Your Major Dolphin Outlook This Week!


As the end of the drive hunting season is almost here, where the waters once tinted with blood in Taiji will become a hot spot for locals and tourists to let their children swim, where they will watch captive dolphins perform & most likely eat some dolphin and whale meat.
The sea pens will continue to be a hell for the dolphins taken captive this season.. where trainers will starve them and torture them until they learn to perform and will be shipped off for a short, miserable life as cheap entertainment.. if they survive long enough to arrive at a dolphinarium.
Angel and others alike, will continue to swim in circles in their filthy, tiny pools where people will watch them, whilst dining on their meat at the Taiji museum.
Whilst aquariums around the world continue to lose dolphins and whales due to the stress and misery of captivity and re-order their replacements for the next drive hunt season.
Whilst drive hunting and spearing will continue around the world, including in Japan and out at sea off the coast in Taiji.

Whaling resumed this year where 333 minke whales (most likely more) will continue to be hunted by a Japanese fleet.

We must not forget, we will NEVER forgive.

Please be with us in March, show the Japanese embassy in London that we will NOT back down, we will not be silenced for 6 months, but infinite pressure will continue until all of the above is discontinued.

Does Japan own the dolphins?
Fishermen association sign
A fishermen's association sign floating in Taiji's cove. Dolphins are trapped in the netted area in the background.

As you can see from this sign, the fishermen believe they "own" the wild dolphins they trap in Taiji's cove. 

Obviously, even if this were the case, that would not entitle them to treat the dolphins and whales in the cruel way they do.

But leaving this aside, the simple fact is that these animals are not owned by Japan, let alone the local Taiji fishermen's association. They do not even live in Japanese waters, but merely pass along Japan's coast. 

Not much is known specifically about the migration routes of dolphins and small whales. We do know that large whales are capable of mammoth journeys. For example, humpback whales travel 10,000 km between breeding areas.

But what of the dolphins and whales captured at Taiji? Dolphins are thought not to make extensive journeys between geographical areas as large whales do, but they are capable of travelling very long distances. One bottlenose dolphin tracked off the coast of Florida, for instance, travelled 4,200 km in 47 days. This is the distance, for example, between southern Japan and northern Australia.
We don't know how far the dolphins and whales travel in their migrations, or which countries or oceans they might visit. But we can say with certainty that these wonderful animals are citizens of the entire planet, and are not owned by Japan for its exclusive, commercial and cruel advantage.
Fishermen association sign
Adopt a dolphin update Feb 2016
Whale and Dolphin Conservation
Photos from last week's Rally and protest at the Japanese Embassy in London! Thanks everyone for your particpation. It was a great day and a lot of people showed up at it!
Next rally and protest for the World's Dolphins lives is set for Friday, March 18 at 12 PM - 6 PM in UTC. #speakoutagainsttaiji We plan to start at DMG Media (which is home to The Daily Mail, The Mail on Sunday, The Metro & London Live TV) where we will spend some time in hope that they will pay some attention to us and expose Taiji in their media outlets.

Then march to The Japanese Embassy in Piccadilly where we will have several speakers, a vigil and more to be announced. All are welcomed :)
Two years ago Angel was swimming off the coast of Japan with her family. Then hunters came and trapped her in a filthy tank.
AFD launched legal action to save Angel, but this baby dolphin needs your urgent help to win. Please chip in to take Angel’s fight all the way to the end: http://www.afd.org.au/action-for-angel

This world-first court battle against Angel’s captors would not have been possible without the support of caring people like you.

We are close to a result, but Angel desperately needs your help to get over the line. Please click here to give a few dollars, and achieve a landmark victory for Angel: http://www.afd.org.au/action-for-angel

We're so close - Click to get victory for Angel

This baby dolphin was stolen from her mother’s side and shoved into a filthy tank in Japan. AFD’s lawsuit against Angel’s captors is coming to a head, but she needs your help to win.

Heartbreaking Video of Dolphin Captured in Taiji Shows Why We Need to End Marine Captivity– NOW!

The bottlenose dolphin in this video is a beautiful, graceful creature, who once freely swam the oceans surrounding Taiji, Japan. But because of the annual Taiji dolphin drive, she’s likely to be sold into the captivity industry.

Every year from September until March, a drive hunt is conducted by the Taiji Fishermen’s Union. During the annual drive, more than two thousand dolphins are captured into the Taiji Cove and either torn from their family pods to be sold to aquariums and marine parks or killed for their meat.

In this video, we see what is likely an example of a”pretty” dolphin, selected for life in captivity by fisherman. While being slaughtered is a horrible fate, being sent into captivity isn’t much better.

Dolphins are incredibly intelligent animals who enjoy complex emotional and social lives in the wild. They’re cited as being only second in intelligence behind humans. Knowing this, life in captivity is really no life at all for dolphins.

You can help dolphins like this one by speaking out against marine captivity. Marine parks and aquariums are driven by profit so when people stop paying for tickets, the animals will no longer have to suffer.








SeaWorld Admits It Infiltrated an Animal Rights Group. The company’s board has ordered employees to stop posing as activists to obtain information on groups like PETA.
SeaWorld has found itself in hot water again.

On Thursday, SeaWorld chief executive Joel Manby told investors the theme park operator had employees pose as activists to infiltrate People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.

This admission comes months after PETA accused SeaWorld employee Paul McComb of working for the animal rights group under the alias Thomas Jones. PETA claimed McComb attended anti-SeaWorld meetings and protests, asked for insider secrets from other protesters, and encouraged aggressive and illegal tactics during demonstrations.

At the time, SeaWorld officials denied the claims but put McComb put on temporary leave. He has since returned to the company, according to Manby.

“Following the completion of an investigation conducted by independent outside counsel, the board has directed that the company’s management team end a practice in which certain employees posed as animal rights activists in connection with efforts to maintain the safety and security of company employees, customers, and animals in the face of credible threats that the company had received,” SeaWorld said in a statement issued after Manby discussed the issue with investors during a conference call Thursday.

The move didn’t placate PETA. “If SeaWorld had business savvy or common sense, it would modernize its business with coastal sanctuaries and virtual reality displays instead of building more dolphin prisons,” the organization said in a statement.

Manby has worked to reshape the SeaWorld image since he took over as chief executive last April. The company is still recovering from the fallout from the 2013 documentary Blackfish, which focused on mistreatment of captive killer whales at SeaWorld parks. Manby has ordered an end to orca shows at SeaWorld San Diego and approved the construction of exhibits and rides to increase park attendance.

Though SeaWorld’s 2015 revenue rose to $268 million—up 1 percent from the previous year—net income was down 1.6 percent to $49 million.

PETA suggested SeaWorld address larger problems. Since November, an animal has died every month at the company’s San Antonio park. 






Government make public protest against killing of dolphins at Taiji Cove Japan.

At Taiji, Japanese boats terrorise wild dolphins and drive them into killing pens to agony and slow death. A few terrorised dolphins are sold to grotesque Dolphin shows. This sadism is not acceptable: endangered species are already struggling to survive in polluted oceans.

Sign this petition - 4,883 signatures - At 10,000 signatures, government will respond to this petition and at 100,000 signatures, this petition will be considered for debate in Parliament

Share this petition - Deadline - 26 April 2016 - Only British citizens or UK residents have the right to sign

Crack Down on Animal Abuse in Aquatic Theme Parks 
Orca_Whale_Captive_by_Leon7
Target: Dr. Barbara Kohn, Senior Staff Veterinarian of APHIS
Goal: Ensure better care of aquatic life by imposing new rules on aquatic theme parks. 
The USDA has proposed new rules that will positively affect all animals at aquatic parks. These changes to the Animal Welfare Act will help ensure that captive creatures can maintain good health without discomfort. After numerous reports of inhabitable living conditions, the standards for these mammals need to be raised and enforced. Urge the USDA to put these proposed regulations into action immediately. 
Whether or not you are opposed to animals living in captivity, we can all agree that regulations need to change. Marine park cetaceans, such as dolphins and whales, often suffer from eye and skin problems. These issues are associated with poor water conditions and over-exposure to the sun. Sea World even puts black zinc oxide (sunblock) on their orcas so park attendees don’t notice the sun burns.
If the new USDA regulations are enacted then proper shading of outdoor pools would be mandatory. Light would have to be changed for indoor pools as well. A mandatory six hours of darkness would be enforced so that their indoor environment mimics their natural habitat. The rule would also implement new salinity standards and stop the use of over-chlorination. 
All of the proposed changes to the Animal Welfare Act will benefit marine animals found at aquatic parks. Stricter regulations on parks will ensure that these animals are treated more humanely and live longer. Urge the USDA to pass these new rules into law so marine parks can start taking proper care of their animals. 
Dear Dr. Kohn,
The USDA and Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has recently proposed new amendments to the Animal Welfare Act regarding the care of animals at aquatic parks. The new changes would significantly increase the well-being of animals at marine parks. All around the United States, these captive animals suffer skin and eye diseases from improperly treated water and poor facilities. The new proposals regarding salinity, lighting, and temperature standards will reduce if not eliminate these problems entirely.
All animals belong in the wild, but if they are going to live in captivity then they need to be properly cared for. The suggested changes to the Animal Welfare Act will ensure this proper care. The parks will more closely mimic their natural environment, causing less stress and fewer health problems in these beloved mammals. I urge you to help these beautiful creatures by passing the proposed amendments immediately.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Photo Credit: Leon7



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The very oceans you love face deadly dangers in the weeks ahead.

Right now, the U.S. Arctic Ocean is drill-free. Right now, the Atlantic Ocean off the U.S. East Coast is drill-free.

But that could be about to change. Right now, the White House is considering a proposal to drill in the Arctic and Atlantic. If we don’t fight back, Big Oil gets their way and vulnerable marine life like dolphins, whales and sea turtles face the danger of drilling and spills.

Will you join our all-out push to protect the Atlantic, the Arctic and vulnerable marine life like dolphins right now?

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There’s no such thing as totally safe drilling. If we allow Big Oil in the Arctic and the Atlantic the threat of a catastrophic Deepwater Horizon like disaster and routine spills will loom large.


More than 1,000 sick dolphins in the Northern Gulf of Mexico died in the five years following Deepwater, many from lesions linked to oil exposure.1 Just imagine an unprecedented number of dead dolphins washing ashore from Long Island, N.Y. to Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

The thought of failing those dolphins and our oceans makes me sick.

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