Pod Of Over 100 Bottlenose Dolphins Entrapped In Notorious Japanese Cove For Aquarium Trade
According to Life Investigation Agency, in partnership with the Dolphin Project, confronting images of the sea mammals being rounded up in Taiji, in the Wakayama Prefecture were broadcast.
A pod of more than 100 bottlenose dolphins was seen being herded into a notorious Japanese cove.
According to Life Investigation Agency, in partnership with the Dolphin Project, confronting images of the sea mammals being rounded up in Taiji, in the Wakayama Prefecture, were broadcast.
LIA/Dolphin Project
LIA director Ren Yabuki said, "Dolphins that were selected were thrashing in resistance. The dolphins were very stressed, and many of them slapped the surface of the water with their tail flukes."
The Taiji dolphin hunt runs from September 1 to February 28.
Every year, the Japanese government sets limits for how many of each species can be killed or caught.
This year the number decided was 1,749.
LIA/Dolphin Project
He added, "They were clicking and whistling at each other, communicating with each other and calling out to the parts of the pod that were separated by some of the nets night and day."
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LIA/Dolphin Project
He also said, "It was very saddening to hear them crying out to each other. I've been working on the dolphin trade for a long time, but I had never heard them crying out like this."
Several juveniles were captured and at least one dolphin lost its life.
"It appears that one dolphin that was captured has died during the capture process," Mr Yabuki said.
"It may have been butchered for meat. There were many blood droplets on the road from the fishermen's union building, leading to one of the [dolphin meat] processing facilities."
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LIA/Dolphin Project
The Taiji hunt shows several boats full of fisherman entrapping the dolphins by gathering them into a cove in Taiji, a small coastal town in Wakayama Prefecture.
