Futo Fishermen Vow to Resume Dolphin Hunt

Written by Sakae Hemmi, Elsa Nature Conservancy:
According to the Izu Shimbun, Ito Fishing Cooperative held a meeting at its Futo
Branch on August 26, inviting the media and announced that they would resume the drive hunt of dolphins this season. This came after they got information that a large pod of bottlenose dolphins was found off the coast of Shirahama in the beginning of August. And also they think it necessary to teach the skill of drive hunt of dolphins to
the next generation.

Futo was allotted 419 dolphins, including 59 bottlenose dolphins, this season.
The hunting season starts on September 1 and ends on March 31 next year.
Their plan is the same as that in 2004.—to sell dolphins to aquariums, to do scientific research and consume the meat locally.

Futo hasn’t hunt dolphins since 2005, though the fishing cooperative announced every year that they would carry out the drive hunt. In 2004 they sold 14 bottlenose dolphins to aquariums, killed 5 dolphins for research purposes and
distributed its meat for local consumption. They released one dolphin after attaching transmitters. And at least 5 dolphins died of shock.

Federal Safety Officials Blast Sea World

Federal investigators on Monday blasted SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment for allowing its animal trainers to work with killer whales without adequate protection. This follows a six-month investigation into the violent drowning of a trainer at SeaWorld Orlando.

Greenland Violates IWC. Begins Hunting Humpback Whales

by Hardy Jones

In a sad day for whales, the International Whaling Commission allocated a quota to Greenland to hunt humpback whales - a total of 27 over three years. The date specified for beginning of the hunt was October, 2010. But Greenland's Ministry of Fisheries has announced it will allow the hunt to begin immediately - mid August. This is a violation of the IWC quota.

The quota for all whales is solely granted to aboriginal peoples for aboriginal use. Greenland has violated terms of the quota by allowing whale meat to enter commercial channels. When in Nuuk, Greenland I photographed whale meat in high end restaurants and greasy spoons as well as in a supermarket.

What is particularly sad is that humpbacks are just returning to Greenlandic waters after an absence of sixty years - now to be greeted by a harpoon.