Just after 6am, a fleet of 11 fishing boats left Taiji harbour on Japan’s southern Pacific coast. Within an hour, the boats were lined up in a formation, encircling a pod of 18 Risso’s dolphins and forcing them into a cove. Nets were set to trap the dolphins, and soon after, seven dolphin trainers from […]
Tag: dolphin hunting
At Japan’s dolphin hunt, a struggle between local traditions and global anger
TAIJI, Japan – A line of eight boats came into view just below the horizon. A pod of about a dozen dolphins broke the glassy surface off Taiji, the center of Japan’s annual dolphin hunt, which continues despite international outrage. Fishermen banged on semi-submerged poles to create an underwater wall of sound, driving the dolphins […]