Ananya Sriram the Taiji Dolphin Drive Hunt.
Photo courtesy of Brooke MacDonald, 2003
The Taiji Dolphin Drive Hunt
Every year between September and March, the waters of the Japanese coastal city, Taiji, start to morph into a crimson red.
The source of this change? An annual dolphin hunting tradition that has been present in the region for decades (BBC News). This practice was captured through the investigative journalism of animal rights activist Ric O’Barry, whose work ultimately led to the creation of the documentary ‘The Cove’ in 2009. The film, alongside further research, has given us insight into this long standing practice which the Japanese government has worked so hard to hide from the world.
“Taiji sits on the southern tip of Japan’s main island of Honshu, jutting out into a major migration route for whales and other cetaceans” (Japan Forward). As the dolphins pass by the coast, fishermen begin to bang metal fishing rods against the underside of the boat. This creates an “underwater ‘curtain’ of noise, which confuses and disorientates the dolphins” who use echolocation to navigate themselves (Whale and Dolphin Conservation). These dolphins are then driven to a nearby cove where they are killed.
Reasons Behind the Kill
The killing of these dolphins is done for three main reasons. The first reason is that their meat can be consumed, and is seen as a delicacy in certain localities. The issue with this reason being used to justify the hunt is that dolphin is not a staple food in Japan, or even distributed throughout the nation. In fact, studies have begun to expose the risks of eating dolphin meat due to the “toxins that are stored in the fatty tissue of these apex predators” (Dolphin Project), such as mercury.
Many of the dolphins that are not killed for consumption are then sold off to aquariums and marine parks. This has become a huge source of revenue for the Taiji fishermen, with a single live dolphin potentially generating thousands of US dollars (Los Angeles Times). Naturally, this raises several questions regarding the ethics of selling dolphins to then be forced into captivity, where rigorous training and tight spaces often leads to a deterioration of their mental state.
Finally, commercial fishing practices have left much of the seas barren, which is concerning for Japan, a country that relies heavily on seafood. Fishermen now perceive dolphins to be their competition, causing them to partake in this hunt as a means of “eradicating as many dolphins as possible in order to make the oceans’ fish available to themselves” (ABC News).
Controversial Ends with Controversial Means
Beyond the fact that many reasons used to justify this practice are contentious, multiple activists have voiced their opinions on the inhumane nature of the hunting itself. The creation of a sound barrier underwater can cause the dolphins great psychological trauma, but that stands pale in comparison to the physical torture they endure. These dolphins are chased to the point of exhaustion, before being herded into a cove. Killing the dolphins is surely the most controversial part of the entire event, as “a metal rod is repeatedly stabbed into the back of the dolphin’s neck and a wooden plug is inserted into the open wound to prevent blood loss. This means the dolphins die a slow, painful death, taking several minutes to bleed out or drown in their own blood.” (ABC News).
A Clash of Perspectives
Though it is easy to criticise many aspects of this hunting, it is important to consider the viewpoint of those involved. Many fishermen see dolphin hunting as “part of [their] local tradition” (The Guardian), a cornerstone of “local identity and pride.” (The Guardian). Japan is also known to be a nation whose diet consists predominantly of seafood, and many people look at dolphins as a mere resource.
Perhaps it should be considered whether condemning the cruel methods used to kill dolphins in Japan should also be a source of inspiration to look closer at how the meat and dairy industry functions in the West. Commentary upon what happens in Japan often takes the form of “Western ideals versus Japanese tradition” (Japan Forward). Some Japanese feel that hypocrisy has been highlighted: if we are so concerned about the wellbeing of these dolphins, why are we not about cows or chickens? What does this say about how we value different animals? A struggle exists between people on opposite ends of this issue, with many likeTaiji politician Kazutaka Sangen vowing to “protect this tradition” (The Independent).
The Nation is Awake
Across Japan people have woken up to the horrors that exist in their backyard. Protests led by the Japanese themselves are becoming more frequent. “This year several dozen Japanese animal advocates protested in Taiji on the first day of the hunt” (National Geographic). Signs with “messages such as “Free the dolphins” and “Let dolphins swim free” (Japan Forward) are carried by those protesting and marching.
While the Japanese government remains relatively strict about these protests, it is encouraging to see that locals are realising the intrinsic value of the creatures that pass by their borders. Alongside Japan, protests against the dolphin hunt occur globally in continents and countries far and wide (International Animal Protection Organization).
The Cove
The 2009 film ‘The Cove’ has become a world renowned piece of cinema, having “won an Academy award for best documentary, with producer Fisher Stevens grasping the Oscar statue” (The Guardian). In the movie, activist Ric O’ Barry looks into the practices that occur in Taiji and gathers video and photo evidence. Throughout the filming of the documentary, the crew are often followed and questioned by Japanese police, and undergo immense risk to keep themselves from being caught as Japanese officials try to restrict their access to the dolphin hunt.
The film is an excellent source of information on this subject and would be of my highest recommendation to watch. I would advise caution as the documentary does not hold back on the horrors and successfully manages to encompass the gruesome and violent nature of the killing, which some people may find disturbing. Nonetheless, I believe it to be very important cinematography which I hope you will follow up and watch to see the truth for yourself, for no words I write will ever do justice to the horrific experience of the dolphins.
About the author
My name is Ananya Sriram. I am a first year student and I am studying law :)
Citations
“Taiji Cove Hunt: Japan Starts Controversial Dolphin Hunt.” BBC News, BBC, 2 Sept. 2019, https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-49547400.
Alabaster, Jay. “Taiji Dolphin Hunt Criticism Evolves into Animal Rights Debate.” JAPAN Forward, 10 Sept. 2021, https://japan-forward.com/taiji-dolphin-hunt-criticism-evolves-into-animal-rights-debate/.
“Dolphin Drive Hunts in Taiji, Japan - Whale and Dolphin ...” Whale and Dolphin Conservation, https://uk.whales.org/our-4-goals/stop-whaling/stop-dolphin-hunts/dolphin-drive-hunts-in-taiji-japan/.
“Taiji, Japan ‘The Cove.’” Dolphin Project, https://www.dolphinproject.com/campaigns/save-japan-dolphins/.
Singer, Peter, and Jordan Sonowski. “Op-Ed: Japan's Notorious Dolphin Hunt Is Where the World's Aquariums Shop.” Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 6 Sept. 2016, https://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-singer-sosnowski-dolphin-hunt-capture-20160831-snap-story.html.
Haworth, Jon. “Dolphin Hunting Season Begins Again in Japanese Cove Made Famous by Bloody Documentary.” ABC News, ABC News Network, https://abcnews.go.com/International/dolphin-hunting-season-begins-japanese-cove-made-famous/story?id=65341312.
McCurry, Justin. “'Not Ashamed': Dolphin Hunters of Taiji Break Silence over Film The Cove.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 11 Dec. 2017, https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/dec/11/not-ashamed-dolphin-hunters-of-taiji-break-silence-over-film-the-cove.
Alabaster, Jay. “Storms and Protests during the First Month of Taiji's Dolphin Hunts, Minus the Foreigners.” JAPAN Forward, 30 Sept. 2020, https://japan-forward.com/storms-and-protests-during-the-first-month-of-taijis-dolphin-hunts-minus-the-foreigners/.
McNeil, David. “Taiji Cove Dolphins: Japanese Government Defends 'Lawful' Slaughter As.” The Independent, Independent Digital News and Media, 6 Feb. 2014, https://www.independent.co.uk/climate-change/news/this-slaughter-is-lawful-says-japan-more-than-200-dolphins-trapped-in-a-remote-bay-are-expected-to-be-killed-by-hunters-9073079.html.
Daly, Natasha. “Japan's Controversial Annual Dolphin Hunt Begins.” Animals, National Geographic, 9 Sept. 2021, https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/japans-controversial-annual-dolphin-hunt-begins.
“32 Dolphin Activists from Five Continents Protest Japan's Brutal Dolphin Hunting Season on Taiji: Animal Equality: International Animal Protection Organization.” Animal Equality | International Animal Protection Organization, 19 Sept. 2018, https://animalequality.org/news/32-dolphin-activists-from-five-continents-protest-japans-brutal-dolphin-hunting-season-on-taiji/.
Milman, Oliver. “Beyond the Cove: What Happened after the Oscar-Winning Documentary?” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 14 Aug. 2018, https://www.theguardian.com/film/2018/aug/14/the-cove-a-whale-of-a-tale-documentary-taiji.