Is Whaling Justified?

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During a trip to Japan last month, Hayden (star from Heroes) put her life on the line trying to prevent fisherman from slaughtering a group of dolphins. Hayden and five others paddled out on surfboards into the ocean on a pre-dawn mission to disrupt the local fishermen's efforts to catch and kill the dolphins. However, as the group made their way towards the pod of dolphins, who appeared to be caught in the net, Hayden, a spokesperson for SaveTheWhalesAgain.org, and friends were intercepted by one of the small fishing boats. The fishermen used the boat's propellers to block the surfers' way and used a long boathook to try and push them away. The dramatic and dangerous encounter lasted for several minutes before Hayden and her group was forced to return to shore as the animals were slaughtered. The actress learned of the arrest warrant news during an interview Thursday on Australia television program, "The Morning Show."The actress did not respond to the news verbally, but she wore a shocked expression on her face. Takumi Fukuda, a spokesperson for the Fisheries Attache at the Embassy of Japan released a statement about Hayden's protest to Access Hollywood. Generations of people in Taiji have relied on fisheries for their livelihoods, and their catches are carried out in a sustainable manner. The population of dolphins has been healthily maintained for many years. While respecting Ms. Panettierre's personal feelings towards dolphins, I hope that your viewers will be reassured by the fact that Japan is carefully managing marine living resources for the future. Every year, over 20,000 dolphins and porpoises are killed by Japanese fisherman. After driving pods of wild dolphins from the open sea into shallow coves with motorized boats and loud bang sticks, the fishermen kill the dolphins, slashing their throats with knives or stabbing them with harpoon-like spears. Thrashing about, many of the dolphins take several minutes to die an agonizing cruel death, turning the surrounding sea blood red.In Taiji, Japan, the annual dolphin slaughter starts October 1st and continues for six months. This massacre of dolphins is strongly encouraged by three local dolphinariums who purchase the “show-quality” dolphins and ship them off to marine parks in Japan and around the world. Annually, in Taiji alone, over a thousand dolphins are killed with some 50 or more captured and sold to marine parks. The types of dolphins captured and killed include bottlenose dolphins, striped dolphins, pilot whales, false killer whales, spotted dolphins, and Risso’s dolphins. The Japanese fishermen’s principal justifications for killing dolphins is that it’s a tradition that they are proud of, yet they have gone to and continue to go to great lengths to cover up this insidious act. The fishermen physically confront protestors and journalists and threaten them. What the actions of these fisherman are really saying is we have something to hide and are ashamed by our actions Much of the dolphin meat from the slaughter is sold as pet food and some finds it way to Japanese markets labeled as whale meat. This meat contains extremely high levels of contaminates including mercury, PCBs, and Dioxin and Japanese health and government officials have declared it “unsafe” for human consumption while several major Japanese grocery store chains have pulled it from their shelves, yet the killing goes on. Why, because the captive dolphin industry is fronting this hunt while hiding behind the scenes. How do you feel about this situation? I don't think they are justified to hunt dolphins when you can see all the harm they are causing to the animals (by killing them they way they do) and to themselves (by eating toxic meat). Just because it is a tradition of these people doesn't mean it is justified. Issuing and arrest warrant makes the cause even worse because they are esentialy removing a persons right to protest peacefully.