Dolphins and Whales Killed En Masse (Watch the video)
Maureen Bonner
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Watch the video by clicking on this URL:
http://takeaction.oceana.org/dia/organizationsORG/oceana
/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=5322
Warning: this video is extremely graphic
Japan's annual dolphin hunting season has just gotten underway. Over the next six months, the hunt is expected to kill more than 20,000 dolphins and porpoises as a form of "pest control." Officials claim that the dolphins eat too many fish, but those that are slaughtered are sold off to supermarkets and grocery stores.
>>Take Action! Contact the Japanese Embassy and urge an end the massacre:
http://takeaction.oceana.org/dia/organizationsORG/oceana/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=5322
Dolphins and whales that are targeted in this hunt include bottlenose dolphins, pilot whales and striped dolphins. Several of the species are considered to be threatened with extinction. The truth is the impact of these hunts on the marine mammal populations is unknown due to the lack of good population size estimates for the various targeted species. Scientists also don't know the extent of the disruption the massacre causes on the complex social structure of the dolphins or the effect on the ecosystem of removing so many large animals out of a small area.
The Japanese dolphin hunters have admitted that they are worried the government will soon shut them down in light of international outrage over the hunt. As the publicity grows, the hunters are forced to hide their actions. They erect fake signs to divert the general public from the coves where the dolphins are ultimately trapped and have outlawed photos and videos of the killing.
I understand if you just can't bear to watch the video, part of me wishes I hadn't. For those of you that do choose to watch it, remember the three minutes and 16 seconds it takes is about half as long as some of the dolphins take to die. Please take action today.
For the oceans,
Maureen Bonner
E-Activism Manager, Oceana
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