Police, coast guard hold security drill for Taiji dolphin hunt

Ahh the tradition card, an unacceptable practice justified by saying it's traditional... Good luck another example of stupidity in the face of global condemnation.

This issue reminds me of one closer to home in the Faroe Islands - whales not dolphins, but other than that the same principles apply. I was much younger when I saw a news report including a child holding a fetus of a slaughtered pregnant female, which was given to him "as a toy". It still makes me sick to my stomach to think about it.

The Faroese, like the people of Taiji, are claiming cultural tradition. I dont think anyone really has an issue with necessary hunting - it is the cruelty that upsets people. It is true that farm animals were treated cruelly across Europe - and laws came in to prevent it, in particular regulating transportation of live animals. In slaughter houses animals are killed humanely and quickly (or supposed to be anyway) and when that doesnt happen and footage is leaked to the press (as happened a few years ago) there is international outrage, penalties and laws changed.

My point is - I understand the people of Taiji`s reasons for wanting to maintain their culture (albeit a financial one) and I understand the concerns of the activists. So why is it so hard to make a compromise? Harvest the dolphins but do it humanely. Set a quota. Monitor it independantly to see that the agreement is being adhered to. Take only what is needed and can be sold. If possible, reject young dolphins and pregnant females from the catch. Am I being totally naive here? Ditto for the whale hunt. When both sides are bullish and dig their heels in, nothing will ever be achieved.

The bay is where the Oscar-winning documentary “The Cove” was secretly filmed. Its shocking scene of about a dozen fishermen scaring and culling the animals outraged many around the world, but Japan defended the hunts as tradition even though many Japanese have never eaten dolphin meat.

That very line of them, "It's out tradition" makes me ROTFL!!!! I was born here 30 years ago and not once I was offered whale or dolphin meats by my parents.....

What a load of Bull$#t!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Why can't we see NHK broadcasting the blood and gore on the evening news?

Pretty much the same reason you don't see graphic footage of any slaughterhouse on any news network.

You see cowboys on TV all the time, because countries are proud of their cowboys. But you don't see them putting a pneumonic hammer to a cow's head then carve them up with a chainsaw.

There is a great lot of hypocrisy whenever this topic comes up. But as I say, I would not eat dolphin, horse or dog its because they all have a natural affinity with man, ESPECIALLY the dolphin. I know of no human ever saved by a wild dog.

I think its also important to point out that its NOT Japan defending this. Most Japanese are unaware and when you tell them, they are appauled, just not appauled enough to protest. But Japanese don't protest much about radioactive caesium either, so what can you expect?

How can they be trespassing it is a national park?

Much more concerning that all the food which doesn't sell soooo well, such as dolphin, whale, radioactive cows etc. goes into school lunches or mac donald's burgers or somewhere mislabeled so people loose there choices. They think of healthy food but get something else.

@DJ

I've said many times on here that if Japan are going to call the SS etc "terrorists" they should man-up and arrest them.

Isn't it cruelty to repeatedly impale an animal with a barbed hook?

If the Taiji fishermen see no wrong in their actions why is it that there are cordons around the cove?

If this is such a 'proud tradition' why aren't there pictures in every Japanese newspaper of the spectacular dolphin cull?

Why can't we see NHK broadcasting the blood and gore on the evening news?

Let the Japanese people see what happens in Wakayama for themselves and have a referendum on the matter?

"but we must crack down on actions such as...slander," In other words, crack down on freedom of speech. They sound like the 憲兵隊. Japan didn't learn quite enough from 1937 to 1945, it seems.

have you seen this tradition stabbing gutting and bludgeoning a mammal who is panicked and scarred. Nothing like a tradition ?

Hahaha. Just because you don't like it, doesn't make it wrong. And why can't "stabbing gutting and bludgeoning a mammal who is panicked and scarred" be a tradition?

Ever see bull fights in Spain? That's a tradition. But, bulls aren't "beautiful intelligent animals" (TM) so it's fine. Go senor Spaniard! Humiliate and stab that ugly bull to death in front of hundreds of people! They all want to hear it roaring in pain before you finally put it out of it's misery.

That, Cricky, is also "stabbing gutting and bludgeoning a mammal who is panicked and scarred" and is not just a tradition. It's a national symbol.

And before anyone says "But MrDog, the bulls can fight back!". Yeah, they can. And if dolphins were as smart as some people like to think, they wouldn't be getting caught and killed at Taiji every year. Cry me a river.

Moderator: Sorry, but comparisons to bulls are not relevant to this discussion

Yes it does. And if you removed all the alleged "off topic" comments on here, you'd have less than half remaining.

Where to start with all this...

My opinion is that if Taiji is trying to play the tradition card they should take that to its logical conclusion and use only traditional boats, hunting equipment and methods in their hunts. After all, they're doing this in the name of tradition, correct? A great time to put their money where there mouth is. By doing this, the number of whales hunted will drop significantly, tradition preserved and hunting confined to only areas near Japanese waters where they will bear full responsibility and effects for any overhunting that may occur. I think that is a fair compromise for allowing the hunt to continue. Most of the world does not want commercial whaling in Antarctic waters period especially in light of current Japanese whaling methods (eg. spear to the head and let to writhe until death).

Moderator: Whaling is not relevant to this discussion.

Nice to see them protecting the dolphins.

Still it gets confusing as to who are the good guys and who are the bad guys.

Maybe they should hand out black and white cowboy hats...

Police and coast guard should do what they have to do as long as this is in Japan. All countries have same kind of policy to protect.

And I thought the yakuza, not the police, maintained security in Taiji. We can all be wrong.

Theyre probably sharpening up their pitchforks now...

Boathooks it is they use, not pitchforks. But the mentality is the same.

The "Tradition card" Vs the "But They Are Cute Beautiful Intelligent Animals card".

Cute, beautiful, intelligent has little to do with it. Tormenting and torturing a cockroach because it's 'tradition' would indicate the same kind of despicable mentality on the part of the perpetrator.

How can they be trespassing it is a national park?

More to the point, how come the dolphin 'hunters' are allowed to turn a national park into a slaughterhouse and to hold regular blood-baths there?

Japanese people get so sensitive and angry when foreigners criticize their 'culture,' don't they? What a bunch of babies. Time to protect the dolphins!!!

And I thought the yakuza, not the police, maintained security in Taiji.

I think you're working on the assumption they're not working together...

Look! We've had a tsunami! Quick, all nations of the world - we are all one family, get your hands in your pockets and help us, the innocent victims! Right, thank you very much, now mind your own business. Oh, you don't like this slaughter? Why do you hate Japan? Racism! We're the victims again! How unique we are.

Truly despicable.

Go watch the film "Fast Food Nation". In fact go to Nebraska and work in a meat packing plant; or, Alaska and work in a fish processing plant.

Much less distressing than the torture and slow deaths of the dolphins in Taiji. Modern slaughterhouses dispense quick deaths. I would recommend you watch The Cove, because I can tell from your remarks that you haven't.

Get over yourselves, we eat meat and there is blood spilt to process it

The dolphins aren't slaughtered for their meat. Nobody knowingly eats dolphin meat in Japan.

Its shocking scene of about a dozen fishermen scaring and culling the animals outraged many around the world

...not taking those into account the vast majority living in 3rd world countries, whose viewers (if they could afford to watch the film) would be quite happy to eat dolphin if they could...

I was kind of hoping after the Tsunami, Japan appreciating the help and the world appreciating Japan's harmonic culture, would all be one again. Yet now the 'culture' of hunting sea mammals returns, which no-one in their right mind would sanction, Japanese or otherwise. The allusion to fox-hunting, seal-clubbing, bull-fighting is very apt. No-one is bullying Japan, the world just wants to move on from these historical crudities.

Japan wants to appear to the world as if they are advancing science and preserving tradition through whaling as well as reaping its commercial benefits (simultaneously downplaying the latter aspect of course. "It would go to waste" and all that.) They are trying their hardest to appear to world to be as "good" as possible while being able to reap the financial rewards involved while employing many questionable methods to do so. They have already been well exposed thanks to the Cove etc. yet they continue to fight. This needs further exposition to the general Japanese public to let them know just what their taxpayer money is being used for. This might not be a great time with the economic, food contamination and nuclear crisis still around. Given the lack of reaction of the Japanese populace / strength of the elites to withhold information regarding these more serious issues I have little hope that whaling will be resolved in a positive manner anytime soon. One can always hope and Greenpeace is still carrying on effort.

What is the administrative status of the coast guard? Are they national? Acting on orders of local police?

Come on Japan, screw international opinion and just BAN FOREIGNERS from Taiji! If you don't care what people think then why would you care about the condemnation you'd face from the REST OF THE FRIGGIN PLANET!

Cool. Let the idiots waste their money and resources. When the funds run dry and they look around to see who is to blame, they need only look in the mirror.

Japanese fisheries patrol and have a responsibility to maintain all routes around rocks and fish farms. Technically, one needs their permission even to snorkel. Dolphins are in the same family as whales, so this is actually just another form of the kujira mondai. The only difference is they are getting the ingredients for pet food (whale/dolphin meat) in their own waters. O shigoto no tame

Japanese police and coast guard officers practiced chasing a protest boat

I can imagine the Benny Hill music being played.

and arresting activists

I wonder if they got gaijin to pretend to be activists or just got a load of guys wearing blonde wigs and false noses? "Irukaaaa oh koROOOsaNaideee KU-dasaiii".

I hope the police bring the beat-down sticks and arrest anyone causing trouble, on either side.

Whatever you may think of The Cove it does strike a nerve and gets people thinking. The people in Taiji are up in arms are on high alert and nervous as hell. If NOT, while go through all these preparations. I tried Whale, personally, don't see the point in wanting so hard to keep a tradition alive in capturing meat that really truly isn't all that delectable, not really worth the headaches. I think this is all about defiance, pure and simple. Western nations, because you object so much to us hunting Whales, we will do it anyway! Japan just wants to dig their heels in the sand and show, they will never bow to international pressure, regardless of the stakes.

Ask a Japanese if they actively buy whale or dolphin to consume and almost all answer negatively.

It must be ending up as dog food then?

That's a very good point raised above. In what way can this be defended as "Culture" when it was meticulously hidden from the citizens of Japan for decades. Not until the film was made was the average Japanese even aware that such barbarity was happening on their shores. We Japanese love cute things. Unless the state hides what's happening to them from us, and then, when the cat's out of the bag, makes up some nonsense for us to swallow.

"That very line of them, "It's out tradition" makes me ROTFL!!!! I was born here 30 years ago and not once I was offered whale or dolphin meats by my parents....."

So what other jobs are there in Taiji? I guess fishing for pet food can be quite embarrassing, but what if the fish for people that you were catching wasnt being bought anymore, I guess there is no choice but to up and move to Tokyo where there is some 'real' jobs. And then a few years down the track you notice that all those who took your fishing jobs and then belittled you cause you had no choice but to make a living from pet food, then move into the area that you left, buying up your property at tuppence worth, and then continue with their dribble -ie. 'a wonderful fishing town beautiful scenery'-and resell it at millions. To just turn around and go somewhere else and start again-just like my parents did.

If animals are to be killed, it should be done humanely. It degrades all that such cruel practices, traditional or not, are allowed to continue (and says much about the true nature of Japanese Buddhism). They should be illegal.

"It must be ending up as dog food then?" YES, and what if it is? the ancients threw a fish in the hole with the seeds too. How terrible to discover the wonders of nature. Maybe everything should come from a test tube in a clean room that is located in a third world so that we don't have to see or smell it. Ivory Towers much?

Just how is a practice that started less than 25 years ago, Taiji dolphin drive started in 1988, considered a "tradition"?

Teachmeteachyou: The nationalism created from the disasters just fuels "traditional" things even if they only a 25 years old "tradition"

Please stay on topic.

Funny Mr Dog, so you are saying all the video footage of "Private Space" & others should be used to have criminal charges of Assult should be used to charge these butchers? Can't have it one way & not the other, so you agree the butchers should also face criminal charges?

Funny Mr Dog, so you are saying all the video footage of "Private Space" & others should be used to have criminal charges of Assult should be used to charge these butchers? Can't have it one way & not the other, so you agree the butchers should also face criminal charges?

If they have assaulted human being then yeah. What is so funny about that?

@Mr Dog, then why have not these butchers been charged with assult?

Oh, well, I better tell you a nugget of information...

Ready?

I'm not the chief of police or attorney general so a I cannot tell you if charges have been brought by any whalehuggers even though they have evidence on film so they can't be all that bothered about it...

Spain is banning bullfighting and they have been at it quite a lot longer than Japan and it's behind tarps slaughter. The fact they have to hide says much about how ashamed they are about it.

As long as they're not killing endangered speicies then I have no problem with it. Japan can kill and eat as many dolphins and whales they want as long as they abide by a limit and aren't drastically reducing the number of X speicies of dolphins/whales. People just get upset becuase dolphins and whales are "cute" and "intelligent" animals.

Readers, please stay on topic.

Japanese police and coast guard officers practiced chasing a protest boat and arresting activists Wednesday in preparation for annual dolphin hunts that are attracting more foreign opponents to a sleepy fishing village.

Great, glad to hear it. Police and Coast Gurad personal need to be prepared to deal with the eco-terrorism of the SS.

Watson and his SS specialize in violence. It's their preferred way of dealing with anyone they don't like. Book 'em, Dano-san.

Jess Chan - You are not alone, let our voice be heard.

You'll get to meet the nicest police and coast guard personel.

Don't forget your bail money.

arrested a pair of activists for trespassing

Is this bay private property?

Seems to me that some of those rednecks down there are hoping for a confrontation with the foreign greenies. Theyre probably sharpening up their pitchforks now...

Ahh the tradition card, an unacceptable practice justified by saying it's traditional...

The "Tradition card" Vs the "But They Are Cute Beautiful Intelligent Animals card".

Good luck another example of stupidity in the face of global condemnation.

"Global condemnation" ? Going a bit far there, aren't you? "Global condemnation from tree-huggers" is more accurate.

Mrdog I think perhaps wrongly that most..no I will go out on a limb and say all first wold countries are horrified buy this "tradition" have you seen this tradition stabbing gutting and bludgeoning a mammal who is panicked and scarred. Nothing like a tradition ?

Whenever some Japanese archaic practice is criticized they fall back on the 'it's tradition', be it whaling in diesel ships in the Antarctic, bribing, or the dolphin hunt.

In the case of the dolphin hunt I believe it IS part of the local culture, but they need to realize it is outdated and extremely cruel. There is no reason why in this day and age they have to cull the dolphins the way they do simply because people have been doing it for a long time. What cracks me up even more though is how they KNOW this but continue to deny they're hiding anything (behind the blue tarps and now police protected, cordoned off areas), etc. You'd think with all the disasters Japan has faced they'd be spending money and man-hours on helping reconstruction or cracking down on actual crime, but alas.

miamum: "So why is it so hard to make a compromise? Harvest the dolphins but do it humanely. Set a quota. Monitor it independantly to see that the agreement is being adhered to. Take only what is needed and can be sold. If possible, reject young dolphins and pregnant females from the catch. Am I being totally naive here?"

You're not being naive at all, and I think most people agree with what you say as a compromise, but again, a small number of people have fallen back on the 'it's our culture and therefore our right' argument and refuse to budge an inch.

People aren't 'picking on Japan', as the 'victims' here always think is happening when criticized, they are pointing out that the practice is barbaric, and there's absolutely NO denying that. And yet the thugs who carry this out every year run and hide behind massive tarps and barred areas and now hide behind the police as well.

But....but...they can't grow rice in Taiji because the land isn't suitable...so they have to live off dolphin as their staple. (yes, I have heard this hilarious argument).

@Mr Dog, then why have not these butchers been charged with assult? The footage is all over the internet, including females being assaulted by men with gaffs/boat hooks, & complaints have been lodged by said people to J-Police, then have then been threatened with arrest if they return to Japan. If a Japaese tourist filmed & upset someone doing their job on public land in US, Europe, Aus would you accept that the Japanese person should face charges/jail while the national who assaulted them gets off Scott free, & then protected by Police/Coast Guard?

& @Mr Dog, do you really think that if any SSCS member who was in Taiji last year, broke the law they would not have been arrested & charged? Surely they would have if they broke any law, & to the full extent, yet it seems these so called "terrorist" fully abided the laws, & also contributed to the local economy. But I guess all the extra Police & CG will be doing that this year! Oh, & did I not read articles in JT just months ago stating these slaughters would not be happening this year as the same butchers were taking part in coastal "research" whaling? So was this just a ploy to distract media attention from/ gain sympathy?

It seems all you have to do to be declared a "terrorist" in Japan is to simply take a photo of something the J-gov is ashamed of & does not want the rest of the world to see, sounds like a Communist State to me...

Except they have no right & would never stand up in a court of law, & would increase international media attention, &therefore independent investigations which would bring to light to the rest of the world the transgressions carried out by a so called open, & democratic government.

As I have often stated re WWII, two were not enough.....

I think we all could do so much to make a difference in this world. It's never about harassment nor discrimination we have no judgment with the Japanese and their culture. We're all living in the same planet - nature, animals and human kind are earthlings why we can't open our eyes and see that? I'll keep going back to Taiji to just let people know there are people like us out there who actually care. Join us in Taiji on 1 Sept for the Save Japan Dolphins Day. You are not alone, let our voice be heard.

warnerbroJul. 28, 2011 - 09:39AM JST

"but we must crack down on actions such as...slander," In other words, crack down on freedom of speech. They sound like the 憲兵隊. Japan didn't learn quite enough from 1937 to 1945, it seems.

HAHAHA, that's right, they seem to have learn NOTHING! Trying to shun freedom of speech?? Are they insane or just fckn RETARDED??? In fact, this shameless Police from Taiji really looks more like kempeitai 「憲兵隊」to me, just like warnerbro stated.

Again, YUCK!!

"Global condemnation" ? Going a bit far there, aren't you? "Global condemnation from tree-huggers" is more accurate.

Well, I think you are wrong there. I saw "The Cove". I was rather sceptical, but actually I now totally understand why it got an academy award. It is actually pretty balanced and fair.

The "Tradition card" Vs the "But They Are Cute Beautiful Intelligent Animals card".

You can play the "But They Are Cute.." card to many Japanese and they will agree. I think the locals know what is going on and don't like it. But it's the typical, "let's not get involved" syndrome.

Coming soon to a theater near you (except Japan of course!) "The Concentration-Cove - Part 2"

This no big deal. The Police are gearing up to maintain peace and order because some people got their sensibilities bruised and are threatening to disrupt an annual event . But, I just want to note that my sensibilities are getting bent out of shape here a bit too. I take great offense from people who keep referring to this , that, or the other random event or spokesperson from or within Japan as being THE ENTIRE COUNTRY. It is as if you think (and blame) "Japan" spoke with one voice and acted as one body. I am offended by racism and bigotry, prejudice and hatred, and generalizations such as naming a country or it's government is just that. I hear it over and over again in these and other boards, and it just sounds trashy like being in a bar listening to a bunch of drunks. If you have proof that a government or an entire population of a country is in cahoots then I guess that's alright to accuse, but when it's just trash talk.

“We understand that people have different views about dolphin hunts in Taiji, but we must crack down on actions such as harassment, slander, vandalism and trespassing, which clearly constitute crime,” Wakayama Gov Yoshinobu Nisaka said last week.

Anyone who harasses anyone should be arrested. If they aren't Japanese nationals, an arrest could mean losing their visas, and/or getting banned from entering the country again.

"We understand that people have different views about dolphin hunts"

If the SS and their followers thought the same, police and the CG wouldn't be needed.

'Tradition' in this country often means "we do this, because we do this" and is both surprisingly idiotic and virile, such as the colorfully moronic Ombashira sai festival in Nagano, where invariably people are seriously injured or killed while slidng down a huge tree trunk being pushed down a hill - all in the name of custom, religion and tradition. It's an interesting contrast to the endless warning signs everywhere in national parks alerting people to the screamingly obvious possibility of danger getting too close to water or cliffs.

The 'festival' at Taiji is nothing but sick, and the defiance displayed deserving of the most persistent and ongoing opposition.

@OrangeW3dge

Please elaborate more on fish in holes with seeds-you could be onto a valid comment , in a while.....

"we must crack down on actions such as harassment, slander, vandalism and trespassing, which clearly constitute crime,” And that, as they say, is that. The vigilantes of the world have become the terrorists, getting funding from even greater terrorists who would unlawfully push their agenda by hiring goons to do their dirty work. Is that not a crime? Capital punishment, for example, is allowed by some and not by others. Does that give the detractors or proponents the right to go outside their borders and force the others to their will? I think. NOT.

Foreigners are back here??

good thing, we need to fight back against those sea shepherd idiots to the end.