Why do the drive hunts occur?

Fueled by the captivity industry
A number of the trapped animals are kept alive and selected by marine parks who pay extortionate rates for animals to re-stock their facilities; this is the mainstay of the drive fishery. Many of these animals die of shock before they can be killed or lifted from the blood-red waters and the rest are destined for a shortened and restricted life within captivity.

A dead dolphin from the drive hunts which can be butchered and processed is worth US$600. However, a live dolphin which can be utilised for the entertainment of humans within marine parks and dolphinariums may be worth up to US$100,000. Live dolphin captures provide a financial backbone to the drive hunts, without these it is unlikely the hunt could be sustained.

Aren't marine parks simply "rescuing" the animals?
Marine parks and dolphinariums may state that they are "rescuing" these animals from the brutal drive hunts. However, dolphins may be "ordered" from the hunts, park officials physically go to the site of the hunts and pick out the dolphins they want - in their view, the "best" dolphins. Without the purchase of dolphins by marine parks, the hunts would not occur. If marine parks truly wanted to "rescue" these dolphins they would NOT buy dolphins from these hunts.

So why do these hunts continue?
The promotion to the public of dolphin interactions by tour operators, the media and the captivity industry is perpetuating the demand for captive facilities. Captive bred dolphins cannot hope to sustain the worldwide captive facilities. Therefore, captures from the wild continue to supply this demand.

Tour operators continue to profit from the commission which selling excursions to captive facilities provide. They are providing fuel for the fire of the captivity industry. Although the hunts occur in Japan, it is very possible that drive hunt dolphins end up in facilities which are sold to the British public.

If the captivity industry did not subsidise these hunts though their purchase of animals, they would not be as lucrative for the fishermen. There is not enough profit in the sale of dolphin and whale meat for consumption alone to sustain them.

In short, the captivity industry and their dolphin purchases are the reason these hunts continue to operate.

Images: © Elsa Nature Conservancy / © O'Barry