Why is Japan killing dolphins and whales?
The Prefectural Government, through publicly issued statements, emphasize that whale and dolphin hunting are a traditional form of livelihood in Japan, and that, like other animals, whales and dolphins are killed to supply the demand for meat.
Do Japanese eat dolphins?
Most Japanese have never eaten dolphin meat, although elderly people are likely to have eaten whale. Dolphins are also eaten in eastern Shizuoka Prefecture, although no local fishermen reportedly catch dolphins these days.
What does Japan do with dolphin?
Japan has started its controversial annual dolphin hunt in the coastal town of Taiji. The hunt sees the animals driven into a cove where most are slaughtered for their meat with knives in shallow waters. Other dolphins are sold to aquariums and marine parks.
How many dolphins does Japan Kill a year?
20,000 dolphins
Japanese ‘drive hunts’ kill nearly 20,000 dolphins, porpoises and small whales every year.
Why do Japanese kill sharks?
Shark finning increased since 1997 largely due to the increasing demand for shark fins for shark fin soup and traditional cures, particularly in China and its territories, as a consequence of its economic growth, and as a result of improved fishing technology and market economics.
Is whale killing legal?
The Endangered Species Act (ESA) is a federal law passed by the United States Congress in 1973. All of the great whales are listed as endangered species under the ESA. As a result, it is illegal to kill, hunt, collect, injure or harass them, or to destruct their habitat in any way.
Is whale meat expensive?
The fresh meat sold for up to 15,000 yen ($140) per kilogram (2.2 pounds), several times higher than the prices paid for Antarctic minkes, at a wholesale market in Sendai, one of several cities on Japan’s northern coasts to hold the auction. …
Why are shark fins illegal?
But that would be against state law. California is one of 12 states that bans the sale of shark fins—measures to help prevent further declines of shark populations and to deter finning, which has been illegal in U.S. waters since 2000.
