It has been reported by our colleagues Ric and Helene O'Barry that on December 26 2006, the director of food products for the Okuwa Supermarket Corporation, Mr. Yasunari Kanki, banned the sale of all dolphin meat in all of their stores. The ban on dolphin meat is official, and the supermarket chain will decide if the ban is to be permanent after they test their own samples.

Mercury is a highly toxic chemical which accumulates in animals such as dolphins and consequently is a major threat to all those who eat dolphin meat as prepared by the dolphin hunters in Japan. The advisory level for the consumption of mercury within food is just 0.4ppm. Anything over this level and the chemical may become dangerous or even lethal to those humans who consume it. When dolphin meat bought from a Japanese Supermarket was tested for its mercury levels in December 2006, the level was found to be 14 times this maximum level, at 5.40ppm. Effectively, dolphin meat is poisonous to those who consume it. Corroborated by scientific studies undertaken by renowned Japanese scientist, Dr. Tetsuya Endo, on dolphin meat taken from the coast of Japan, the conclusion from these reports stated that nobody should eat dolphin meat. Despite these major warnings the Japanese government has chosen not to inform the public, the very people who are at risk.

It is therefore all the more notable that Okuwa Supermarket Corporation has now banned the sale of dolphin meat from their stores. Considering the evidence presented, it seems that results from independent tests on dolphin meat will confirm the conclusion that dolphin meat contains high levels of mercury therefore permanently excluding dolphin meat from this large chain of superstores. It is hoped that this will provide good evidence for other shops to follow Okuwa's lead and ban dolphin meat from stores. However, it is thought that this poisoned dolphin meat is also being exported to areas such as China and North Korea who are very likely unaware of the dangers this meat poses.

Although marine parks still pay huge sums of money for single animals captured from the dolphin drive hunts, the termination of dolphin meat sales in such a large chain of stores is an outstanding step in the right direction.

For further information on this story and a daily blog detailing the drive hunt season in Taiji please visit www.savejapandolphins.org

Image: © Elsa Nature Conservancy