participate in popular shows and entertain crowds.

The life span of dolphins living in captivity is around seven years, a third of its survival rate in the wild, say conservationists who add that pressure from activists and the public has helped to ease dolphin abuse by trainers.

Animal science professor Toshio Kasuya says the debate between activists and government reflects Japan’s long-time policy that has placed commercial interests before nature protection.

”This stance has to change. Decisions must be taken after more consideration is given to environment protection and animal conservation,” points out Kasuya who teaches at Teikyo Science University based in Yamanashi-prefecture, central Japan.

Scientists like Kasuya call for a balanced view of Japan’s controversial dolphin fisheries which they say can only be supported with more scientific research on the creatures that can prove the importance of not killing them.

”Evidence collected up to now shows certain species of cetacean animals need to be respected for their intelligence. But the information we have now is limited. Further research could prove other animals need to be protected too,” he explained.

Meanwhile, activists have been successful is raising public awareness on the need to protect dolphins and other cetaceans such as whales and porpoises as more people join tours to watch their habits, spend on therapy for handicapped children and also join in efforts to release the animals back in the wild after they are ensnared in fishing nets.

But activists acknowledge that the breakthroughs, while significant, are tough in an atmosphere that is saturated with commercialism.

Japan’s ‘scientific’ whaling is also bitterly controversial. More than 4,000 tons of whale meat is sold in the country each year.

Dolphins caught in Japan are also sold to marine parks in China and the United States. The season begins in September and will run until March 31.

Activists say they will be busy again as they gather evidence to stop the slaughter. (ENDS/IPS/AP/EN/IP/SK/RDR/05)

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