It was revealed on 20 December 2006 by the Taiji Town Assembly, the town where brutal dolphin drive hunts take place annually, condemning hundreds of dolphins to death or a life of restrictive captivity, that Taji Whale Museum is to export twelve bottlenose dolphins to Ocean World Adventure Park in the Dominican Republic (an excursion sold by TUI, partner of Year of the Dolphin - click here for more) and four bottlenose dolphins to Guangzhou, China (approximately 100km northeast of Hong Kong). It has also been reported that the Japan Fisheries Agency is about to add Pacific white-sided dolphins to the catch quota of the yearly drive fisheries, more details of this story will be posted as received.

Dominican President will be asked to halt dolphin imports - Feb 07

	Each of the dolphins destined for export was captured from the drive hunts where large pods of dolphins and small whales are rounded up by boats and driven into bays where the 'best' are picked for captivity and the rest are slaughtered with knives. For more information on this devastating practice please click here.
© O'Barry

It is reported that the price for one of these dolphins was $45,000 - therefore a total price of $720,000 for this transaction alone will be paid by the captivity industry to continue the massacre of dolphins in Japan's waters. There can be no doubt that transactions such as this are the mainstay of Japan's drive hunts.

The transfer from Japan to Ocean World Adventure Park is to be brokered by two American aquarium specialists, Dr. Michael Briggs DVM and American dolphin dealer and marine mammal veterinarian, Dr. Ted Hammond.

Some good news among the bad
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.
Click here for the full story

For more information on the Japanese drive hunts, the proposed exports and to take action please click here

Source: Elsa Nature Conservancy