Aquariums in Japan that continue to use dolphins caught by the controversial "drive hunt" method in Taiji, Wakayama Prefecture, will be expelled from the Japanese Association of Zoos and Aquariums (JAZA).
JAZA said Friday it had informed the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA) of its decision.
In May, JAZA voted to stop using dolphins caught by the drive hunt in order to remain part of the global body that had suspended the Japan's chapter over the issue.
"JAZA will prohibit its members from acquiring wild dolphins caught by drive fishing in Taiji and to take part in their export and sale," JAZA chairman Kazutoshi Arai said in a letter to WAZA following the vote, which saw an overwhelming majority (99) of the 152 members opt to remain part of the global body.
JAZA said it will expel aquariums that continue to use dolphins caught in drive hunts and will start promoting the breeding of dolphins.
© Japan Today/AFP
53 Comments
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Christopher Glen
Good on them. Taiji's days are numbered
Disillusioned
Sadly Christopher, there are many other countries lining up to buy these dolphins. This move will have very little effect on the hunters of Taiji.
Kobe White Bar Owner
Its a nice thought but it wont change anything to many loop holes and third parties.
sighclops
Nothing but lip service. Cronies to pay off, loopholes to exploit & around we go!
ifd66
At least, it sends the right message.
smithinjapan
Wake me up when they actually do it and not just talk about it. In any case, Taiji can just catch them, keep them in the Taiji holding tanks for a day, and the aquariums can say the dolphins were "not wild" or some other ridiculous loop hole and nothing will change. Stop funding Taiji's dolphin catch. Period.
tinawatanabe
The expeled aquariums can create a new JAZA
Hugo Kempeneer
Freedom of action/speech
nath
Yes Tina, because being isolated with pride is always better than getting along with others, right?
koiwaicoffee
So the JAZA members were fine with it before the international pressure began?
tinawatanabe
152 minus 99 is 53. I don't think as many as 53 aquariums would never have to feel isolated. They should never give in to western culture imperialism.
browny1
Tina - I agree. They shouldn't give in to Western Cultural Imperialism and refuse to join the club. Even if the rules are the same for any one who wants to be a member (east - west - north -south) - No taking of wild animals - they should just say No and form the Eastern Cultural Association of Zoos & Aquariums.
Then there will be no problems and everyone will be happy with their lot - WAZA, JAZA & ECAZA.
jcapan
"western culture imperialism" is rarely something I cheer on but as a tonic to eastern cultural barbarity...
Rik314
Sadly many Japanese are blissfully unaware of may issues involving wildlife, preferring to focus on the end result rather than the process. A dolphin in a dolphin show is a dolphin, not a political prisoner. A slab of whale is Y2000 sushi, not an endangered/inhumanely slaughtered species. An ivory hanko is a classy hanko, not a dead elephant. What some people classify as 'western cultural imperialism' is in fact thinking in teh 2ist Century.
tinawatanabe
@koiwaicoffee
Of course the JAZA members were fine with it before the int'l pressure and are fine with it even after the pressure.
@jcapan
If western countries are not barbaric, no need to associate with a barbaric country
Chop Chop
Dolphins have nothing to do with Taiji's Dolphin hunters and those Dolphins are victims of Taiji’s Dolphin hunters.
What's a point of expelling defenseless poor Dolphins from Japanese Aquariums?
Are they (JAZA and WAZA) crazy and heartless?
Will JAZA release those Dolphins from Japanese Aquariums into the sea? If they will do so and then it’s good.
GW
CORRECT! Yes they were. This is just another case of good ole GAIATSU to get Japan to do something it can NEVER do on its own sadly
wtfjapan
ah racist tina strikes again, seriously might be time for you TFO to another site that doesnt have so many gaijin on it
Moderator: If you ever call another reader racist again, you will be leaving us.
Laguna
No worries. As soon as it becomes apparent to the Japanese populace that the main destination for Taiji dolphins is China, they will turn against it en mass and with passion.
nath
Breeding?
wtfjapan
Do you want to talk with the same uninformed people and learn nothing? and we are going to learn from YOU! pleeeaaase judging from your comments and the amount of thumbs down you clearly dont like gaijin, your nationalistic views are blind to the fact that Japan is far from perfect in international matters. id get better conversation from Japanese driving black trucks. please dont continue to bore us with your dribble, it saves us scrolling down further to post a comment
tinawatanabe
The majority 61.1% Japanese oppose this JAZA dicision, 23.5% support, 15.4% undecided. The breeding of dolphins are very difficult, and many Japanese can not understand why using bred dolphins is OK and not from Taiji.
nath
I love Tina's thinking.
browny1
tina - one reason many Japanese oppose JAZAs decision is because they think dolphins are cute and clever.
They want to see these cute and clever animals close-up, jump through hoops, play ball, do backflips and other tricks.
If aquariums have to close down then the pleasure of watching these cute and clever animals will be taken away.
It will not be fair for the kids.
Let's protect these cute and clever animals by continuing to catch them and put them on show for us to enjoy.
nath
That's because no one has told them how the dolphins are caught in Taiji.
nath
Does anyone understand the major reason for catching the dolphins here? I keep trying to express my positive opinion on that.
On the few peripheral dolphins are sent to aquariums. Possibly because they were young and not so scarred up. Why not send them to aquariums? We are the dominant species on the planet. Do we not control what gets hunted for consumption? Do we not control our environment? What makes one lower species from us more important than another?
The dolphin hunt is for what purpose? Food.
The extra stuff gets sent off to make another form of a job per say.
Get real kids. Life is tough but good. We are steps ahead of the dolphins.
Paul Laimal-Convoy
This is a great step in the right direction. It's certainly not western imperialism at all. Just recently, an ex-employee of Seaworld in the USA wrote a whistle blowing expose on the cruel treatment of dolphins/orcas at their parks. Regardless of how they were caught, the whole shebang is not particularly humane and western parks are starting to feel the change in public sentiment towards them.
tinawatanabe
western public are entitled to change their sentiment towards dolphins, but shouldn't go to another country and go to a town like Taiji and demand the local stop or sabotage what they are doing as family businesses, ignoring Japan's govt and public.
Why is it not western imperialism?
DMoore
I am wondering, does anyone know if they showed Flipper on Japanese TV? If so what was the general reception - did they think that Flipper should be left to roam free since there are enough fish out there for everyone?
browny1
tina - The aquariums here don't have to change. They have a choice. They don't have to follow WAZA - JAZA rules, they can leave and operate independently.
Many things in the world now operate on a global basis - if you don't want to play the world game, simply start your own game.
tinawatanabe
"the world game" is operated by the western value. There are many zoos in JAZA, which don't need dolphins and don't want to leave WAZA. But the aquariums need dolphins and I agree they shold leave JAZA.
lostrune2
If the aquariums calculate that leaving JAZA would cost them more than staying in it, then it's just prudent to stay than leave. They're all about the bottom line, after all.
SenseNotSoCommon
Despite 65% of the aquariums being for it? What's your data source, Tina?
Why stop there? Leave the UN, stop trading with the world and revert to an agrarian idyll of superstitious navel gazers.
nath
Dolphins are only recently used as entertainment in Japan. They have been a healthy food source for many, many generations.
tinawatanabe
lostrune2, if the bottom line may not differ one way or the other, I think they choose the one that helps poor Taiji people. We shouldn't be greedy.
SenseNotCommon, it is general public opinion I found in Yahoo news.
I don't think each aquarium belongs to UN or trades directly with the world. All they can do is leave JAZA in support of Taiji people.
cleo
It is the handful of dolphin-killers in Taiji who are greedy and who are keeping the rest of Taiji poor.
Replace dolphin-slaughter and the sale of captive dolphins into short-lived slavery with dolphin-watching/wild dolphin swim tours, and a much greater proportion of the population of Taiji would benefit; not only the boat-owners and tour operators, but the people running (and working in) hotels and B&Bs, the people running (and working in) restaurants, souvenir shops and the rest of the paraphernalia of a tourist trade.
The greedy, blood-stained dolphin-killers should stop spoiling things for everyone else.
tinawatanabe
You really know how to hurt the Japanese people's feelings. You're genious in that cleo.
cleo
tina-san, how do you imagine it hurts 'the Japanese people's feelings' to point out that a handful of people doing something that has to be hidden behind blue tarps and 'Keep Out' are spoiling things for all the other Japanese people who live in that area?
Because the truth hurts?
The fact remains that Taiji as a whole could make itself much more popular, and earn doshes more money, by celebrating the dolphins and turning them into a wholesome tourist attraction instead of killing them and turning them into toxic waste.
tinawatanabe
cleo you still ask that. I don't know if they use blue tarps now but lets suppose they do it's not important anyway. The Japanese people are confident that behind the tarps there are no humanbeing caught, that's all they need to know. You are ignoring their value and demanding they drop their value and accept yours instead hurt their feelings.
It is their business. It is very impolite of you to tell them what to do. Why do you assume you know better than them, or you think you are superior to them. From the fact that you demand them what to do, but they are enduring and suffering, it seems they are superior people for the Japanese. All you can do is go there and become friends with them and then suggest your idea.
cleo
I'm sorry, when did you take it on yourself to decide what people need to know and what is important? You think you know better than them, that you're superior to the average Japanese person?
I'm not demanding anything. I'm suggesting a way out of their present dilemma, a way for them to stop 'enduring and suffering', a way for them to enjoy a more affluent life. You on the other hand seem to be demanding that I abandon my own values for the sake of appeasing a handful of people who disgust me. That hurts my feelings, tina.
Become friends with people who gleefully stab animals to death in a sea of blood?
You...must...be...joking.
tinawatanabe
cleo, I meant "That's all Japan needs to know"
There is no dilemma.
Taiji people are enduring and suffering from anti-hunting group harassments, which should stop.
Why do you think Taiji people want a more affluent life? I think they are content with their lives.
Nobody forcing you to hunt or eat anything. You are the one who demanding all the Japanese respect your western value. You can't stand even a handful of people do not follow your value, saying disgust you.
browny1
tina - there is a dilemma. If there was no dilemma then this topic wouldn't be up for discussion.
The aquariums that support wild hunting (and the hunters) certainly are troubled by all of this. It is a dilemma for them in no uncertain terms.
Who created the dilemma is up for discussion, BUT not the fact that there is a dilemma.
tinawatanabe
browny1, yes a dilemma for the aquariums, but not for people of Taichi or Japan.
browny1
tina - well that's not how I read the situation. Taiji menfolk (dolphin industry) on the NHK news the other week were quite upset by it all and were not sure what would pan out. They looked as if they were between a rock and a hard place, with their immediate future looking unstable.
Which would equate to a dilemma in my reckoning.
tinawatanabe
browny - Being upset is not a dilemma. Taiji town mayor said this morning that the town is considering to organize a new JAZA with like minded aquariums, which shows they are people of principle. Shame on the present JAZA who sold their members for WAZA.
Tokiyo
@tina: The association decided not to use the Taiji dolphins by vote and you still won't accept it. Do you ever accept any new line of thinking tina? Or is it all about living in the glorious past for you?
cleo
tina, your numbers are way out. As of 24th May, only 5 aquariums out of the 34 that have dolphins are considering leaving JAZA over the dolphin issue - Noboribetsu Marine Park Nixe in Hokkaido, Awashima Marine Park and Shimoda Sea Aquarium, both in Shizuoka, Taiji Whale Museum in Wakayama (no surprise there), and Oita Marine Palace Aquarium Umitamago in Oita. Five out of 152 sounds pretty isolated to me.
http://asia.nikkei.com/Politics-Economy/International-Relations/5-aquariums-may-quit-Japan-ass-n-to-keep-acquiring-Taiji-dolphins
At a meeting held a few days later, Prince Akishino, president of JAZA, stated that 'JAZA's decision is likely to generate positive consequences in the future' and 'We have to think about the matter separately from the issue of culture passed down from old times in Japan'. So, .... No Cultural World Heritage status for Taiji Dolphin Drive and Killing Practices.
http://www.kyodonews.net/news/2015/05/28/18468
tinawatanabe
Tokiyo - Japan never had any glorious past.
cleo - The 53 is the number who opposed (or undecided) remaining in WAZA. Your link says only 16 out of the 34 opt to remain in WAZA, so your number 5 will increase once a new JAZA is created. Prince Akishino's comment came after JAZA's vote, and his position is honorary, not executive,
browny1
tina - please read all of what I wrote. "...they were not sure what would pan out.They looked as if they were between a rock and a hard place, with their immediate future looking unstable."
A dilemma by any definition. Any!
It's ok to hold your own opinion while at the same time giving acknowledgement to another point. It's not weakness.
tinawatanabe
browny - I read all of what you wrote and even checked the word dilemma in English dictionary. I agree "they were not sure what would pan out and between a rock and a hard place with their immediate future looking unstable", but if they have no intention of giving in to the threat of WAZA, it does not sound like a dilemma. But if you insist, ok a dilemma.
Tokiyo
tina: way to avoid the point I was making. do you always skirt in a different direction when made to face the music? Here is the point I was making once more:
Could it be, that perhaps catching animals "the traditional way" may be doing more harm than good? Could it be that perhaps finding better ways to catch these creatures may do some good for the environment? Or should we just stick to our fingers in our ears and berate every thought that deviates from "tradition" like little brats? If everyone was like that, we would still be in Jomon Era mud huts scavenging for food.
tinawatanabe
Tokiyo
They were worried about the prospect for the acquisition of other animals if expelled from WAZA.
They think it is the best way to catch the dolphins. That's why they are doing it.
Sounds like that's what the westerners are doing to what the Japanese are saying.
Why? If you can read Japanese, please visit the Japanese news site to see what the majority of Japanese posters are saying about this. They are supporting this move of creating a new JAZA.
Joanne Reynolds
tinawatanabe, What is this rubbish about Western verses eastern? Should we not all be humans? And as humans, do we not all have a duty of care for the Earth?
Taiji is not as you say a family business it is a barbaric practice! Running over any animal with the propeller of a skiff is tantamount to torture! Starving animals for four days is torture!
Plundering the World's Oceans is pure stupidity, I have seen this first hand as a diver. Barren sea beds where dredgers have been. I am a Westerner, and I do not condone a lot of the practices here, and campaign against those too.