Why killing dolphins is wrong

Taiji's drive hunt industry is cruel not only to the dolphins killed in the slaughter cove, but also to those spared from slaughter and sold to aquariums to become performing animals.

Dolphins and whales captured in Taiji are sold to aquariums in countries with little or no animal welfare legislation, where they are often kept in appallingly inadequate conditions. Most of the species hunted at Taiji exist in large populations around the world, and are not considered to be at risk of becoming endangered or extinct. But intensive drive hunting has had a devastating effect on populations of dolphins and whales that migrate past Japan, with unknown consequences for marine ecosystems.

The IUCN Red List, the most comprehensive list of the conservation status of biological species, states that the striped dolphin, the most exploited species, has been "completely or nearly eliminated" from Japanese coastal waters. There have been steep declines in catches of other species targeted by drive hunting, such as bottlenose dolphin and pantropical spotted dolphin, indicating depletion of these populations. The IUCN notes that the drive hunting method - which involves intensive harassment of the animals causing sometimes fatal injuries - can kill many more than just those captured, multiplying the damage done to dolphin and whale populations.

In , the Environmental Investigation Agency published the most up-to-date analysis of the conservation impact of Japan's small whale hunts, finding that catch limits are set at unsustainable levels for eight of the nine exploited species, and their continued unregulated hunting risks some populations with extinction.

While the IUCN conservation status of most species killed in Taiji is "Least Concern", the short-finned pilot whale and false killer whale are listed as "Data Deficient", indicating that their global populations are unknown. Short-finned pilot whales that migrate along the Japanese coast have been reduced to a population of 4,, False killer whales are also relatively rare.

The IUCN lists drive hunting as a "major threat" to both species. Louie also released several videos of unedited footage of the Taiji dolphin hunts, originally appearing on The Dodo website , that were not used in The Cove. We caution that some of this footage is very graphic. Nothing could be further from the truth. Once Taiji fishermen saw the impact that video footage of the blood red Cove had on worldwide public opinion, they instituted a new procedure. Dolphins do not die more quickly, or experience any less trauma.

Dolphins still die long, brutal and painful deaths. The time to death is among the worst of any marine mammal killing in the world, and far below standards required by countries — including Japan — for livestock animals. There were also absolutely no special effects used for those scenes of the hunt in The Cove see The Dodo article for more information on the scenes. The following scenes were not used in The Cove , and show that indeed the brutality of the hunts needs no enhancements.

NOTE: The video appears blank at the beginning, as the light was quite dark when the cameras were planted. No one associated with the making of The Cove is anti-Japanese. The film was produced to raise awareness inside of Japan, and we actively support Japanese activists. In fact, this past season the Dolphin Project was in Taiji at the invitation of Flippers Japan, a Japanese-led organization formed to protest the dolphin hunts.

The Newsweek story fails to mention any of the growing number of Japanese citizens who are pressing for an end to the Taiji dolphin kills, including people like former dolphin-hunter and now dolphin tourism boat owner Mr.

And certainly Americans kill and eat tremendous numbers of cattle, which, like dolphins, are warm-blooded mammals that suckle their young. But perhaps the most universal hallmark of human progress is the desire to minimize infliction of suffering. We have strict codes for how animals slaughtered for food must be killed, and much of it has to do with lessening their suffering. The main problem with killing marine mammals — a much bigger problem than whether a small amount of killing is sustainable — is that it is cruel.

Every real advance in human thought has had to do with expanding our circle of compassion. Cruelty to animals seems to parallel cruelty to people. So, I think the international condemnation of the dolphin killing is fair enough.

There is no denying the fact that it is brutal business. Personally, I detest the dolphin killing.