Our Dolphin Outlook Weekly!

An NBC News Story Exclusive Video Exposes Dolphin Slaughter in Japan and Peru.

Fishermen in the small Japanese town of Taiji have begun their annual dolphin drive, capturing and killing hundreds of animals in a government-sanctioned hunt that has sparked international outrage since its portrayal in the 2009 Oscar-winning documentary "The Cove."
After driving the dolphins into a cove, fishermen drag them to the shoreline, drive a sharp spike into their spinal cords, and butcher them for human consumption.
Some are kept alive to be sold to aquariums around the world, although the Japanese Association of Zoos and Aquariums agreed in May to stop sourcing dolphins from Taiji.
"During this season, hundreds of sentient, intelligent, communicative animals will be killed in an astonishingly brutal way, and that includes males, females and calves," said Hardy Jones, a filmmaker and activist who began documenting dolphin hunts in Japan in the 1970s.
The Taiji hunt may be the best known, but other dolphin slaughters — some much larger — regularly take place around the globe beyond the glare of cameras.
While dolphin hunting in Japan is on the decline — the Taiji hunt caught about 800 animals last year, compared to more than 2,000 in 2003 — it appears to be on the rise in other parts of the world.
Exclusive video shared with NBC News provides graphic new evidence that Peruvian fishermen regularly slaughter dolphins for use as shark bait, an illegal practice that, according to activists, kills up to 15,000 a year.
In a risky undercover operation in 2013, Peruvian conservation group Mundo Azul documented shark fishermen harpooning dolphins, hoisting them on board and slicing them up — sometimes while still alive. The fishermen use the meat to lure sharks, which they sell on the Asian market, the group says.
Stefan Austermühle, executive director of Mundo Azul, said he wept when he saw photots of the slaughtered dolphins. "And I can tell you that has not happened to me before," said Austermühle, who has worked on dolphin conservation for 30 years.
Biologists monitoring Peruvian fishermen also documented them using dolphins for shark bait in a 2010 study.
Unlike Japan, where the government permits a specified number to be hunted each year, Peru made killing dolphins a crime punishable by up to three years in prison — but scientists and advocates say the law is poorly enforced.
Austermühle says the easiest way to curtail the slaughter, which is carried out small, unregistered boats miles out at sea, is to ban the special harpoon used to spear dolphins alongside the boat.
"If you prohibit the harpoon, you can't kill the dolphins," Austermühle said. "They are too fast, they are too small, and you need to have them right there."
The Peruvian Ministry of Production said in statement that since 2013 it "has implemented various controls to safeguard legally protected species whose hunting is punishable by law," including confiscating dolphin meat sold in markets.
Lawmakers there are discussing amendments to the 1996 dolphin protection law that would prohibit the use of dolphins for bait fishing, prohibit the use of harpoons, and potentially allow the hunting of dolphins to be punished by up to four years in prison, the ministry said.
In Japan, Taiji Mayor Kazutaka Sangen declared in May that the hunt would continue despite the aquarium group's moratorium.
Some activists hope the hunt will no longer be economically viable if the country's 50-odd aquariums abide by their pledge not to buy Taiji dolphins, which sell for $100,000 or more. But China, Russia and other nations also pay top dollar for the animals.
An official with the Taiji town government told NBC News that it must protect the livelihood of its citizens, including the fishermen, but it could not comment further because it does not enforce fishing regulations.
The regional government of Wakayama Prefecture referred to a lengthystatement on its website, which says dolphins "can be harvested in a sustainable manner under proper management," and that permit numbers are set based on scientific evidence. It also calls the dolphin fishery part of the "local traditional culture."

Image: Fishermen in wetsuits hunt dolphins at a cove in Taiji

Fishermen in wetsuits hunt dolphins at a cove in Taiji, western Japan, January 20, 2014. Adrian Mylne / Reuters

The main dolphin species hunted in Japan and Peru, including bottlenose and Risso's, are not at risk of extinction worldwide, but scientists say they could disappear in places where they are hunted aggressively. A large dolphin hunt off Japan's Iki Island ended after the animals stopped showing up, activists say.
Dolphins and other toothed whales everywhere are already under threat from fishing nets, loss of habitat and prey, and climate change, said Randall Reeves, an expert with the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, which compiles the Red List of threatened species. At the same time, dolphins reproduce slowly.
"So from the outset, they're just the wrong thing to hunt if you are going to hunt something to survive," Reeves said, referring to the 100-plus communities around the world known to eat marine mammals — a practice that's growing in some regions, including West Africa.
Killing dolphins as bait to catch sharks, which are also on the decline, Reeves added, "seems to be flawed in so many ways that it's objectionable on more than just humane grounds."
Ric O'Barry, the dolphin trainer turned activist featured in "The Cove," calls dolphins "a microcosm of our relationship with nature."
"They're like a reference point," he said. "You want to see what we're doing to the world, take a look at the dolphins. There's no point in saving dolphins without saving their habitat. But you have to start somewhere, and we start with dolphins."
On Monday night, O'Barry was arrested in the town of Nachikatsuura, which is near Taiji, for allegedly not having a passport, Japanese police told local media

WDC adopt a dolphin update August 2015
Whale and Dolphin Conservation 

Praise Pixar for Movie’s Anti-SeaWorld Message.

Target: Pixar chief creative officer John Lasseter


Sign Here!


Goal: Praise Pixar for making the movie “Finding Dory” more animal-friendly and for opening discussion about animals being help in captivity.


Pixar is helping to open discussion about the ethics of marine animals being held in captivity with their new movie “Finding Dory” (set to release in June of 2016) and even changed the ending to make it more animal-friendly.


Pixar chief creative officer John Lasseter and “Finding Dory” director Andrew Stanton met with “Blackfish” director Gabriela Cowperthwaite to make sure that the ending was not perceived the wrong way and decided to alter the film slightly. The original ending of the move had some marine mammals being sent to an environment similar to SeaWorld, but after seeing “Blackfish,” executives changed the ending so that the sea creatures had a choice to stay there or not.


Ellen DeGeneres, who voices the lead character in the film, is also speaking out on the topic. DeGeneres says that “Finding Dory” is about helping marine life and returning them to their natural homes in the ocean. She recently said, “I think that fish should be in the ocean. It’s what this whole sequel is about. It’s about rehabilitation and putting them back in the ocean … And we have to protect our oceans. Hopefully that discussion starts with this film, because we really need to protect that environment.”


This is not good news for SeaWorld and other marine parks that cater to families who will flock to see this movie. After the 2013 documentary “Blackfish” alerted everyone to the cruel life of captive animals in SeaWorld, more people are trying to end unnecessary marine captivity. SeaWorld recently reported a two percent drop in attendance over last year’s numbers and an 85 percent decrease in net income to $5.8 million. That is an enormous loss of income and it appears to be just the beginning of the slow downfall of SeaWorld. Hopefully, SeaWorld will eventually be turned into a rehabilitation center that only holds animals who need assistance and that will eventually be released back into the wild.


The fact that Pixar executives knew the impact their film could have on kids and adults alike shows a great respect for marine animals and they deserve to be applauded for it. Please sign the petition below to thank Pixar for changing the ending to “Finding Dory” and for welcoming discussion on animals in captivity.


PETITION LETTER:


Dear Mr. Lasseter,


I am writing to you to thank you for understanding the impact that “Finding Dory” could have on kids and for altering the ending of it so that it is more animal-friendly. Pixar’s appreciation of marine life needs to be acknowledged.


After the release of “Blackfish,” many have been alerted to the cruel life of sea creatures at SeaWorld. SeaWorld continues to lose money and I am hopeful that it will soon go out of business after more people realize the horrible life that marine animals are subjected to.


Thank you for altering the ending of “Finding Dory” and spreading the message that animals should not be held in captivity. This will open discussions about the ethics of animals held in captivity and hopefully help put an end to places like SeaWorld.


Sincerely,


[Your Name Here]


Photo credit: Adrian Pingstone


Success! Study Finds Euthanasia for Stranded Wild Dolphins is NOT Necessary.


I remember, several times, drawing up the euthanasia solution that would humanely and peacefully end the life of the dolphin in front of me.


Euthanasia is not an act that is taken lightly, nor one any of us animal rescue professionals wish to undertake. However, sometimes it is the most compassionate thing we can do.


For many years, the prevailing wisdom was that when a dolphin strands alone, or is the only survivor of a mass stranding event, they must be euthanized, regardless of their health. Dolphins are very social animals that depend on the others in their pod (or herd).  They have very complex social networks and form strong bonds that can last a lifetime.


So, it was presumed that a single, lone animal released back into the wild would not be able to relocate and integrate into a group, and would thus suffer a prolonged, painful, and isolated death.


As a result, euthanasia became the standard, accepted response.


Over the years, the International Welfare for Animal Welfare (IFAW) Marine Mammal Rescue and Research team became increasingly frustrated with this protocol (which was promoted by the NOAA fisheries Service and accepted by all stranding response organizations, including IFAW, as the best course of action).  When we started to dig deeper to find the data that this presumption was based upon, we couldn’t find anything substantial.  Everything was anecdotal.


We decided it was time to find out if the presumption that these dolphins were doomed was really accurate.


Thus began an ambitious study.


We used our standard health assessment protocols (testing blood, doing physical exams, looking for evidence of injury, etc.) to assess all single stranded animals and all single release candidates from our frequent mass strandings.  When dolphins were determined to be healthy, meeting all of the criteria we use when identifying release candidates from mass strandings, we affixed minimally invasive, single point attachment satellite tags to their dorsal fins and released them.


1. Watching Dolphin Movements

The tags allowed us to “watch” their movements. We could see that most of the dolphins were utilizing known dolphin habitats.

2. Post Release Evaluation

We also examined three post-release survival parameters (transmission duration, swim speed, and daily distance) to evaluate whether they differed among single stranded/single released (SS/SR), mass stranded/single released (MS/SR), or mass stranded/mass released (MS/MR) dolphin groups.

Post-release parameters did not differ between the different groups, though the length of transmission for SS/SR was shorter.


3. Dolphins at Sea

Then, we worked with our colleagues from the Center for Coastal Studies to actually document the dolphins at sea.

Animals released alone were joining groups of dolphins at sea, and behaving quite normally within those groups!


In one instance, we also had two animals that had been released separately actually come together. We knew this from watching their satellite tag tracks, where we could see them come together and move together over several days before parting. These incredible data have had a huge impact on how we respond to single animal strandings- as well as on the regional policy that has stood for so many years.


Now single animals are given a chance.  When they are deemed healthy (and that is the key here), they can be released.  While some single animals strand for a reason- illness, old age, etc.—and humane euthanasia was and still is the most compassionate choice, now the door is open for those healthy dolphins to be reintegrated to the wild to live healthy and normal lives.


100,000 signatures and counting!


Thanks to passionate dolphin defenders like you, the Stop the Bloodbath petition has just reached the 100,000 signature mark! This is a massive effort, and I can’t thank you enough for speaking up for Taiji dolphins.


As the 1st of September, today marks the beginning of the dolphin hunting season in Japan. But so far, no boats have left the cove.


This is a good sign.


It could well mean the governor will change his mind and not issue a permit to the dolphin hunters. Yesterday we delivered the petition to the governor and I’ve personally been on the phone to his office this week.


For now, we won’t know if the permit has been issued until the dolphin hunts begin. But we’ll be sure to keep you updated with news as soon as we hear it.


While we may have reached the massive 100,000 signature target, please continue to share the petition with your friends. Every name is an added pressure on the one man who can stop these senseless slaughters for good



We will continue to update the governor regularly, and urge him to show mercy to defenceless dolphins.


Again, thank you so much for adding your name to the global petition calling for an end to the cruel dolphin hunts in Taiji. Your voice will be heard.


Close Cabo Dolphins,Cabo San Lucas - TARGET: Owner of Cabo Adventures

Close Cabo Dolphins,Cabo San Lucas
we've got 731 signatures, help us get to 1,000

Update #4 6 days ago ▾

I want to thank all those who signed my petition and a special nod to the latest signers who pushed us over the 500 mark.It started off quick and then died off but I will keep trying until I go back to Cabo in February where I will hand them in person.Not sure how much impact it will have but I'm going to try no matter what!Maybe in the next few mths.it will grow to a 1000 I appreciate any help to keep it active as I have tried the most I can. Thank You always Daryl

Update #3 about a month ago ▾

I would like to THANK EVERYONE that signed my first petition.Were at 497 signatures and would like to reach that 500 mark.If you can help me to reach that number please help me to do so.I would love to reach 5000 but I guess 500 is good for my first petition but this isn't about me.It is about those poor dolphins languishing in that swimming pool they are forced to call home.Please help me free them! Thanks everyone.Daryl

Update #2 1 months ago ▾

I visited Cabo Dolphins last year and couldn't believe how beautiful this area is.The Sea of Cortez and the Pacific Ocean split are a mere 1000 yards from this captive cement pond that are Dolphins of Cabo.I was hoping for at least 1000 signatures.They can easily smell the Ocean and if they jumped high enough they could see it as well. I hope to return in 6 months and would like nothing better than to hand them my petition with a million signatures.

Update #1 2 months ago ▾

I would like to Thank all who signed this petition I started after visiting the facility on holidays.We were off to a great start then the petition seemed to hit a wall and signatures stopped.I won't give up until all the dolphins in their cement cage have been released.I am new to the internet so bear with me in this cause.If any of you know any bloggers about the life of caged Dolphins to please send this petition on to them .Thank you all again for your help. Daryl

About This Petition

Cabo Dolphins is located just 50 yards from the Ocean where the Dolphins cooped up in their swimming pool can smell the ocean.There is a good chance they can even hear other dolphins from they're cement enclosure.It is time to close down this Dolphin cage and release the Dolphins back to the ocean.