Dolphin hunting Quota (2008-2009)

We appreciate the Agency decreased the quota for dolphins, however, we are still strongly concerned about the following:

• The estimated individual number lacks accuracy because not enough research has been conducted.
• Fishing methods should be more carefully considered, especially drive-hunting, which can eliminate entire groups of individuals and involve the use of hand held harpoons and sticks for catching large cetaceans.
• The Agency needs to correctly understand the actual situation of local fishing industries, for at present, it does not. For example, a small cetacean hunting operations are not operated in Aomori and a small cetacean hunting is going to be finished in Shizuoka. Also their stated number of ships which are permitted to hunt is incorrect.
• The Agency should consider consumption trends, so that they can more appropriately and fundamentally change quotas and initiate bigger reductions in numbers, which will aid in the conservation of biodiversity, instead of always trying to benefit the fishing industry.
• The Agency should inform consumers of the high mercury contamination in dolphin meat.
• Live dolphins are being caught and sold to aquariums. This practice treats them as objects of consumption rather than as sentient living beings with their own interests. Viewing dolphins in aquariums encourages this practice to continue and makes little of it.