The dolphin industry in the past, present, and future has changed dramatically through the last century. In the past, the industry was revolutionized by Ric O'barry and Flipper, the American television show. Today, in Taiji, Japan, more than 20,000 dolphins are brutally murdered each year. Who knows what lies in the future?
The history of the dolphin industry traces back to the 12th century in Japan. But Ric O'barry, who was involved in the capture and training of five dolphins for the television show Flipper, caused the extreme demand for dolphins. Whether it be seeing dolphin shows, swimming with dolphins, or going to an aquarium, people just want to see dolphins. After one of the Flippers, Kathy, died in …show more content…
Ric spent 10 years building up this industry, and now has spent 38 years trying to bring it down.
Japan, Solomon Islands, Kiribatti, Foroe Islands, Peru, Taiwan, and Hawaii have all been involved in hunting dolphins either in the past or in the present. In Taiji, Japan, the dolphin hunting is one of the worst in the world. Over 20,000 dolphins are brutally murdered each year off the coast of Japan. The dolphins are driven into a large cove sealed off by nets to stop them escaping and dragged backwards into hidden coves the following morning to be butchered with knives and spears. They are then loaded on to boats and taken to the warehouse to be cut up. The fishermen's work is hidden from the outside by heavy shutters, and barely anyone in the world knows about it. Not only are the dolphins slaughtered illegally, but their meat is sold disguised as whale meat, which is a delicacy in Japan. Dolphins contain dangerously high levels of mercury, which is a chemical that when consumed, can cause a disease that slowly kills you. …show more content…
Many people have already signed petitions, wrote e-mails and letters, and many other things to try to help stop the dolphin slaughter in Japan. The future impact in this situation is not being properly addressed by the government, industry or the public. The industry has not put in the thought to what may happen if this continues. This method has lasted more than 400 years with as many as 20,000 dolphins killed each year. Although the Japanese fisherman say that they are preserving an old tradition by continuing this practise, it may not be able to continue for much longer if things keep going the way they are going. Dolphin numbers in Taiji are already decreasing, so what's to say that in 20 or 30 years, dolphins will be around in Japan still? People around the world need to spread the word about this horrific practise or else it will continue. Taiji especially, is already under the sharp eye of the media, but Taiji only makes up about 20% of the dolphin deaths in Japan. What will happen to the death quota when people all around the world help to prevent the