So I have been getting a whole bunch of questions about what we can do to stop the slaughter in Japan ? What can we do to help save the ecology of our seas?

People in the know give us five things we can do:
1. Write to the Japanese embassy in your city – monthly, weekly or daily voicing your opinion on the slaughter
2. Spread the word
3. Volunteer on the ground
4. Donate to organizations that can be on the ground
5. Do NOT support the Captive industry

The last option seems to stir up a lot of emotion. Probably because most of us have been to a Dolphin show. Most of us have dreamt of going to the Bahamas and swimming with Captive Dolphins. We are the first to comment on our friends Facebook photos of them kissing a Dolphin in Atlantis in Dubai. We love Dolphins and want to swim with them, interact with them and enjoy them.

Surely it can’t be possible that these wonderful marine biologists and trainers are involved in one of the cruelest animal captive programs on the world and are directly involved in the killing of thousands of Dolphins every year in Taiji Japan.

Firstly let me show you how very involved they are:

Almost all trainers and organisations that keep Dolphins belong to IMATA. The International Marine Animal Trainers Association.
Their Mission statement:
“The International Marine Animal Trainers’ Association is dedicated to advancing the humane care and handling of marine animals by fostering communication between professionals that serve marine animal science through training, public display, research, husbandry, conservation, and education.”
You can find their VALUES here.

Below you will find two trainers from Russia visiting the Dolphin Base captive Facility in Taiji last week. They are there to facilitated the transfer of four Bottlenose Dolphins to Russia.

These pictures are courtesy of our Cove Guardians in Taiji. See his Cap, see the organization he belongs to. The Organization he proudly support.

They are 100% aware of what goes on in Taiji. They are aware of the slaughter and they support the Captive industry in Taiji. The Captive industry that has BEEN proven to fund the slaughter.

So much for being concerned for the Conservation of the species as their mission statement proudly tries to claim.

Here are a few places you can read up about the link between the Dolphin Slaughter and the Captive industry:

Facts about the drive hunt – Sea Shepherd

In Opposition to Dolphin Captivity – Animal Planet

To sum up how these two are linked. The Dolphin hunt has become more and more economically unsustainable. So between 4/5 years ago The Fisherman’s Union in Taiji started selling Captive Dolphins to help make the slaughter financially viable. without the sale of Live Dolphins the killers will not be able to afford to continue the slaughter.

Now here is where you might ask but what about Captive facilities that don’t and have never bought Dolphins from Taiji. Surely clumping them into the same group as those that do is wrong. Thats like saying because Blood Diamonds exist we should stop buying Diamonds.

Lets put CRUELTY aside for one moment and simply argue on the above.

The difference is Blood Diamonds are illegal and the industry has taken great lengths to STOP the blood diamond trade. The Diamond industry pays billions of dollars every year to try stop the selling and trading of diamond illegally obtained in Africa and elsewhere in the world.

The Captive Dolphin industry to the contrary has done NOTHING to try stop the slaughter in Taiji. As shown above they actually SUPPORT it.

Switzerland is the only country in the world that has a BAN on importing Dolphin and Whales.

In the United States there is a moratorium on taking dolphins from the wild , but up until recently, marine mammal parks in the States did take dolphins from the wild and from dolphin drive hunts. There are still dolphins who you can go see in these marine parks who were taken from the wild. And they also reserve the right, under some circumstances, to take again from U.S. waters in the future; it’s not illegal if there is any possibility left in the law.

South Africa has no such legislation. Yes the Dolphins in Ushaka Marine world are all born in captivity but there is nothing stopping another marine park from opening up and buying Wild Dolphin from Taiji.

The success of Ushaka marine parks here serves as a model for the rest of the world. And when the rest of the world tries to emulate us, it means that they’re going to take animals from the wild — in particular these drive hunts, which are some of the easiest ways that you can stock your pools with animals.

So Ushaka marine world and other successful marine parks have a responsibility to police the captivity industry and their colleagues. ‘WAZA, the World Association for Zoos and Aquariums, has done very little to do this. In fact the Taiji Whale Museum, which takes from the Taiji drives, is a member in good standing of the Japanese Association of Zoos and Aquariums (JAZA) and JAZA is a member of WAZA. So WAZA can’t be doing all that much to help with the situation.’ Dr. Lori Marino

If these organization were spending billions on trying to stop the drive hunt , and our only aim was to stop the hunt then I could be inclined to say good, lets try support them. This is not the case. Buying a ticket to a Dolphin show is growing the industry an industry that relies on Taiji. This industry runs and funds the drive hunt.

BUT I am most definitely not inclined to support them even if they did do the above simply BECAUSE these places are absolutely cruel, vile places. Dolphins and large marine mammals should never be kept in Captivity. In many of the other Blogs on this site you can find proof of this. Don’t take my word for it though. Do your own research.

I would recommend the following book:

Behind the dolphin Smile by Ric O’Barry

and the following Documentary:

BlackFish

SO the reality is that The Captive industry is not only a cruel cruel place but also the number one reason Taiji gets to kill thousands of Dolphins and small Whales every year. Support a facility and support the killing of Dolphins.