Three wild Pacific white-sided dolphins taken into captivity: Taiji

February 28, 2018 Marine Mammals 1,147 Views

Today, four more Pacific white sided dolphins were trapped in the fishing nets in Taiji, Japan. The day started out well when the banger boats did not go out. However, scenes from the past 9 days began to repeat themselves.

Cove Monitors documented 2 Pacific white sided dolphins captured just yesterday, wrestled into slings, driven across the harbor only to be lifted by a crane, placed in a box in the back of a truck and driven to, we believe, the Whale Museum.

7 other dolphins were manhandled into slings and taken to the sea pens in Moriura bay.

At least 2 dolphins were left behind in a harbor pen and 1 is unaccounted for. Cove Monitors were hopeful that tarps and banger poles would be removed today but the hunters had unfinished business.

We noticed skiffs full of divers head out to the fishing nets. Those fishing nets are placed by non dolphin hunting fishermen but have become yet another tool for the hunters in their relentless pursuit of dolphins.

There were 4 more dolphins encircled in the nets. During yet another bloody and brutal capture, 3 more dolphins were taken from within the nets.

One dolphin escaped the nets and was seen outside the nets as its pod mates were captured.

A total of 6 Pacific white sided dolphins have been found, alive, trapped within the nets over the past 10 days.

While Cove Monitors are hopeful that today was the last day of the brutal and bloody drive hunt season, we will return tomorrow morning and report as usual.

We hope to see the tools of destruction put away for another 6 months.

The day will come when they are put away forever.