From Leilani: Up Close at the Slaughterhouse in Taiji

By Ric O’Barry
Campaign Director
Save Japan Dolphins
Earth Island Institute

See Leilani’s YouTube video and stills:



Leilani Münter, race car driver and volunteer for the dolphins, called me yesterday. She is in Taiji with a camera crew, checking out the Cove in Taiji as well as promoting eco-tourism in Japan. She is my personal representative for the dolphins at the Cove this week.

By helping the local economy, we can help end the slaughter of dolphins – no one will want to visit Taiji if dolphins continue to be subject to the drive fishery. Taiji can be notorious for its dolphin slaughter, or it can be world renowned for the protection of dolphins and their ocean environment. It should be an easy choice.

I spoke with Leilani via Skype on camera. We discussed the current status of the Cove and what Leilani was planning to do. We discussed the dolphins – the Taiji Four -- sent from Taiji to Egypt, and the horrible conditions under which they were kept there. I urged Leilani to go to the Taiji Whale Museum (which brokers the wild-caught dolphins) with her laptop to show the Museum the conditions under which these dolphins are now languishing, and how shameful the leadership of the Taiji Whale Museum should feel about being a party to this inhumane action. No self-respecting animal organization would ever let these kinds of conditions prevail, yet they are typical for Taiji’s dolphins!

The Japan Times quoted the Taiji Whale Museum’s Hiromitsu Nambu, who arranges exports of live dolphins from Taiji: "Dolphins in Taiji are popular around the world because they are smart, and I personally think they have cute faces."

The Taiji Four dolphins were sold to Egypt for $300,000 each! And they wound up in a filthy swimming pool that came close to killing them in Hurghada. For more on the story, go to:

http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20101008x2.html

Did I mention that Leilani is fearless? On Monday, the fishermen of Taiji herded a small pod of Risso’s dolphins into the Cove. They were slaughtered the next morning. Leilani braved the local slaughterhouse in Taiji to get some remarkable photos of these poor Risso’s dolphins. Let her tell the story:

“I just got close up photos of them cutting up the dolphins inside the slaughterhouse,” Leilani reports. “They left a door slightly open, and I stuck my camera under it. One of the fishermen eventually spotted me from the grocery store across the street and shut me down, but I got them cutting off the dolphins’ fins and chopping up the torsos. Was one of the hardest things I have ever seen.”

See Leilani’s YouTube video and stills:




“It was absolutely horrific; I will never be the same,” Leilani concluded.

Leilani is planning on being in Taiji for the rest of the week. You can follow her blog on her website:

http://carbonfreegirl.com/index2.html

We will be posting her reports here, too.

Leilani is working to make a difference in the world. We can all help her and help the dolphins. Not everyone can go to Taiji, but everyone can watch The Cove movie, share it with their friends, and bring friends to our website to take action:

http://www.SaveJapanDolphins.org

What: October 14th: International Save Japan Dolphins Day

A worldwide peaceful and lawful protest of the annual dolphin slaughter in Japan, as depicted in the Academy Award winning documentary The Cove and the Animal Planet series Blood Dolphins. The Japanese government issues 23,000 permits annually to coastal communities to kill dolphins of several species. A few are sold, at great profit, to aquariums and swim-with-dolphins programs around the world. The captive dolphin industry subsidizes the slaughter. The majority of the pod is then slaughtered for meat. But the meat is contaminated with outrageous amounts of mercury and other pollutants, exceeding the Japanese government’s own health limits. This is a human rights issue as much as an animal welfare issue.

Demonstrations will be going on throughout the world in front of Japanese embassies and consulates on October 14th. Please join your fellow environmentalists and animal activists in protesting the hunts and urging Japan to switch to more sustainable and benign methods of profit, such as eco-tourism and dolphin-watching cruises.

When: Thursday, October 14th, Noon to 2 PM.

Where: In front of Embassies and Consulates of the Government of Japan around the world. Below is a list of cities where events are planned along with contact information. If you don’t see your city, start your own event! Contact Shelby Proie, Shelby@savelolita.com, for more information.

If you can’t attend, please consider calling. Here is a list of all Embassies and Consulates with phone numbers:

http://www.mofa.go.jp/about/emb_cons/mofaserv.html

Participating Cities and nonprofit organizations::

UNITED STATES:

Anchorage

Margaret -maggiekvet2b@aol.com

Atlanta

David Drolet-http://rescuedolphins.wordpress.com/ rescuedolphins@comcast.net

Boston

Lisa Yee, pagan_kitty05@yahoo.com

(NOTE: Boston will be having an alternate Japan Dolphin Day rally on 10/7 sponsored by WDCS, WSPA, CSI, and MARC from 12-2PM in front of the Japanese consulate)

Chicago:

Allie Presas, alpresas@sbcglobal.net; Cynthia Perez, kivrosdalai@yahoo.com

Detroit

jylforsyth@gmail.com

Denver:

Animal Rights Action Network and Emily Wolf

Contact: ann@animalrightsactionnetwork.org, newfylove@yahoo.com

Honolulu

Courtney Vail, courtney.vail@wdcs.org

Wild Dolphin Foundation: keikibeachbungalows@gmail.com

Houston

Houston Animal Rights Team (H.A.R.T.), vegan world radio

Contacts: Kara, amandalouisepetrie@gmail.com, port.ashley0@gmail.com

Los Angeles

Contact: Julia Ramsey, ramseyjulia@gmail.com

Miami:

Save Japan Dolphins and Oceanic Defense

Mary Jo Rice, mjrice@earthisland.org

New York City

NY4Whales

Contact: tlwilliams@optonline.net

San Diego

Daniela, danielaj_94@yahoo.com

San Francisco:

Earth Island Institute, In Defense of Animals, Orca Network,

Contact: Mary Jo Rice, mjrice@earthisland.org

Seattle:

SaveJapanDolphins, EcoElements

Contact: orcaspirits@msn.com

Philadelphia

Kevin Starbard, kstarbard@earthlink.net

Portland

Rae Wilson-raemarie.wilson@comcast.net

Tempe, AZ

Rockstar Rescue; For The Whale Of It

Contact: jamezblonde@gmail.com

Washington DC:

Animal Welfare Institute and Humane Society of the United States/Humane Society International

CONTACT

CANADA:

Calgary

Joanne Clarke joanne.clarke@gmail.com

Ottawa

Ottawa Animal Defense League

Contact: Sue Manns, ottawaanimaldefenseleague@hotmail.com

Toronto

Ocean Activists United

Contact: Sarah Patrick, little-fizzle@hotmail.com

Vancouver

tammara443777@hotmail.com

EUROPE:

Barcelona, Spain

Coordinadora Proyecto Cetaceo Libre

Contact: Diana Morales, dmorales@hgt.es

Berlin, Germany

Tom Hernan, Elisa Brongers

hernan@gmx.de

Croatia:

Ocean Activists United - Zagreb Chapter

Mariana – Prijatelji zivotinja

mariana@prijatelji-zivotinja.hr

Edinburgh, Scotland

lucas@ruzowitzky.dk

London, England

Marine Connection and Karen Page, karen.4page@ntlworld.com

Libson, Portugal

Natalie & Nori in conjunction with: www.chickswithsticks.org.uk, www.s4cglobal.org, www.beasonefoundation.org, www.soulsurfers.org

Contact: natalievfox@hotmail.com

Paris, France

Vivamar Society-Ljubljana and Slovenija

vivamar.society@gmail.com

aurore.d.f@free.fr

Rome, Italy

Ente Nazionale Protezione Animali

Rotterdam, Netherlands

EDEV – Een DIER Een VRIEND, elisa.brongers@edev.nl

Stockholm, Sweden

Izabelle Maelan, izabelle_91@hotmail.com

Vienna, Austria

“Resistance for Peace” and Angelique Hackl

office@resistanceforpeace.org and angelique.hackl@gmx.at

MIDDLE EAST:

Israel

SaveJapanDolphins.ru

Jacob Berelman, jacob@savejapandolphins.ru

ASIA PACIFIC:

Taiji, Japan

Save Japan Dolphins

Leilani Munter, leilani@leilanimunter.com

Auckland, New Zealand

Joshua Walker-Joshuawalker@timelesshost.com

Bangkok, Thailand

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=156971054323777

dolphindaydemo@gmail.com

Brisbane, Australia

Robyn Price mokie485@optusnet.com.au

Christchurch, New Zealand

Aaron Nolan, az.nolan@windowslive.com

Canberra, Australia

Karin Klaus, karinklaus@hotmail.com

http://www.facebook.com/#!/event.php?eid=132020196847829

Hong Kong, China

Jess Chan, jesstychan@gmail.com

Indonesia

Femke, jakartaanimalaid@gmail.com

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Dave, russellbanfield@sbcglobal.net

Melbourne, Australia

Haans Silver, hsiver72@bigpond.com

Perth, Australia

Melinda Reilly, melindareilly@iprimus.com.au

Philippines

Trixie (EII)-, eiiphils@gmail.com

Sydney, Australia

Naomi Wong, creamriceking@gmail.com

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=123220707732441

Wellington, New Zealand

Jarna Hamilton, j_arna@hotmail.com

LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN:

Argentina

Wild Earth Foundation

Bahamas

EARTHCARE

sam@reearth.org

Mexico City

SophreEarth-ie Cortina-sophiecortina@mac.com

Sao Paulo, Brazil

Jorge Perez and Aliança International do Animal ”AILA”-jorge@g3turismo.com.br and amadu10@terra.com.br

AFRICA:

Cape Town, South Africa

Bahia Fitchen- bahiafitchen@yahoo.com

Nigeria, Africa

Nigeria SPCA (Emmanuel Eyoh), nigveganimal@yahoo.com

Egypt’s Taiji Four in a New Tank; Fight Continues Against the Dolphinarium

By Ric O’Barry

Campaign Director

Save Japan Dolphins

Earth Island Institute

Wagby Saad, the owner of the four dolphins imported from Taiji (“The Taiji Four”) to Hurghada, Egypt, has finally transferred them to a somewhat bigger new tank (as opposed to his backyard swimming pool). It remains to be seen whether they will survive, as we believe they are not very healthy. The new tank is literally in the middle of the Eastern Sahara desert, open to dust, heat and UV radiation.

New dolphin tank in the Egyptian desert, under construction.

Photography by Kate Tomlinson.

Lincoln O’Barry and photographer Kate Tomlinson stayed up all night on the roof of a villa near the dolphin owner’s home, to capture the transfer of the dolphins to the new tank (and make sure the owner did not pull some trick). I was allowed inside the owner’s home to observe and represent HEPCA. Besides two disgruntled Mexican dolphin trainers and a vet, there was an ex-military Russian dolphin trainer (who seemed to be in charge) and a Russian vet. Dolphin trafficking is truly an international scam.

The three thugs who attacked us on two separate occasions were also present. Their attack pit bull was missing. When I asked about the dog, they all insisted that they never had a pit bull! I was banned from taking photos inside the dolphin owner’s villa.

One of the Taiji Four in a swimming pool in Hurghada, Egypt. It’s fate and the fate of its pool mates is unknown.

Photography by Kate Tomlinson.

At the same time, new construction in the desert suggests that the owner is now building his new dolphinarium, which we strongly oppose.

HEPCA, the local Egyptian environmental organization that has been in the forefront of efforts to stop the dolphin imports and the dolphinarium, is working hard to see if they can get local authorities to halt the construction. The Taiji Four should be the last dolphins ever shipped to Hurghada, given the very strong opposition from the local community, the mayor, and the governor of the Red Sea.

Amr Ali, Executive Director of HEPCA, gave me a Red Sea Defender award for my help to them in opposing the dolphinarium and looking to the welfare of the Taiji Four.

Amr Ali, ED of HEPCA, gives Ric an award for his dolphin work in Egypt.

You can see my speech to HEPCA on YouTube:

I have to leave for now, but HEPCA will continue the fight in Egypt. They have done a tremendous job for the dolphins. As I noted in a earlier blog, they have already gained a decree by the local government banning further imports of wild-caught dolphins to this area. If you would like to help the effort, you can sign their online petition:

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/16/stop-dolphin-captivity-in-Egypt/

This will be an ongoing story, as we do not know the fate of the Taiji Four who are now part of the Sahara desert landscape. Our hope is to see them returned to Japan and set free one day. Not in Taiji, but in a place where dolphins are respected such as Mikurajima Island.

And finally, SHAME on WAZA, (World Association of Zoos and Aquariums) for not policing their own industry. You can sign on to the WAZA petition here:

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/3/stop-the-dolphin-slaughter/

Thanks for all your support. Your donations to our Save Japan Dolphins Campaign helps me go to places all around the world, including Japan and the Solomon Islands, to fight for the protection of dolphins and whales.

Good News and Not So Good News in Egypt

By Ric O’Barry
Campaign Director
Save Japan Dolphins
Earth Island Institute

The local Hurghada Environment Protection and Conservation Association (HEPCA) and I have scored a great victory here in Egypt, but the fate of four captive dolphins is still up in the air.

The good news is that the Governor of The Red Sea district of Egypt has issued a ban on all future import of dolphins, cutting off the expected import of five more Taiji dolphins to a local business building a new dolphinarium here.

Four dolphins from Taiji in small backyard swimming pool in Hurghada, Egypt.

Photography by Kate Tomlinson.

He also issued an ultimatum to the owner of four dolphins that had been imported from Taiji back in August: the dolphins must be moved to a new location that complies with national and international standards for care. We had hoped, of course, to somehow help these dolphins that are in poor health back into the wild, but so far that does not seem to be possible. The owner is now busily building a new dolphin pool in the middle of the desert to accommodate these dolphins. He has 48 hours to comply with the governor’s directive.

Ric and Lincoln O’Barry in Hurghada, Egypt.

Photography by Kate Tomlinson.

My son Lincoln and I, and our Animal Planet cameras, have been checking out the construction site. We also tried to check up on the health of the dolphins, but were stymied by the owner and his cronies. HEPCA, Lincoln, photographer Kate Tomlinson, and I were subject to threats by hired thugs – they even tried to steal our camera and set a pit bull on us!

A thug reaches for our camera in front of the home of the owner of four dolphins from Taiji.

Photography by Kate Tomlinson.

A pit bull is set on Ric in front of the home of the owner of the four dolphins from Taiji.

Photography by Lincoln O’Barry.

Ric O’Barry inspects the new dolphin pool construction in Hurghada, Egypt.

Photography by Kate Tomlinson.

HEPCA received similar treatment when they tried to visit the dolphins to have them inspected and diagnosed by Dr. Pierre Gallego. When let in alone without HEPCA support, Dr. Gallego was unable to see the dolphins in the turbid swimming pool water (essentially these dolphins are swimming in their own excrement), nor could the dolphins be caught for blood samples. HEPCA’s representatives in their cars were surrounded by the thugs and threatened with violence.

Ric O’Barry diving in the Red Sea, Egypt, checking out a potential site for dolphins with clean sea water – unfortunately, the dolphinarium company rejected it.

Photography by Kate Tomlinson.

Things are changing rapidly here, so who knows what will happen next? One thing for sure, I will file a formal complaint with the local police. We cannot allow the dolphinarium thugs to get away with these violent attacks!

HEPCA continues the fight against a long-term dolphinarium, enlisting the support of the local community, hotels, dive shops, and other tourism businesses along the Red Sea, a premier dive area. Their grassroots activism is a good model for other places around the world fighting back against keeping dolphins in captivity. I salute them and thank them for their efforts.

Tell your friends, family and neighbors to join the effort! As HEPCA has shown, the local governments can be made to listen to the public, and that is what our Save Japan Dolphins Campaign is all about – bringing grassroots pressure and education to bear against the government agencies that allow these travesties to happen.

The dolphins depend on us to protect them! I hope you will join me in supporting our Campaign efforts.

Ric In Egypt to Help Dolphins Exported from Taiji

By Ric O’Barry

Campaign Director

Save Japan Dolphins

Earth Island Institute

I am in Hurghada, Egypt, where four dolphins from Taiji were sent to populate a new oceanarium being built here. Unfortunately, five more dolphins have been ordered from Taiji. These dolphins are still in Taiji, and there is a chance that we can stop the export.

Ric in Egypt.

Photography by Kate Tomlinson, Sept. 2010.

The four dolphins here in the desert are in depressing conditions. They are in a small backyard swimming pool. We need to get them out of there, but it is not easy. A local organization HEPCA, that opposes all dolphinariums in Egypt, is working to block the opening of the new facility and to stop the import of wild dolphins from Taiji.

You can see a short video clip from HEPCA on this issue in Egypt in this Youtube video:

Ric checking out new excavation for a dolphin pool in Egypt.

Photography by Kate Tomlinson, Sept. 2010.

I am here to help. I have meetings with many local government officials to urge them to write to the Mayor of Taiji to stop the imports of dolphins.

More details to follow.

Divers Attempt to Free Captive Dolphins in Taiji

By Ric O’Barry

Save Japan Dolphins

Earth Island Institute

An organization called “The Black Fish”, based in Germany, is claiming responsibility for cutting nets in six holding pens in Taiji harbor, attempting to free the captive dolphins being held for aquariums. Local Shingu police claim the cuts in the nets were too small for any dolphins to actually escape.

We are working to verify the situation. The Japan Fisheries Agency will certainly try to portray the dolphin killers as sympathetic characters being harassed and violated by “extremist” Westerners.

We have no connection to “The Black Fish”, and we intend to continue our job of reaching the Japanese public with the message that the dolphin killing and related captures must stop. Based on this incident, it is likely that the situation in Taiji will get more dangerous.

Hans Peter Roth with our Save Japan Dolphins Team at the Cove in Taiji, Sept. 27, 2010.

Meanwhile our Save Japan Dolphins team member Hans Peter Roth reports from Taiji that due to stormy weather, no dolphin hunts have taken place for the past week. For now, the infamous Cove remains free of any dolphins. But we cannot depend on the weather, or rare incidents of cutting nets, to keep the Cove empty of dolphins for good.

That is up to you and me and our continuing efforts in Japan. We won’t quit until we succeed.

Hans Peter Roth at the Cove in Taiji, Sept. 27, 2010.

Defiance In Japan -- first dolphin kill at Taiji

by Ric O’Barry

Campaign Director

Save Japan Dolphins

Earth Island Institute

It’s with a heavy heart that I write today’s post. Despite all our efforts and despite the worldwide condemnation of the cruel dolphin slaughter, the Japanese government remains defiant and has allowed the first dolphin kill of this season at Taiji.

This defies all logic, both because of the brutal inhumane abuse of dolphins and because it is now proved that the dolphin meat is poison -- containing dangerous levels of mercury.

Throughout the first month of the season several captures have taken place with select dolphins retained for export to zoos and aquariums. The rest of the pod were released back into the wild. However, a few days ago one group of 15 Risso's dolphins was brutally killed and taken to the slaughterhouse.

I can't tell you how angry this makes me. And I know it makes you angry, too. Many of you will be frustrated, but I don’t want you to lose hope. I also am more convinced than ever that our campaign to generate worldwide pressure for an end to the slaughter is right and must succeed.

We must be vigilant and turn up the heat. The Japan government's defiance must not be allowed to stand.

Change does not happen overnight, and we have only just started to get the word out to the Japanese people.

We are working to keep people on the ground in Taiji to monitor the Cove and report back to the world. Take a look at this video done by one of our dedicated volunteers, Leilani Münter:

We are also ramping up efforts with our Japanese distributor to get thousands of copies of the Japanese version of the movie The Cove into the hands of the Japanese public so that they can build pressure internally.

Recently several Japanese people who have seen The Cove or heard about our work have begun coming to Taiji for the first time ever – our Save Japan Dolphins Team members there have been talking with them. They want to understand just what is happening there, and this is a very positive step. The Japanese people themselves can end the slaughter, especially if the Japan government can no longer hide the killing from them.

One of our volunteers in Tokyo recently interviewed several people about The Cove and the dolphin slaughter – she found all of them had now heard about the issue, quite a change from just a few months ago when nobody knew anything about the dolphin hunts.

US President Barack Obama is going to Japan in November. We are moving quickly to get him and his administration to urge attention to this matter. We'll provide more details on this in the days ahead.

If you can donate to help this work continue, it is most appreciated. Go to:

http://www.savejapandolphins.org/donate.php

Check out our blog for more details of the Save Japan Dolphin Day activities on October 14th and other updates.

Thanks for your help and continued effort to make the waters safe for dolphins.

Thanks!