(JP) Futo Dolphin Drive-Latest information/action alert

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Drive Fishery in Futo was remcommenced

on November 11, 2004

 

From

http://enjoy.pial.jp/~animals/elsa/info_e_dolphin.htm

(please visit above for the photo)

 

In the morning of November 11, we were informed that

dolphin drive hunts started at 9:00 a.m. and that more

than ten fishing boats from Futo were working to drive

dolphins into Futo Fishing Port on Shizuoka

Prefecturefs Izu Peninsula. At 11:00 a.m. the

dolphins were driven near to Futo Port, and finally,

at 11:45 a.m. about 100 bottlenose dolphins were

confined in the port. The drive fishery in Futo

succeeded after an interval of five years. The

following is a brief report from Futo.

 

The number of dolphins lifted out of the water by

aquarium-staff and fishermen:

 

Lifting of dolphins out of the water started at 9:30

a.m. on November 12, and finished at around 1:00 p.m.

We recorded the lifted number and the time every time

a sling was put down into the water by crane. They

selected and lifted 19 heads of dolphins in all.

---One was attached a transmitter (too big!) on its

dosal fin and released in the bloody sea, 14 were

taken by 6 aquariums, one died of shock, and three

were slaughtered for research and human consumption.

 

Aquariums which bought dolphins from Futo drive

fishery:

1)Shin-Enoshima Suizokukan

2)Awashima Suizokukan

3)Marine Road/Dolphin Fantasy

4)Hosaka Marine Project

5)Shimoda-Kaichu Suizokukan

6)Shinagawa Suizokukan

 

There remains some doubt about the number of released

dolphins:

 

Lifting live dolhins started at 9:30 a.m. on November

12 and the color of the sea turned reddish around

10:30 a.m. Many dolphins were panicked, injured, bled,

and struggled being caught in the circulating fishing

nets. It seemed that more than several dolphins died

of shock or drowned in panic and sank to the bottom of

the sea.

 

At 1:20 p.m. fishermen removed the nets and began to

drive the remained dolphins away out of the port,

threatening them by banging metal poles hung down into

the water. (When they removed the nets, we witnessed

that several dolphins had been caught in them. They

nearly drowned and were injured. They looked too weak

to survive.)

 

The Fishing Cooperative and newspapers reported that

fishermen released 80 dolphins to the ocean, but it

seemed to me that they were far less than 80.

Furthermore, many of them were so injured and weak

that their ability to survive in the wild was

endangered.

 

Keep-Out Signboards and Strict Guard to hide cruel

capture and slaughter:

 

Fishermen, local police and the staff of Japan

Fisheries Agency/the National Research Institute of

Far Seas Fisheries kept strict watch and tried to stop

our videotaping and photographing. While dolphins were

slaughtered and cut apart into meat in a tent on the

shore, no one could take photos of the scene.

Fishermen even prevented tourists from taking photos

of the sea from the street. All the paths down to the

port were blocked with signboards of gKeep-Out,h and

police and fishermen were on guard.

 

However, we could witness that backets of meat were

carried away from the slaughter tent, and that blood

streamed down to the sea from the tent. It clearly

revealed what was going on in the tent.

 

Dead dolphins were collected??

 

In the night on Nov. 12, I noticed that a couple of

fishing boats were moving around in the port,

illuminating with spotlights on the water. It

continued for a few hours till 11:30 p.m. It seemed

that fishermen were searching for dead dolphins that

had sank in the port. However, it was too dark and I

could not confirm it from the place I was.

 

In the next morning on November 13, the Keep-Out

signboards were removed. I went down to the port, and

found that the wide entrance of the slaughterhouse was

covered with blue sheet so that no one could see

inside.

 

The slaughter of dolphins was done in the tent far

from the slaughterhouse the day before, and it had

already finished. Though I couldn't confirm it, I

surmise that fishermen might be able to retrieve dead

dolphins which had sank in the port and cut them apart

into meat in the slaughterhouse.

 

Later, I heard that one adult dolphin and one baby

were found to be floating in the port early in the

morning before I visited there. They must also have

been cut apart into meat there.

 

The price of a dolphin sold to aquariums:

 

This time the price of a dolphin for aquariums was

\380,000 ~\400,000, which is said to be much less

expensive than in Taiji.

 

Dolphin Fantasy:

 

On my way back, I visited a sea-pen of Marine

Road/Dolphin Fantasy in the busy port in Ito City, and

found three new dolphins from Futo drive fishery

swimming with Nami-chan, only one survivor of this

facility. As usual, the sea was noisy with many

fishing boats coming in and out of the port, the water

was filthy, and the sea-pen was too small. Now the

Dolphin Fantasy keeps four dolphins in its small pen.

The three newcomers seemed to be still in panic and

restlessly swam around in the pen, while Nami-chan was

much less energetic.

 

Newspaper Reports:

 

In Futo we collected newspapers which reported the

drive fishery. All reports/articles are on the local

edition. One of them reported that many baby dolphins

were included in the driven pod. Generally, newspaper

reports insisted that the Fishing Cooperative killed

very small number of dolphins for scientific RESEARCH,

captured dolphins ALIVE for aquariums, and RELEASED as

many as 80 dolphins. To our regret, many people who

read these articles seem to admit this drive fishery

and some people praise the drive fishery this time,

because the number of dolphins captured and killed was

small and that one dolphin was released with a

transmitter for scentific research.

 

Future Drive hunts in Futo:

 

The chief of the Ito City Fishing Cooperative declared

closure/completion of the drive hunt in this hunting

season, fullfilling the demand of aquariums. Mr.

Suzuki, the chief of the Ito City Fishing Cooperative

Futo Branch said that he was very happy to have

carried out the drive hunt successfully after

five-year-interruption, and that young fishermen could

have a good opportunity to learn the skill of drive

hunts. The Fishing Cooperative is planning to have a

meeting to consider how to do the dolphin drives

better next time, which means that there is a high

possibility that Futo will be a spot to capture live

dolphins and continue to supply dolphins to the

captive industry.

 

The Reality of Aquariums, and the Connection with

Drive Fishery:

 

Futo has not hunted dolphins for five years, and,

instead, Dolphin/Whale & Nature Watching business

started by a local fisherman and it has been going

well. If the captive industry had not demanded

dolphins, Futo would not have carried out the drive

fishery. The drive fishery is not only unsastainable

but also terribly cruel, and it has deep connection

with aquariums which are considered as educational

facilities.

 

This time Futo drive fishery clearly illustrated the

close relationship between aquariums and drive

fisheries. While aquariums claim to be educational

facilities, they capture dolphins in ways that totally

run counter to those animalsf ecology, thereby

helping to destroy pods of dolphins. It also showed

that although aquariums sing the praises of dolphin

protection, in order to select and obtain dolphins

that satisfy their shopping lists, they chase them

around ruthlessly, thereby sacrificing the lives of

many other dolphins and increasing the dolphisf

suffering.( See the photos of dolphins suffering and

drowning in bloody sea.)

 

In fact aquariums motivate Fishing Cooperative to

carry out the drive hunts. The true protection of wild

anumals requires that as many people as possible be

informed of what aquariums are really up to.

 

What we can do to Stop future cruel Drive Hunts of

dolphins:

Please send your petition/protest letter to:

 

Fisheries Section of Shizuoka prefecture:

Fax:+81-54-221-3288

E-mail:webmaster

 

Mr. Yoshinobu Ishikawa, Governor of Shizuoka

prefecture:

Fax:+81-54-221-2164

E-mail: webmaster

 

Ito Fishing Cooperative: Fax:+81-557-35-0756

E-mail: ito

 

Ito Fishing Cooperative Futo Branch:

Fax:+81-557-51-1139

 

Also, Izu Tourist Facilities Council is one of the

local tourism bodies. Their E-mail address is:

E-mail: izukanko

 

Please let them know (politely) that they are losing

tourists because of this dolphin drive.

 

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs

E-mail: webmaster

 

The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries

E-mail: white56

 

The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry

E-mail: webmail

 

The Prime Minister of Japan

E-mail: kanteihp-info

 

Asahi Newspaper: feedback

 

Yomiuri Newspaper: webmaster

 

Mainichi Newspaper: mdn

 

Nihon Keizai Newspaper: ecntct

 

Sangyo Keizai Newspaper: webmaster

 

Thank you for your help. We really appreciate it.