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/

[jobycom]

1. I feel that way about cows and chickens being slaughtered, too.

Seems somehow discriminatory to criticize one group for their cuisine and not our own neighbors for theirs. I understand that dolphins supposedly have a higher intelligence level than cows or chickens, but I don't see intelligence level as the only criterion for respect of life. If you've ever watched a "lower" animal grieve for the loss of a family member, you know that animals suffer grief, and most feel love. I just lost one a long-time pet, and watching her two puppies cry over her body hurt more than losing her. THAT seems to me the best criterion for judging all life forms--their ability to feel.

I don't know, on the one hand I don't see how anyone can still eat meat, and on the other I don't see how people can give higher value to one form of animal life over another. If it's okay to shave a chicken's head off or to slam a cow skull with a mallet, I don't see how it's wrong to kill a dolphin with a spear. Or maybe I mean I don't see how people who have no problem eating a burger can be upset with this. I guess that means I either have a higher or lower awareness of the issue than everyone else, and I'm not sure which it is. :(

How's that for a rambling, pointless post? Three paragraphs to say I don't know? Sigh... That kind of day for me. :)

[RiverStone]

2. cruelty in any form hurts us all

I don't think the stories imply that dolphin's have higher value than other forms of animal life; organizations such as GreenPeace focus on a vast array of issues and animals, not just dolphins or whales. That being said, your points about cruelty upon cows and chickens (just the food industry in general) are very valid jobycom.

Gawd, with all the other human tragedies of war and famine on this one planet earth - it is possible to go about our day oblivious to the suffering of animals as well. Though most American's cross paths with this issue every time they buy fast food.

I highly recommend the book -Fast Food Nation which not only talks of the vast political/corporate exploitation of consumers at the expense of public health, but the cruelty of our animal processing industries that most folks do not want to ever hear about.

more on Fast Food Nation:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fast_Food_Nation

I hear there will be a Fast Food Nation documentary flick out soon as well.

Thanks for sharing jobycom. I need to go eat a large cruelty free salad for lunch! :)


peace~