Take Action! Please Help Stop the Export of Taiji Dolphins.

[Guest guest]

Posted on behalf of Sakae Hemmi, Elsa Nature Conservancy.

 

Take Action! Please Help Stop the Export of Taiji Dolphins. Taiji Town Japan is

again planning to sell dolphins from the brutal " drive hunt " to China.

 

 

The Town Council of Taiji decided to export eight female bottlenose dolphins to

Dalian, China, under the pretext of " academic exchange. " All of these dolphins

were captured by brutal drive hunts. Seven of them were captured in February

this year, and one was captured in January, 2004. The total selling price of the

eight dolphins is US$375,000, nearly seven times higher than the price Taiji

Town purchased them from the local Fishing Cooperative that caught them in the

first place.

 

As you may remember, last year Taiji Town/Taiji Whale Museum exported eight

dolphins that were caught from the drive hunt to Dalian, China. The selling

price was approximately US$400,000, which was seven times higher than the buying

price.

 

Unless we stop this trade, dolphins will be continuously exported from Taiji,

and the cruel method of the drive hunt will continue in Japan in order to

replenish dolphins to the captive industry. (Of course, the overwhelming number

of dolphins that do not enter the aquarium trade are slaughtered for sale in

meat markets.)

 

Points:

 

1.. The sale of the eight dolphins is not an academic/scientific exchange, but

to get profit from wild animals to fund the Taiji Whale Museum and allow the

dolphin slaughter to continue for meat.

2.. All the dolphins Taiji sells to aquariums were captured through the method

of very cruel drive hunts.

3.. Elsa Nature Conservancy of Japan requested the Japanese Association of

Zoos and Aquariums (JAZA) to stop its member from buying or selling dolphins.

Please support our activities to put pressure on JAZA to stop the cruel hunt. As

you know WAZA (World Association of Zoos and Aquariums) warned its members not

to purchase dolphins from the drive hunt. JAZA is a member of WAZA, and Taiji

Whale Museum is a member of JAZA.

4.. Many dolphins died in Taiji Whale Museum: In one year (Jan. through Dec.,

2005) six bottlenose dolphins, one short-finned pilot whale, and one

dolphin/hybrid died. Two false killer whales disappeared in January, this year,

and they are still missing.

 

Please e-mail or fax a short or long letter to stop the dolphin trade to the

following places. In order to carry out the trade, Taiji Town has to obtain an

export permit. This gives us a little time to object to the trade.

 

Places to send a petition/request to:

Mr. Kazutaka Sangen, Town Mayor of Taiji

E-mail:taiji

Fax:?+81-735-59-2884

 

Mr. Toshihiro Nikai, Minister of Economy, Trade, and Industry

E-mail:webmaster

Fax: +81-3-3501-6942

 

Mr. Teruyuki Komiya & Mr. Ken-ichi Kitamura, Japanese Association of Zoos and

Aquariums

E-mail: exdjaza

Fax: +81-3-3837-1231

 

Additional Information

 

Thank you so much for your cooperation and help.

 

Sakae Hemmi, Elsa Nature Conservancy, Japan

 

 

Elsa Nature Conservancy - One Voice -- Earth Island Institute.

www.savetaijidolphins.org