News Environmental campaigners file suit to stop dolphin hunting

[thomas]

Ten years after The Cove was released, environmental activists from LIA (Life Investigation Agency) have filed a lawsuit to halt the drive hunting of dolphins in Taiji, Wakayama Prefecture. They demand that the governor of Wakayama revoke a three-year drive hunting permit arguing that the hunt was cruel and unnecessary. The case was brought in by activist Ren Yabuki of LIA and an anonymous resident of Taiji. They argue that the hunting method violates Japan's animal welfare act, which stipulates that animals shall not be abused or killed unnecessarily and that - when they must be killed - their pain must be minimized.

Article expired

News on Japan, Business News, Opinion, Sports, Entertainment and More

www.japantimes.co.jp

In drive hunting, fishermen force dolphins into a cove by beating on boats to disorient them. The panicked animals often get tangled in nets, suffocate and drown. Activists say some dolphins smash into rocks and die of injuries, while others are killed by fishermen who thrust a long metal rod repeatedly into the part of the body just behind the blowhole to damage the spinal cord.

Activists file suit to stop dolphin hunting in Japan

Environmental campaigners have filed an unprecedented lawsuit in a bid to halt the so-called "drive hunting" of dolphins in Japan, arguing the practice is cruel and illegal.

phys.org

I'm quite certain that the judge will see himself compelled to dismiss the case on some technicality to avoid ruling on whether drive hunting is cruel or not and on whether it is "necessary to kill dolphins" as a potential food source.

Below an interview with Ren Yabuki:

Japanese Activists File Lawsuit Against Taiji | Dolphin Project

Recently Dolphin Project had the opportunity to talk with Ren Yabuki of Life Investigation Agency (LIA). LIA focuses on animal advocacy within Japan.

www.dolphinproject.com

Q: Can you offer details about LIA's lawsuit? What do you hope to accomplish?
A: LIA's lawsuit's goal is to end dolphin hunting.
Q: I understand a Taiji resident is now joining you in the lawsuit. How did this come about?
A: Opposing dolphin hunting in Taiji is as hard as one might expect. I met someone who stood alone in the darkness, trying to oppose dolphin hunting all on their own. Since meeting this individual, 'he' has joined our lawsuit and become a dear friend to me as well. I have the utmost respect for this person and 'he' is one of the most courageous people I know.
Q: Do you think this will bring news attention (both from within Japan and worldwide) to the Taiji hunts, and the captivity issue in general?
A: As this case is the first of its kind in Japan, I can't confirm how the media will report it or not. My hope is journalists will accurately report on the matter with an unbiased opinion. If they can do that then the Japanese people can have a chance to review all the facts for themselves. If journalists do not accurately report the facts then the information will be distorted. Animals that were once living freely in nature are then caught and forcibly made to be an attraction in aquariums and zoos. Imagine if we did that to other humans – your family or friends for example – stole them and confined them in cages for the rest of their lives. To be trapped until death is a cruel and inhumane thing to do. I want people to understand that these animals have a heart; they have feelings. Just because we may not speak the same language or be the same species doesn't mean we can destroy that.

Does "tradition" really justify animal cruelty? And why is this an issue close to the heart of extreme right-wingers? I hope they realise that dolphin meat is riddled with mercury before serving it to their families.

 

[thomas]

Good news! And for once it's not those pesky foreign activists who got the ball rolling:

A court in Wakayama Prefecture began hearing arguments Friday over whether dolphin hunting violates animal cruelty laws. The plaintiffs are asking the district court to stop the permits from being issued.

Court asked to stop dolphin hunts in Wakayama town

A court in Wakayama Prefecture began hearing arguments Friday over whether dolphin hunting violates animal cruelty laws. The plaintiffs are asking the district court to stop the permits from being issued. Wakayama Gov Yoshinobu Nisaka issues the permits for the village of Taiji, where the hunts...

japantoday.com

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News on Japan, Business News, Opinion, Sports, Entertainment and More

www.japantimes.co.jp

 

[Lothor]

And why is this an issue close to the heart of extreme right-wingers?

A nice quote from Jeff Kingston's (2004) book 'Japan's Quiet Transformation" about whaling, which I think equally applies to the dolphin slaughter:

"Whaling is a made-to-order touchstone for nationalists..."We are a whale-eating nation so don't presume to impose your preferences on us." It is telling that, although a majority of IWC member nations oppose commercial whaling, it is the USA that stands out as the main culprit and punching bag in the Japanese media Bashing the USA over its stance on whaling provides an opportunity to vent well-justified frustations with an overbearing and insensitive ally that pursues bilateral relations as if Japan were still under its occupation. Of all the issues on which the USA and Japan disagree, the relatively minor question of whaling has proved to be one of the most persistently and emotionally divisive ones."

Anyway, best of luck to those pursuing the lawsuit!

 

[TGI-ECT]

You know, folks, I am not so sure I clearly understand why certain types of creatures on this planet are given a higher status than others. You know, them Steak Gusto bovine types might like to be looked upon with as much respect as the dolphins, no? How about chickens? Why are folks not all up in arms about us munching on them chicken types?

Well, I mean, if you are using the point of a cruelty to something-or-other as the basis of your reasoning to stop it.

If you are basing your reasoning on numbers and maybe too few of a certain group, that is different.

But if you are not going to eat one type of creature, maybe you should stop eating all of them. Can get mighty complicated, can't it? I mean, being a human type, right?

 

[thomas]

I agree with you 100%: I condemn cruelty committed against bovines and poultry as much as the catching methods outlined in the posts above. And while we could argue whether it is necessary to devour meat it is completely unnecessary to slaughter and eat marine mammals some of which are endangered.

Future generations will also judge us by how we have been treating our non-human companions we share this planet with. I do not believe it's all that complicated. It just needs a bit of adaptation and rethinking.

Here's an article I usually share with steak lovers:

Eat less meat to avoid dangerous global warming, scientists say

Research led by Oxford Martin School finds widespread adoption of vegetarian diet would cut food-related emissions by 63% and make people healthier too

www.theguardian.com

And no, I wish I was a vegetarian.

 

[thomas]

There is no word on the outcome of the lawsuit mentioned earlier in this thread but obviously it hasn't stopped the dolphin hunt. Worse, now the NPA and the Coast Guard protect the fleet of dolphin slaughterers allowing them to continue to cruelly butcher the animals for mercury-contaminated meat no one cares to eat.

Makes total sense.

Whaling town Taiji begins dolphin hunt

The hunting season for dolphins using a controversial "drive-hunting" method began Sunday in the whaling town of Taiji, Wakayama Prefecture, without any major protest from animal-rights groups. While local police officers were on high alert for anti-whaling campaigns, 12 boats left the town's...

japantoday.com

Japan whaling town Taiji begins annual dolphin hunt - The Mainichi

TAIJI, Japan (Kyodo) -- The hunting season for dolphins using a controversial

mainichi.jp

 

[bentenmusume]

You know, folks, I am not so sure I clearly understand why certain types of creatures on this planet are given a higher status than others.

Well, I mean, if you are using the point of a cruelty to something-or-other as the basis of your reasoning to stop it.

If you are basing your reasoning on numbers and maybe too few of a certain group, that is different.

But if you are not going to eat one type of creature, maybe you should stop eating all of them. Can get mighty complicated, can't it? I mean, being a human type, right?

I just would like to say that I agree with this entirely. I have always felt it is very, very, hypocritical for foreign animal rights groups to castigate the Japanese as barbarians, inhumane, etc. for eating whale and dolphin, while happily consuming factory-farmed fast food chicken, beef, pork, and what-have-you.

I don't believe that "culture" and "tradition" are be-all and end-all excuses, but I mean, when you get down to it, aren't those the basically the same reasons that Western cultures don't think twice about eating cows, pigs, and chickens? All of whom are certainly intelligent (to an certain extent) living creatures who can feel suffering and pain?

Though I probably consume far less meat than the average individual, and actively avoid any fast food or chain establishments 99% of the time, I am not a complete vegetarian or vegan, which I realize makes me something of a hypocrite in even speaking about this at all.

At the same time, I think it's at least important to recognize for people like myself to recognize that we _are_ hypocrites, and not to get self-righteous about what animals other cultures consume, all the while propagating a different but all-too-similar and equally (if not more) damaging type of animal cruelty ourselves.

 

[thomas]

I just would like to say that I agree with this entirely. I have always felt it is very, very, hypocritical for foreign animal rights groups to castigate the Japanese as barbarians, inhumane, etc. for eating whale and dolphin, while happily consuming factory-farmed fast food chicken, beef, pork, and what-have-you.

I am not sure if your criticism is aimed at my post, but I have never castigated "the Japanese" or "Japan" as a nation. And neither would any serious conservationist. Most Japanese don't have the slightest interest in consuming whale or dolphin meat and, sadly, not the slightest idea about the dolphin hunting and whaling industry in their country.

What I do criticise - even at the risk of being called a hypocrite as I also eat moderate amounts of meat - is the cruelty employed when killing whales or dolphins: harpoons with explosive charges that wound the animals and inflict unnecessary suffering, not to mention the savage driven hunt for dolphins (described in the OP). There is no international witch hunt against Japan: Norway and Iceland face the same rap from animal protectionists. What Japan is singled out for, however, is the annual butchery in Taiji. The documentary about the hunt cannot leave anyone with a grain of compassion untouched.

 

[bentenmusume]

My apologies if my post came off that way. It wasn't meant to be criticism of your post at all, especially in light of your follow-up statement agreeing with the same post from TGI-ECT that I was expressing my support for.

It was more a general statement about a sentiment that I've heard before, be it from representatives of organizations like Sea Shepherd, or just from average Westerners I've met (I'm not sure if they'd be considered "serious conservationists") who refuse to eat (or get offended by even seeing) whale on the menu at an izakaya, but will happily and unquestioningly consume factory-farmed fast food chicken or pork or other meat products in which animals have been killed by equally inhumane methods.

As someone who does love animals and does not want to see them suffer, I'm not going to go out of my way to defend the hunt in Taiji. That said, I've watched documentaries on factory farming as well that made me cry as well, and it's just always kind of rubbed me the wrong way when Americans (note: I am originally from the US) and other Westerners get on their high horse about how Japan as a country is backwards and cruel for allowing these things to happen to "intelligent" species like whales and dolphins, despite the fact that barbaric levels of cruelty against other species are perpetrated on a large scale in their home countries, often with the food they themselves eat.

Again, not saying that is what you're doing here; it's just a sentiment I've observed: that somehow cruelty against whales/dolphins is infinite orders of magnitude further beyond the pale than, say, factory farming, just because of the degree of intelligence of the animals involved and the fact that it's not "necessary" to eat them (which, one could argue, is true for any and all animals). It's something I have a hard time accepting.

 

[thomas]

Lest we forget: the annual butchering of dolphins, being herded in a cove where they are, for the lack of a better word, bestially slaughtered over an extended period of time, commenced yesterday.

​

Shame on these butchers and the local media, which hardly ever report the issue to their Japanese audiences.

This year's dolphin-hunting season began Monday in the western Japan whaling town of Taiji, using the traditional "drive-hunting" method that has been labeled as cruel by animal-rights groups at home and abroad. During the hunt, fishing boats belonging to a local whaling cooperative herd dolphins and small whales into a cove in Taiji, Wakayama Prefecture, where they are either captured or killed. On Monday, a pod of Risso's dolphins were spotted some 9 kilometers off the coast and 10 were driven to the cove. Each dolphin was about 3 meters long, and they will be consumed as food. "It was lucky of us to catch 10 on the first hunting day," said Masaki Tsuchiyama, 54, the head of the local cooperative. More than 10 people, watched over by the police, protested the hunt by raising banners when the boats left the port. The hunt will continue through next spring.

Dolphin 'drive-hunt' starts in western Japan whaling town - The Mainichi

SHINGU, Japan (Kyodo) -- This year's dolphin-hunting season began Monday in the western Japan whaling town of Taiji, using the traditional

mainichi.jp

Dolphin Drive Hunt Season Begins in Taiji

The traditional dolphin and whale drive hunt resumed in Taiji, Wakayama Prefecture, with around 10 Risso's dolphins captured on the opening day.

newsonjapan.com

 

[Hiroyuki Nagashima]

In the United States, feral hogs are hunted using helicopters and other means. Isn't this considered cruel?
Moreover, as most of these hunted pigs are not utilized for food, isn't that an issue?

 

[thomas]

As someone to whom animal conservation is very dear, I disagree with hunting hogs by helicopter, but - at the very least - shooting them results in a relatively fast and humane death, which cannot be said about herding dolphins and literally stabbing them to a slow death. They are bleeding out in the sea or on the docks and beaches of Taiji.

​

It's all been said in this thread already: there is no such thing as a long-standing "culture of eating dolphins" in Japan. And even if one tried to claim that there was, it is something that deserves to be rethought, especially given that dolphin meat is known to contain dangerously high levels of mercury. As someone who pays taxes in this country, I strongly object to subsidising redundant and dying industries such as whale and dolphin hunting that are built on animal cruelty and are not even supported by a majority of the Japanese.

 

[mdchachi]

In the United States, feral hogs are hunted using helicopters and other means. Isn't this considered cruel?
Moreover, as most of these hunted pigs are not utilized for food, isn't that an issue?

If we say that hunting hogs like this is cruel then we can agree it's wrong. There's an English phrase -- two wrongs don't make a right.

 

[Hiroyuki Nagashima]

I asked ChatGPT whether it is a double standard that Americans criticize Japanese whaling while they hunt feral hogs in their own country without using them for food.

answer)

1. The U.S. stance on whaling
In the U.S., whales are seen as protected species because of their intelligence, endangered status, and cultural perception as non-food animals.
Therefore, Japan's commercial whaling is criticized as "unnecessary killing" or "a threat to wildlife conservation."

2. The case of feral hog hunting in the U.S.
In many southern states and Hawaii, feral hogs are invasive species that cause severe agricultural damage and disrupt ecosystems.
Hunting them is justified as pest control and environmental protection, not as a food practice.
Most of the meat is not consumed because of issues such as cost of processing, food safety concerns (parasites, diseases), and incompatibility with commercial meat standards.

3. Is this hypocrisy?
On the surface, it looks contradictory: the U.S. criticizes Japan for eating whales, yet kills wild pigs without eating them.
However, Americans view these as two separate categories:
Whaling = killing protected wildlife.

Hog hunting = managing destructive pests.

Because of this framing, they don't see it as hypocrisy, even if it feels like "double standards" from a Japanese perspective.

Conclusion:
From a Japanese point of view, this can look like hypocrisy. But Americans justify it as "wildlife protection vs. pest control," so they don't see a contradiction.

(I requested ChatGPT to provide a draft speech suitable for presentation at an international conference.)

Draft Speech (Japan's Counterargument on Whaling)

Distinguished delegates,

Japan's position on whaling is often criticized internationally, particularly by the United States. However, I would like to clarify our stance and highlight why we believe these criticisms reflect a double standard.

1. Respect for Cultural Diversity

Whaling in Japan has a history of several centuries. It is not only a food practice but also part of the cultural heritage of many coastal communities. Just as dietary customs differ around the world — whether involving beef, pork, horse, or even dog — what is considered acceptable to eat varies by culture. To impose one's own values on another nation risks cultural imperialism.

2. Sustainability and Scientific Management

Japan limits its whaling to species that are not endangered, in accordance with scientific assessments. Our practice follows the principle of sustainable use of marine resources, which is also the foundation of international fisheries management.

3. The Issue of Double Standards

In the United States, feral hogs are hunted in large numbers because they are considered invasive species that damage agriculture and ecosystems. Most of these animals are not used for food, but simply destroyed. If it is acceptable to kill animals for environmental management without consuming them, why is it considered unacceptable for Japan to harvest whales in a sustainable way and make full use of them as food? From our perspective, this reflects a double standard.

4. The Way Forward

Japan does not insist that other nations adopt our dietary customs. We only ask that our practices be judged fairly — on the basis of science and sustainability, not cultural prejudice. International dialogue should focus on respecting cultural diversity, ensuring sustainability, and avoiding double standards.

Thank you.

 

[thomas]

Just a few short comments on the above (I'm on my bike).

- I doubt that eating dolphin meat can be considered a dietary custom of Japan. I am sure that historically some coastal populations did eat it occasionally. It's never been staple food.

- Can a "dietary habit" justify inhumane slaughter? Do we need to eat whale and dolphin meat or boil lobster alive?

- as for the comparison with boars that are killed but not eaten: Japan culls 9,000 bears a year without making any use of the meat.

This discussion is not so much about what's legitimate to eat or not, it's plain and simple about animal cruelty.

 

[mdchachi]

I asked ChatGPT whether it is a double standard that Americans criticize Japanese whaling while they hunt feral hogs in their own country without using them for food.

You asked it a different question. This post is about dolphins, not whales.

It's true this town has a tradition of hunting & eating dolphins dating back centuries. But if they had a tradition of butchering dogs inhumanely and then eating them would that make it acceptable today?

 

[Lothor]

I asked ChatGPT whether it is a double standard that Americans criticize Japanese whaling while they hunt feral hogs in their own country without using them for food.

answer)

1. The U.S. stance on whaling
In the U.S., whales are seen as protected species because of their intelligence, endangered status, and cultural perception as non-food animals.
Therefore, Japan's commercial whaling is criticized as "unnecessary killing" or "a threat to wildlife conservation."

2. The case of feral hog hunting in the U.S.
In many southern states and Hawaii, feral hogs are invasive species that cause severe agricultural damage and disrupt ecosystems.
Hunting them is justified as pest control and environmental protection, not as a food practice.
Most of the meat is not consumed because of issues such as cost of processing, food safety concerns (parasites, diseases), and incompatibility with commercial meat standards.

3. Is this hypocrisy?
On the surface, it looks contradictory: the U.S. criticizes Japan for eating whales, yet kills wild pigs without eating them.
However, Americans view these as two separate categories:
Whaling = killing protected wildlife.

Hog hunting = managing destructive pests.

Because of this framing, they don't see it as hypocrisy, even if it feels like "double standards" from a Japanese perspective.

Conclusion:
From a Japanese point of view, this can look like hypocrisy. But Americans justify it as "wildlife protection vs. pest control," so they don't see a contradiction.

(I requested ChatGPT to provide a draft speech suitable for presentation at an international conference.)

Draft Speech (Japan's Counterargument on Whaling)

Distinguished delegates,

Japan's position on whaling is often criticized internationally, particularly by the United States. However, I would like to clarify our stance and highlight why we believe these criticisms reflect a double standard.

1. Respect for Cultural Diversity

Whaling in Japan has a history of several centuries. It is not only a food practice but also part of the cultural heritage of many coastal communities. Just as dietary customs differ around the world — whether involving beef, pork, horse, or even dog — what is considered acceptable to eat varies by culture. To impose one's own values on another nation risks cultural imperialism.

2. Sustainability and Scientific Management

Japan limits its whaling to species that are not endangered, in accordance with scientific assessments. Our practice follows the principle of sustainable use of marine resources, which is also the foundation of international fisheries management.

3. The Issue of Double Standards

In the United States, feral hogs are hunted in large numbers because they are considered invasive species that damage agriculture and ecosystems. Most of these animals are not used for food, but simply destroyed. If it is acceptable to kill animals for environmental management without consuming them, why is it considered unacceptable for Japan to harvest whales in a sustainable way and make full use of them as food? From our perspective, this reflects a double standard.

4. The Way Forward

Japan does not insist that other nations adopt our dietary customs. We only ask that our practices be judged fairly — on the basis of science and sustainability, not cultural prejudice. International dialogue should focus on respecting cultural diversity, ensuring sustainability, and avoiding double standards.

Thank you.

ChatGPT and other large language models work by probability (if you have 'Washington in the United', then next word will almost certainly be 'States'). So these arguments are just sentences that probably have some meaning, based on what ChatGPT can find online and its understanding of English sentence structure. If you have some arguments for killing dolphins, let's hear them.

 

[Ukigumo]

I find it hard to believe the Dolphin slaughter still goes on in this age of supposed compassion and environmental awareness. You have to agree that for a person to do this, to what are sentient and indeed cute beings suggests there's something not quite right in their heads. This is nothing but sadism.

 

[salyavin]

pigs are also intelligent likely more so than dogs perhaps similar to dolphins. Cuteness is relative, some cultures do eat dogs.

 

[Ukigumo]

Cuteness is highly subjective, but I find it hard to believe anyone can look any animal in the eye and take it's life.

There's a slightly controversial measure called 'encephalisation quotient' (EQ) that gives us an idea of potential to be intelligent. You work out how much of the brain is required to do things like control movement, hormone secretion and all the various vegetative functions etc. Any central nervous system tissue left over must be performing higher cognitive functions like thinking, reasoning, planning etc...the 'higher functions'. The EQ for a dolphin/small whale is about 0.7, dogs 0.2, cats 0.21, 'farm animals' 0.15, but bonobo chimps are head and shoulders higher at 2.2. What about humans, you ask? We're at 7.7!