Demand an End to the Transportation of Japanese Dolphins , Now!

"A Dolphins smile is the greatest deception. It creates the illusion that they’re always happy” says famous dolphin activist Ric O’ Barry.

According to Dolphinproject.net, in Taiji, Japan between September and April there is an annual dolphin slaughter. These dolphins are often killed for their meat and the “pretty” ones are sent to oceanariums across the world. Taiji Japan is the largest distributor of dolphins and small whales to these oceanariums. By allowing the transportation of these dolphins onto US soil we are promoting the dolphin slaughter and essentially saying that it is just. I am writing this letter to you in hopes of persuading you to take action. I hope you will be more informed of this ongoing problem and inspired to go and make a federal law to prohibit the transportation of Japanese dolphins into America.

According to Ric O’ Barry’s film “The Cove” Taiji, Japan is the largest distributor of dolphins to oceanariums (places like SeaWorld) across the world. Every year there is an annual dolphin hunt where fishermen lure dolphins to a cove where they capture the “pretty “ones so that they can be sent to live in captivity and kill the “ugly” ones for their meat (2) The people of Taiji are very naïve to the fact that this goes on in their city. The government tries very hard to keep the world from knowing what really goes on in “The Cove”. Not only does this harm the dolphin population but It also harms the people of Taiji. The Dolphin meat is sold at a very inexpensive price in the town markets. It is also put in the children’s school lunches. Many of the citizens of  Taiji  eat this meat not knowing that their own government is poisoning them. This is sadly still happening today.

“Dolphins and small whales are heavily contaminated by mercury. yet the Japanese government, fully aware of the mercury contamination, ignores this problem and allows mercury- poisoned dolphin and whale meat to be sold in markets. Japanese consumers are exposed to danger but not warned “ For those that may not know, mercury is “the second most toxic poison in the world. Mercury attacks the brain and nervous system, causing horrible damage to eyesight, hearing, and motor skills, as well as interfering with memory and thought processes leading to dementia.”

Not only does the dolphin hunt harm the dolphin population, but it also affects the people of Taiji.  However, this is not the only case I’d like to present to you.

“Wild whales and dolphins can swim up to 100 miles a day, hunting and playing. In captivity they have very little space and cannot behave naturally. A concrete tank can never replace their ocean home.” Dolphins are very “family oriented” animals. They travel in large groups throughout their entire lives. When they are put into these tanks they are often alone. You may not believe this, but dolphins grieve and feel just like us humans.  They are highly intelligent and have larger brains than we do. Imagine being alone in a tank for months, maybe even years. You would eventually become depressed. This happens to hundreds of dolphins all over the world. Because of their intelligence these dolphins know that they are depressed and eventually commit suicide when in these tanks.

A solution to this would be to pass a federal law that states that the transportation of small whales and dolphins onto US soil is to be considered a federal offense. With this law we could help to put a stop to the dolphin slaughter in Taiji.. You may believe that having these animals in the oceanariums is a way for children or other individuals to learn. On the contrary studies have shown that they do not help individuals learn at all. And even if they did there are hundreds of other ways for individuals to learn about these unique and precious animals. One being documentaries, others being books.  With this law we can also send a message to those who participate in this dolphin hunt. That message being that the US does not support the exportation of these animals and what the Japanese Government  is doing is extremely wrong.

 Ric O’ Barry and many other activists go to Taiji every year to try and shed some light on this problem. Although you may think that this does not affect you, it does. Can you imagine a world where the dolphin is an animal that we could see only in books and old documentaris but no one has seen one in person?  This idea seems quite appalling, but it, in fact, can come true if we do not help stop this dolphin hunt. I strongly advise you to go and spread the word. You can sign petitions and even support Ric O Barry’s dolphin project. The dolphin population is diminishing rapidly and if we do not help put a stop to this the dolphin will in fact go instinct. I hope that I was able to inspire you to help the dolphins and people of Taiji. You are either an activist or an in activist so just remember if we don’t help put a stop to this our children may live in a world where the dolphin is merely a memory .