Why do Japanese fishermen kill dolphins?

The official reason Japan has given for the annual hunt is to use the dolphins for meat, but Dolphin Project says there are other reasons as well. “From the fishermen’s perspective, the dolphins eat too much fish, and the fishermen are simply killing the competition…

Did Japan stop killing dolphins?

TAIJI – Officials have confirmed to Dolphin Project that on March 1, the 2018/19 drive season in Taiji, Japan ended. For six months, dolphins of all ages have been chased, harassed, manhandled, captured and slaughtered.

Does the Taiji dolphin slaughter still happen?

Japan’s Global Dolphin Trade Still Kills. Taiji in Wakayama Prefecture is one of Japan’s dolphin hunting towns, made notorious by the 2009 Oscar-winning documentary The Cove. The film provoked an international outcry over the cruelty of the dolphin trade.

Is eating dolphins illegal in Japan?

As for who is eating the stuff, the fisheries department has trouble even giving it away. That’s why dolphin meat is often mislabeled and sold as whale meat, even though this is illegal under Japanese food safety law.

Do people eat dolphins?

Eating dolphin meat may seem abhorrent to most Americans, but many cultures around the world include marine mammals in their diets. For instance, people on the tropical island of St. Vincent in the Caribbean can legally hunt and eat dolphins. Vincent, where about two-thirds of the residents eat marine mammal meat.

How can we stop the Japanese from killing dolphins?

Stop The Slaughter: Sign The Petition Sign this petition telling the Mayor of Taiji and Japanese Prime Minister Abe that the slaughter and trade in live dolphins are unacceptable and must end.

How much is a dead dolphin worth as meat?

While a dead dolphin may be worth $600 for its meat, this sum pales in comparison to the value of a dolphin sold into captivity. These live dolphins, once trained, are worth over $150,000 each, equaling approximately $3 million for the fishermen in exchange for the 52 untrained dolphins sold last week.

Do Japanese eat horse meat?

In Japanese cuisine, raw horse meat is called sakura (桜) or sakuraniku (桜肉, sakura means “cherry blossom”, niku means “meat”) because of its pink color. It can be served raw as sashimi in thin slices dipped in soy sauce, often with ginger and onions added. In this case, it is called basashi (馬刺し).

Are dolphins red meat?

Dolphin meat is dense and such a dark shade of red as to appear black. Cooked dolphin meat has a flavor very similar to beef liver. Dolphin meat is high in mercury, and may pose a health danger to humans when consumed.

Is Japan killing dolphins?

Japan has started its controversial annual dolphin hunt in the coastal town of Taiji. The hunt sees the animals driven into a cove where most are slaughtered for their meat with knives in shallow waters. Other dolphins are sold to aquariums and marine parks.

Why do Taiji hunt dolphins?

During a meeting with the Taiji fishermen in January 2004, we were also told that in addition to hunting dolphins for their meat and for sale to the dolphinarium industry, they hunt them “as a form of pest control.” Faced with the global issue of overfishing due to unsustainable commercial practices over decades, the …