Japan's dolphin slaughter

[flvegan]

A Times Editorial
Published November 27, 2006

In a grisly annual ritual, Japanese fishermen herd bottlenose dolphins into shallow water then kill the highly evolved marine mammals with knives and clubs, turning the sea a bright red with their blood. Some are strung up by their tails to suffer agonizing deaths. This year, the government of Japan will allow 21,000 dolphins to be slaughtered in that manner.

Now, scientists and aquarium operators worldwide have started a petition drive "to bring this unconscionable practice to an end." (The petition can be accessed and signed online at www. actfordolphins.org.)

So far, Japanese officials have resisted pressure to end the "dolphin drives," calling them a "cultural activity." Yet the meat of dolphins (and sometimes small whales) isn't an important commodity in the island nation. Although Japanese officials say the meat is consumed, much of it is used for pet food and fertilizer, according to the Ocean Project conservation group.

In the past, the fishermen have made money by selling surviving dolphins to aquariums around the world, but the largest zoo and aquarium organization now prohibits such purchases and condemns the hunts. That leaves no practical reason for continuing the slaughter.

<more at link>

http://www.sptimes.com/2006/11/27/Opinion/Japan_s_dolphin_slaug.shtml

[Tyler Durden]

1. Monday morning, just another reason to view humanity as worthless.

I don't start Mondays on a real positive note anyway, but this just makes me want to set the clock to 3am and start over!

Do we as a species suck or what?

[ixion]

2. yes, we do suck... greater than anything that has ever sucked before

in my opinion.

things like this make me ill.

[acmejack]

3. Hedo, Okinawa used to be the site of one these drives.

At least it was in the late fifties and early sixties.