Bad weather delays start of Taiji dolphin hunt

You can only really claim something to be part of your culture if the traditional methods and equipment continue to be used in the modern age. I see a lot modern methods and equipment that has no doubt made the hunt more efficient and therefor more profitable. You don't see the "Mitsubishi 5000 tea buddy" being used during a tradition tea ceremony do you?

Dolphins do not contain dangerous levels of mercury. Most sea creatures contain certain level of mercury especially bigger ones but not dangerous levels.

Once again a cultural thing and a local one at that. It is hard to project one's own thoughts on these matters. One must always take into consideration the culture one is seeing as opposed to the one the self comes from logically.

Defenders of the hunt say it is a tradition and point out that the animals are not endangered, a position echoed by the Japanese government.

So that's okay then... mindless bloody slaughter is fine as long as the dolphins are plentiful?

Dolphins do not contain dangerous levels of mercury. Most sea creatures contain certain level of mercury especially bigger ones but not dangerous levels.

So what? That make it okay to murder them?

So what?

So why mention mercury level in the article? As if you were worried about Japanese people's health.

That make it okay to murder them?

Do you eat animal meat without murdering them?

This is a truly foul and barbaric practice and must stop. The slaughter serves no purpose other than for the locals (and the government it would appear) to claim it is traditional and for other non-caring bloodthirsty people to go to watch it.

Defenders of the hunt say it is a tradition and point out that the animals are not endangered, a position echoed by the Japanese government.

it 'was' a tradition! Now, it's a business that is based on exploiting a natural resource and the majority of the money comes from selling live animals to oceanariums. How could this be considered culture? I love the logic of 'they are not endangered, so we can kill them!" It's completely ridiculous! The WHO has deemed all dolphin meat unfit for human consumption due to the high levels of pesticides and heavy metals in the meat. The people of Taiji, who regularly eat the meat have been tested and recorded more than ten times the safe limit of mercury in their blood streams. But, it's culture, right?

If the local community are worried about a loss of income from banning the event, why don't they establish the area as a dolphin spotting site and attract decent tourists to the area from all around the world. They would not need to corral the dolphins to the cove as the tourists' excitement / pleasure at just seeing one or two would be far greater than that of seeing hundreds forced into the cove or in an aquarium.

This would be far more profitable that the barbaric killings as it could be all year round.

Guys, only small number of Japanese are eating dolphin. Do you have to control every single Japanese action as if you were boss? Go bother somebody else.

It is funny how you care so much about keeping this tradition knowing that you have inunerous reasons to stop and how the japanese society do not care, specially young people of keeping the really important heritage traditions of Japan. More and more the western culture invades and influences japanese society. It makes a lot of sense you fight for this non-sense tradition other than for old architerure, dances, instruments etc. In past people used to hunt for necessity, now you kill many of them and also sell them for humans entertainment? Yeah, it sounds so traditional and exactly how people used to behaviour and think in old times...claps claps for the great job of keeping your heritage so well! ????

Bad weather delays start of Taiji dolphin hunt

Excellent

Much like fox-hunting in the UK and bull-fighting in Spain, this is a ritual practice that makes me think there is something deeply disturbing in the society. It is absurd, like some ritualistic slaughter to assuage demons. It doesn't belong in an enlightened world.

More and more the western culture invades and influences japanese society.

So you admit this is part of west culture imperialism. What a hypocrisy. Mind your own business.

@ Tina

Some animals such a dolphins due to where they are on the food change en up with higher mercury levels and yes some a dangerous to children just like some cows suffer from foot in mouth disease.

Sad reality. Poor Dolphins. :(. This is just sick! How can they slaughter them out of unreasonable tradition? They are so intelligent and I love watching them in the ocean. Please stop the slay!

@ Tina (without my typo's)

Some animals such as dolphins due to where they are on the food chain end up with higher mercury levels and yes some a dangerous to children just like some cows suffer from foot in mouth disease as they get older.

Kobe, Japan govt says it it not dangerous level, so I believe them. Other fish also contain mercury so the Japanese, who eat more fish than other people, have higher mercury in their bodies especially older Japanese people. The Japanese enjoy the longest lives in the world so why care mercury level?

Bad weather delays start of Taiji dolphin hunt

Good

@Tina

I think that you are too busy defending Japanese culture from what you envisage as attacks by western imperialists and you are blind to the reasons for people's calls for this cull to be banned. It is extremely cruel and as you say only a small number of Japanese eat them. Why then do so many have to be killed in such barbaric fashion?

you are too busy defending Japanese culture

Johnnie, YOU are defending WESTERN culture in Japan. Japan defending Japanese culture is nothing wrong.

you envisage as attacks by western imperialists

Westerns demanding their western culture on Japan. Why not western imperialism.

in such barbaric fashion?

The Japanese people don't think so. Why don't you live in a western country surrounded by only western people and never look in the direction of the East because barbaric. Never read news about anthing other than west, then you don't have to correct all the wrongs in the East and live happily ever after.

Never read news about anthing other than west, then you don't have to correct all the wrongs in the East and live happily ever after.

Not true. The Faroe islands are under equal scrutiny because of their treatment of pilot whales. The only difference between them and Taiji is they leave none alive (and they don't hide their "tradition" under a tarpaulin. )