“No aquarium, no tank in a marine land, however spacious it may be, can begin to duplicate the conditions of the sea. And no dolphin who inhabits one of those aquariums or one of those marine lands can be considered normal.”
– Jacques Yves Cousteau

The two hot spots that come to mind straight up Japan and the Solomon Islands

The Solomon Islands has been receiving a bit media and activist coverage as 27 dolphins were captured and to fill an order placed by Singapore’s Resorts World Sentosa. Some of the dolphins were kept in sea pens in Langkawi, Malaysia and the other in the Philippines, while the systematic starvation into submission and training of so-called “natural behaviour” and construction of the enclosure in Singapore takes place.  RWS will at this stage will only be receiving 25 of the dolphins as 2 of them have already died, prompting RWS to move the dolphins from Langkawi to the Philippines.  Photographs provided by Animal Concerns Research & Education Society (ACRES)  in Singapore with their ” save the worlds’ saddest dolphins” campaign show the conditions of the sea pens in Langkawi that did not meet CITES standards.  Recently well-known activist Ric O’Barry visited RWS in Singapore but was refused a meeting with RWS management.  You can find the ACRES Save the World’s Saddest Dolphins on facebook.  For more information on these dolphins please check out ACRES report on these dolphins.

In a recent move the government of the Solomon Islands has banned the capture of marine mammals in its waters but the ban does not take effect until 2012 and allows for the remaining capture of another 25 dolphins to reach it’s quota of 50 dolphins in 2011.

The remaining quota allowing for  another 25 captured dolphins was to be filled by an order from China however for now that appears to have fallen through.

Taiji, Japan started it’s 6 month onshore drive fisheries hunt of small marine mammals on the 1st of September and along with the slaughter of dolphins for meat some of the hunts produce captive marine mammals through a joint effort by the Fisheries Union, Dolphin Base and Taiji Whale Museum.  Taiji is not the only Japanese fishing village is permits to capture live mammals, Futo also has permits but has not carried out any hunts in a number of years.

To date the captures in Taiji this hunting season which runs from September 2011 through to March 2012, 1 bottlenose dolphin captured on Sept 10th, 1 striped dolphin captured on Oct 4th and approximately 8 False Killer Whales captured on Oct 7th.  I say approximately because the number can not be confirmed as the activists there are waiting to see what will happen, with the FKWs.  October 7th the hunters managed to drive a large pod of False Killer Whales towards the cove.

The following is Save Japan Dolphins Activist Tia Butt’s recount of the day as it was relayed via Twitter and Facebook.

“Banger boats leave harbour in Taiji to hunt dolphins.. Swim free…!

Sad to say all boats driving a pod into shore in Taiji. Not Sure of what type as yet.

Boats have captured a pod of dolphins they are waiting to herd them into The Cove. Will update.

Part of this pod managed to escape this vile evil from the entrance of harbour. The rest are awaiting their fate. I’m sorry sweet souls. We are with you through this.

Dolphin hunters have put a net around this poor pod and trapped them in at entrance of harbour. Will update.

This poor pod are still being held prisoners inside net in harbour area. Banger boats are back in dock. Am monitoring situation. Will update.

Two of the pod have been now moved across by sciff boats to the vile pens in harbour. Am watching closely. Will update.

The last of what looks like to be 17 large False killer whales has just been shoved into cramped sea pens in Taiji. Spread the word about the EVIL of captivity. Watching these beautiful animals go through this ordeal today and now doomed to this life was disgusting and very sad.

17 suspected False killer whales doomed to sea pens in harbour in Taiji. Some of them are huge. Very sad.”

Photographs taken by Jackie Legg of the FKW capture can be seen here.

The fishing village of Taiji would be observing a religious festival over the long weekend.  Sea Shepherd activists John & Jackie Legg spent the weekend watching the sea pens where the FKWs were being held.  The following are some of their observations also relayed via Twitter and Facebook.

“Set off a little later this morning expecting to see flags flying from the boats and decorated floats driving through Taiji. We were told the festival meant the fishermen wouldn’t be going out. Daft to assume anything but I translated that to mean they weren’t working… but …. Arrived to see a very busy harbour.. buyers, trainers, fishermen, police, coastguards… all busy working. Guess $$$$ are more important than religious festivals. So 3 whales have been moved to a different pen.. don’t know what that means… but we’ll keep popping back today to see if anything else happens.” – Jackie Legg Sunday 9th Oct.

” It was fantastic that the boats came in empty handed today, but I found it hard to do the happy dance having seen one of the false killer whales dragged from the seapens to a waiting truck to be driven to it’s life in captivity…. After we counted the 12 boats back in we spent the rest of the day sitting on the harbour wall. We monitored what was happening with the FKW’s.. but no more were moved. Today was a public holiday but tomorrow everything opens again .. including the processing plant. Dreading tomorrow… weather looks good :(” -Jackie Legg Monday 10th Oct

“ We are sat on the dock side watching the whales , 4pm , 1 gone and they are feeding 2 more, the rest are going hungry” – John Legg Monday 10th Oct

“don’t want to go to Taiji today… the festival and public holiday are both over…. I just want someone to fast forward today … Heading to the harbour in about 20 minutes…

We arrived to a floodlit harbour where the false killer whales were being tied to sciffs and dragged round to The Cove to be killed… We’d been expecting it, but we had not anticipated them doing it under the cover of darkness as they are, sorry were, big. Sarah , Rosie and Patricia are still at the harbour documenting this slaughter , John and I are at the vantage point watching for the banger boats (which left about 6.30 am, just over 2 hours ago) and praying they return empty handed. ” – Jackie Legg Tuesday 11th Oct.

So of the 17 FKWs, 1 has been delivered to Taiji Whale Museum, 1 was delivered to Adventure World Marine Park in Wakayama, Japan and 1 other was moved to different sea pens after being inspected by buyers, 7 or 8 were slaughtered and we wait to see the fate of the rest.

Science has shown us that dolphins are self-aware, this means they know what is going on around them and they recognise changes to their appearance.  We also know they live in tight family units refered to as pods and grieve the loss of a family member.  I visited a mother and calf in Tin Can Bay in Queensland, Australia.  They were Indo Pacific Humpback dolpins and the 3rd generation of ‘Old Scarry’.  In the 1950’s an injured dolphin beached himself on the sand in Tin Can Bay. The locals started to feed him, he was well battle scarred and became known as ‘Old Scarry’. Once he recovered he returned to the wild but regularly returned to the bay, bringing with him the next generation and so on.  Tin Can Bay is now receiving visits from ‘Old Scarry’s 4th generation.  The family bond within the dolphins sure seems to equal our own not only in lifespan but also social dynamics and family bonds. It’s devistating to think about these captive dolphins stolen from their families, greiving the loss of family in the best case and at it’s worst greving after witnessing the slaughter of it’s family.  It’s not surprising that wild caught dolphins have such high mortality rates in immediately after capture due to injuries sustained during the hunt and stress of loosing their families.

Please have a look at the short footage below that shows this bond and the reality of the captive industry with Orcas the largest of the dolphins.  uploaded to you tube by delfinusdelphis

Now we all know Seaworld no longer captures dolphins and whales… they no longer need to.  Why is that?  Well it’s not because they don’t have wild born marine mammals and it’s not because the dolphins in their care and so happy they are falling in love and getting it on, in their breeding programs either…more like specimum jars, turkey baisters and the 3 Rs, Rescue, Rehad & Release without the 3rd R.  Dolphins value good friends and relatives and scientist at the University of New South Wales, Australia have found that the females who have successful relatives and successful “friends” are much better at producing calves, yet captive dolphins are regularly moved from one facility to another on “loan”, therefore do not create these bonds, but are expected to be used in breeding programs in many marine themeparks.  More on the breeding program and it’s terrible mortality rates and the 3 R issues later. However for those needing their pornography now this sums it up nicely.

Orca Semen Collecting

uploaded to youtube by namugriff

Thanks for reading, if you have any comments or updated information please let me know and of course provide links to the where you got your information from.

So this is your chance to make sure your dollars and your voice match your ethics.

• PLEASE don’t spend your dollars on admission tickets to any marine theme park that holds captive marine mammals, without an audience there is no need for the circus animals, tell your friends not to do it either.
• Write/email/fax letters to your government asking them not to allow export and import of marine mammals into and from your country.
• Write/email/fax to the Japanese government and ask them to stop allowing permits for the capture and and slaughter of marine mammals.
• Write/email/fax to the government in the Solomon Islands and thank them for banning the export of their precious marine life in 2012 and ask them to start the ban today not next year.
• Write to Resorts World Sentosa and let them know the addition of 25 dolphins to their new facility will prevent you from ever attending their resorts and attractions, remind them it’s not too late to do better for the marine world they claim to love.
• Write or call Aventure World in Wakayama Japan as they purchased one of the FKWs that was captured from Taiji on Oct 7th 2011.Remembering to be polite and that the person you are speaking to may not have a good level of English.
• AVAAZ.org The World in Action has now joined the Sentosa 25 campaign and is running a petition please sign it.

Contact information for the Solomon Is

Contact information for Resorts World Sentosa and their facebook page

enquiries@rwsentosa.com
+65 6577 8888

Contact Information for the drive hunts in Taiji Japan.

PRIME MINISTER OF JAPAN Prime Minister Naoto Kan Cabinet Office, E-mail: Kanteihp-info@cas.go.jp  Online comment form #1: http://www.kantei.go.jp/foreign/forms/comment.html  Online comment form #2: https://form.cao.go.jp/kokusai/en_opinion-0001.html  www.kantei.go.jp  1-6-1 Nagata-cho 1 Chome, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo. 100-8968 JAPAN,  Ph: +81-3-5253-2111,  Fax: +81.3.5511.8855,  E-mail form: http://www.kantei.go.jp/foreign/forms/comment.html

Minster of Fisheries, 1-2-1 Ksumigaseki 1 Chrome, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo. 100-8907 JAPAN,  Tel:+81-3-5510-3303 (direct) or +81-3-3502-8111,  Fax: +81-3-3502-8220 or +81-3-3502-0794,  E-mail: sinsei01densi@nm.maff.go.jp

The Dolphin Hunt in TAIJI is Conducted by TAIJI FISHERY Cooperative 3167-7 Taiji, Wakayama, 649-5171 Japan,  Tel: +81.735.59.3517,  Fax: +81 735 59 3018

Permission For the Dolphin Hunt is Given by the Governor of Wakayama Mr. Yoshiki Kimura, Prefectural Office of Wakayama, 1-1 Komatsubaradouri, Wakayama-shi, Wakayama-ken, 640-8269 Japan,  Tel: +81-73-441-2034,  Fax:+81-73-423-9500,  Public comment lines: +81-73-441-2028,  Fax: +81-73-431-0462,  E-mail: e0006001@pref.wakayama.lg.jp

 There is a ‘Fishery Agency Policy Evaluation Group‘ which has 3 people in charge: Kawase, Yoshino and Tokura,  Tel: +81-3-3502-8111 ext. 7057 and 7058 OR +81-3-3591-5613 ( Direct),  E-mail: sui_hyoka@nm.maff.go.jp

 THANK YOU Taiji Dolphin Action Group TDAG for providing the above contact info.

Adventure World Marine Park
Katata Shirahama-cho Nishimuro-gun Wakayama，Japan.
649-2201
Tel:+81-0570-064481