Dolphin slaughter drawing to a close. One reason never to go to Sea World!

[RiverStone]

Earthweek
3/2/07 :cry:

As many as 20,000 of the marine mammals may have been herded up since October so they could be either butchered or sold to marine parks around the world.

Despite drawing outrage from animal-rights groups, the dolphins were surrounded on the open sea by fishermen in motorboats from the port of Taiji.

The animals were then herded into small coves, where they were stabbed or speared with lances.

The youngest and most attractive are usually captured alive to be sold for up to $100,000 to theme parks, according to environmentalist Richard O’Barry, a former trainer with the classic television series “Flipper.”

http://www.earthweek.com/online/ew070302/ew070302c.html

Within this very sad story, there is some news which may lead to an eventual end to this slaughter. The irony is Dolphin may be eventually saved from this killing not because it is so cruel, but because their bodies contain too much mercury to be consumed.

On December 26, 2006, the director of food products for the Okuwa Supermarket Corporation, Mr. Yasunari Kanki, banned the sale of all dolphin meat in all of their stores. The ban on dolphin meat is official, and the supermarket chain will decide if the ban is to be permanent after they test their own samples.

more at link here - scroll down:

http://www.earthisland.org/saveTaijiDolphins/weblog.html

more noble efforts:

http://www.seashepherd.org/taiji/

http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/