Japan Dolphins Day 2017 BARCELONA
Hi! As you may know, every 1st of September starts the annual slaughter of dolphins and other small cetaceans in the coasts of Taiji, Japan. The 1st of September is also the Japan Dolphins Day. This year I've organized an event in Barcelona in front of the Japanese consulate. If you want to know more and/or sign up, check the link I've left in my link's list (at the right-top of this blog). Thanks!!
Every year more than 20.000 dolphins are caught and sold into captivity around the world (150.000 $/dolphin) or killed for consumption (600$/dolphin).
Dolphins killed in Taiji are caught to replace fish meat and most of the meat is hidden and tagged as healthy whale from the South Atlantic or as fish meat. (Although it must be said that you can also find dolphin meat tagged as dolphin meat). You might be wondering, why are dolphins caught to replace fish meat? or, why isn't dolphin meat tagged properly?
Overfishing is one of the biggest threats to our planet. Entire species have been nearly obliterated by the demand for seafood, with experts estimating that nearly 80 percent of the world’s fish stocks have been fully exploited or are in decline and that 90 percent of the ocean’s large predatory fish have been wiped out. If current trends continue, the Earth’s food fisheries are likely to collapse entirely by the year 2050. Well, Japan controls the world's fishing business, has wholesalers in the most important ports and the fishing industry is an important point for their economy knowing that the 70% of the global population considers fish as its source of proteins. So with the fish stocks declining Japan searches new ways to obtain food, such as dolphins and small cetaceans who are not protected under The International Whaling Comission because are not considered whales.
A lot of the mercury in the ocean originates from the burning of fossil fuels, particularly coal, which lofts mercury into the atmosphere where it eventually comes down to the ocean. This levels of mercury incrase each year and x10 in every level of the food chain. Dolphins, who are at the top of the food chain, contain high levels of mercury. In fact, they surpass the highest levels allowed by the Japanese laws and recommended by the World Health Organization (dolphin meat from the coasts of Taiji has got 2000ppm of mercury while the highest level recommended is 0.2ppm, I think). It is clear that this issue causes serious health problems to dolphin meat consumers so in mostly times it is bad-labeled.
Supporting dolphin captivity not only helps the killing to continue, but also helps this horrible practice named captivity. Dolphins in captivity are kept in extremely small and atrificial enclosures knowing that they swim up to 100 miles a day, suffer stress, can suffer lethargy and don't get nearly enough exercise or mental stimulation, there are often fights betwen the animals because the pods are different families and they can't even communicate, the animals are inbred and the captive calves are often separated from their mothers and brought to other parks. Because of the water quality and the unnatural diets, dolphins can suffer oral degradation, abnormal behaviours and other health problems. They also have problems with the ultraviolet radiation of the sun because the tanks aren't enough deep and they sometimes channel their frustration by attacking humans.
Every year more than 20.000 dolphins are caught and sold into captivity around the world (150.000 $/dolphin) or killed for consumption (600$/dolphin).
Dolphins killed in Taiji are caught to replace fish meat and most of the meat is hidden and tagged as healthy whale from the South Atlantic or as fish meat. (Although it must be said that you can also find dolphin meat tagged as dolphin meat). You might be wondering, why are dolphins caught to replace fish meat? or, why isn't dolphin meat tagged properly?
Overfishing is one of the biggest threats to our planet. Entire species have been nearly obliterated by the demand for seafood, with experts estimating that nearly 80 percent of the world’s fish stocks have been fully exploited or are in decline and that 90 percent of the ocean’s large predatory fish have been wiped out. If current trends continue, the Earth’s food fisheries are likely to collapse entirely by the year 2050. Well, Japan controls the world's fishing business, has wholesalers in the most important ports and the fishing industry is an important point for their economy knowing that the 70% of the global population considers fish as its source of proteins. So with the fish stocks declining Japan searches new ways to obtain food, such as dolphins and small cetaceans who are not protected under The International Whaling Comission because are not considered whales.
A lot of the mercury in the ocean originates from the burning of fossil fuels, particularly coal, which lofts mercury into the atmosphere where it eventually comes down to the ocean. This levels of mercury incrase each year and x10 in every level of the food chain. Dolphins, who are at the top of the food chain, contain high levels of mercury. In fact, they surpass the highest levels allowed by the Japanese laws and recommended by the World Health Organization (dolphin meat from the coasts of Taiji has got 2000ppm of mercury while the highest level recommended is 0.2ppm, I think). It is clear that this issue causes serious health problems to dolphin meat consumers so in mostly times it is bad-labeled.
Supporting dolphin captivity not only helps the killing to continue, but also helps this horrible practice named captivity. Dolphins in captivity are kept in extremely small and atrificial enclosures knowing that they swim up to 100 miles a day, suffer stress, can suffer lethargy and don't get nearly enough exercise or mental stimulation, there are often fights betwen the animals because the pods are different families and they can't even communicate, the animals are inbred and the captive calves are often separated from their mothers and brought to other parks. Because of the water quality and the unnatural diets, dolphins can suffer oral degradation, abnormal behaviours and other health problems. They also have problems with the ultraviolet radiation of the sun because the tanks aren't enough deep and they sometimes channel their frustration by attacking humans.
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