More Dolphins than ever captured in this year’s dolphin hunt at Taiji

Japan’s annual dolphin hunt at  Taiji Cove, in which fishermen round up hundreds of dolphins for slaughter, ended yesterday. It’s been reported that approximately 500 dolphins were rounded up in this year’s hunt.

The dolphin hunt, which began on Saturday, is an annual tradition in the Taiji community, and continues despite international protest and condemnation by animal conservationists.  The hunt earned widespread attention with the release of the Oscar-winning 2009 documentary “The Cove,” which depicted scenes of the water turning red from dolphin blood. Conservationists call the event a violation of animal welfare, particularly for animals that are intelligent and socially complex.

Sea Shepherd’s Cove Guardians live-streamed video this year of bottlenose dolphins attempting to flee from their captors, and many activists have been tweeting about the event. The U.S. ambassador to Japan, Caroline Kennedy, tweeted: “Deeply concerned by inhumaneness of drive hunt dolphin killing.”

Japanese officials have defended the event by saying the fishermen are acting well within their legal rights. A Taiji fishermen’s union representative said that the fishermen had started using a “more humane” method of killing the dolphins – cutting their spines to end their lives quicker.

The dolphins are either butchered for their meat, which may contain high levels of mercury or other toxins, or sold to aquariums.

Source: www.livescience.com