This is a terrible, inhumane and barbaric practice. And it must stop. There are a number of excellent organizations working hard to put an end to the drives once and for all. Among them is BlueVoice.org. Hardy Jones is a longtime filmmaker who has devoted his life to exposing and stopping the dolphin slaughters, as well as other crucial issues that face marine life.
Last year Hardy sent us some footage to podcast, and that became DiveFilm Podcast Video Episode 27, "Defending Dolphins."
One of the things mentioned in the podcast is that much of the financial incentive for the Japanese dolphin drives comes from the captive dolphin industry. It's made me question the source of dolphins for many of the resorts, parks, and "dolphin encounters" that feature captive dolphins. Some claim that they are rescuing dolphins from Japanese fishermen. But it would appear that the reverse is true: their demand for captive dolphins is helping to fuel the drives in Japan in which dolphin slaughter accompanies dolphin capture.
I am hopeful that the Japanese people, when they too learn more about these terrible practices, will begin to speak out more loudly against the drives. And I commend people like Hardy Jones who devote their art and their lives to trying to stop such horrific practices.
More organizations working to stop the Japanese dolphin drives include "Act for Dolphins," a network of scientists and aquaria, Sea Shepherd, and the "Save Taiji Dolphins Campaign."
Mary Lynn