Oct. 22 2011. A pod of approximately 10-12 Risso's dolphins driven into the cove, barely had time to catch their breath sources say before each one of them was slaughtered. Two of the dolphins killed was a mother and her calf.
From cove to death in less than one hour
Cove Monitors from the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society (SSCS), reported that twelve of Taiji's dolphin drive boats left the harbor in Japan around 3:30 PM Saturday afternoon. Three hours later, monitors spotted the boats returning, driving a pod of dolphins ahead of them. It took the drive boats another three hours to press the dolphins into the cove. Less than an hour after being driven through the harbor entrance and cordoned off by nets, the entire pod was dead, including the calf.
The act earned a scathing response from Sea Shepherd Captain, Paul Watson. Posting on Facebook this morning, Watson said, "For those who say it's a part of their culture I can only say @@@@ their sadistic culture. Any culture that advocates cruelty and slaughter is a culture that needs to be tossed into the dustbin of history. To kill a dolphin is a crime against nature and humanity, against decency and justice, there can be no excuse for it – ever!"
Sea Shepherd prepares for Antarctica
Watson and the Sea Shepherd organization is preparing for an eighth campaign in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary in Antarctica. And Operation Divine Wind promises to be a doozy. Japan's Ministry of Fisheries has requested $14 million dollars to beef up security for its whaling fleet, which includes the infamous whale processing factory ship, the Nisshin Maru. The Ministry has also said it will be providing an escort ship for its fleet which has constantly clashed with Sea Shepherd activists filmed in the Animal Planet's popular Whale Wars series.
In beefing the budget up for its whaling activities, Japan's government has been criticized in its failure to provide for its own citizens. Leah Lemieux, the current Cove Monitor in Taiji for Save Japan Dolphins.org, recently lamented the cost spent on extra policemen to follow the monitor's activities, particularly when the citizens of Taiji are still recovering from Typhoon Talas, which hit the area on Sep. 01. Lemieux said, "It is extremely troubling to contemplate the millions of yen being spent to maintain a superfluous police presence in Taiji ... when so many people in this area are suffering from the loss of their homes, family and shelter."
ICR pushes for return to commercial whaling
But, activists say, the intensity of Japan's government to continue whaling and dolphin hunting is as fervent as its continuous killing of marine mammals, whether they be calves, adults or pregnant females. Watson points to the 2007 report from Japan's own Institute of Cetacean Research (ICR), which revealed that 262 of the 286 mature female minkes taken during Japan's whale hunt, were pregnant.
The mindset of Japan's ministry of fisheries is considered the polar opposite of many views held by the international community. In the eyes of ICR, this many pregnant females was proof enough that minkes were breeding and sustaining a healthy population and surely supported a return to commercial whaling. In the eyes of activists however, the killing of pregnant females is murder in the worst degree.
Unfortunately for Japan, activists have zero plans to quit campaigning on behalf of marine mammals killed by Japan. As the mindsets of both activist and hunters face off across a deep divide, it's impossible to fathom a moment in time when the two sides will meet in the middle. With Japan increasingly being forced to defend its actions as it battles operation disruptions and intense international media scrutiny; the fight activists say, will never end as long as Japan keeps hunting whales and dolphins.
Watson said, "We shall never rest in our efforts to wipe this heinous slaughter until we eradicate such indecent behaviour from the hearts of humankind." But the act and methods of killing are only part of the issue says the Sea Shepherd Captain, who adds, "The oceans will die, and if the oceans die – humanity dies. It is as simple as that."
The pod of Risso's dolphins killed yesterday in Taiji's cove, are the third pod of Risso's to be taken since the dolphin drive season began on Sep. 01. A pod of 12 Risso's was slaughtered on Sep. 07, with another pod of 12-15 Risso's captured and killed on Oct 11. Dolphin hunters this season, have also contained or slaughtered 17 false killers whales, one bottlenose dolphin and an estimated 28-30 striped dolphins – of whom all, bar one, were killed.
Update: October 25 and Oct. 26, 2011
On Oct. 24, 2011, dolphin drive boats herded a fourth pod of Risso's dolphins into the cove. They too were slaughtered. SSCS reported that the pod of 9-10 Risso's contained two calves allegedly released. SSCS believes the calves were simply slaughtered where cove monitors could not see. If they were released, Sea Shepherd adds, these calves wouldn't survive without their mothers anyway. Another pod of 10 Risso's, which included two calves/juveniles were driven into the cove on Oct 26. These too, were killed. It was the third pod killed in just four days.
Meanwhile, cove monitor for Save Japan Dolphins, Leah Lemieux, who observed the Oct. 23 dolphin drive from the ocean, reported that monitors are also now having to contend with the Japanese coastguard.
To keep updated on the numbers of dolphins taken during the 2011/12 dolphin drive season, visit Ceta-Base.com.
Elizabeth Batt - Elizabeth Batt is a former large animal nurse, certified NREMT, lover of equines and conservationist.
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