Planet of the Abe’s Membership of Zoos & Aquariums Suspended

Cruelty to dolphins: Japan’s membership of Zoos and Aquariums suspended

The World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA) has suspended Japan’s membership following a unanimous vote by its council.

WAZA is the “umbrella” organization for the world zoos and aquariums, with its  permanent Executive Office based in Berne, Switzerland.

WAZA said it regards the dolphin drive hunting, a brutal fishery method practiced in Taiji  (Wakayama Prefecture), “cruel” to dolphins and has therefore suspended Japan’s membership.

Dolphin drive hunting is a method of hunting dolphins by driving them together with boats into a bay where they are encircled and their escape route to the open waters is blocked with nets. The dolphins are then harpooned, or clubbed to death, with a few captured (live takes) and sold to aquariums (dolphinariums).

However, WAZA itself has been the target of a court action launched by conservationists for “effectively approving the cruel dolphin hunts,” said a report.

Taiji Sea of Red. Click image to enlarge. Sea Shepard

The Japanese Association of Zoos and Aquariums (JAZA), which takes dolphins from the hunt, had rejected a WAZA proposal for a two-year moratorium on drive hunting.

JAZA has 153 zoos and aquariums in Japan, with 30 of the outlets holding dolphins in their dolphinariums, according to reports.

Some 5,000 dolphins have been viciously killed at Taiji, with a further 750 live takes sold to dolphinariums worldwide since 2010, according to the whale and dolphin database Ceta Base.

WAZA suspended Japan’s membership on April 21.

 Related Links

• Activists File Lawsuit to Highlight Annual Dolphin Massacre in Japan May 15, 2014
• Annual Slaughter of Dolphins Continues in Japan January 21, 2014
• Evil Japan Begins Annual Dolphin Slaughter  September 26, 2014
• Massacred in Japan  December 19, 2011