Broome sweeps away sister-city ties with Taiji over dolphin kill

Tuesday 25th August, 08:42 AM JST

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KobeKid at 08:12 PM JST - 28th August

Maybe they just made it up with creative editing?!

Although I'm sure you'd rather have a root canal, I hope that you will see the film David. I would be very interested to hear your views AFTER seeing it. I rarely agree with you on these topics, but I respect your right to hold and express the views you do. Your arguments for Japan's right to whale are forceful and well thought out, but I think on this issue you should hold judgement/conjecture till after seeing the film.
Geraldton at 08:57 PM JST - 28th August

Broome had no choice once the word got out that the dolphins were being killed. The Shire Council knew the relationship with Taiji would be seen as untenable because Australians (in general) are simply revolted by the prospect of even killing a single dolphin, let alone actually eating one. That is an aspect of our culture which foreigners should respect, regardless of whether or not they agree. It should be widely known that Australians feel the same way about whales and other sea mammals, but I have noticed many comments here which are ridiculing our culture and beliefs. Broome is a gorgeous but small town of only 10,000 people. I have never even heard of Taiji until this. Today Broome relies heavily on tourism, not pearling, and the ‘sister city’ relationship with Taiji is not relevant to bettering tourism, but could have in fact damaged tourism. Therefore the relationship had to end. If Taiji people want to keep killing and eating mercury laden dolphins then they probably will, but now Broome will not be avoided by tourists who abhor the practise.
Dilbert14 at 09:36 PM JST - 28th August

Most Japanese people not knowing about something doesn't mean that it is not "open". It may be simply that it is no big deal (and why should we expect the annual killing of a few thousand dolphins to be so known about? This is a tiny number of animals relatively speaking).

The real question is, when they get to know about this, will they allow it to continue? It made it to evening news today. They gave a good coverage, though there were no mentioning of mercury levels in dolphin meat fed to the schoolchildren or them being slughtered for pest control. Some images of the slughter, but not blood or slashing. Unfortunately it concluded with old man saying something like Australians not having any respect for other cultures and traditions. Video showing greenpeace ship ramming over whalers and named as terrorists.

I still believe this was good in sense of more people are now aware of the subject. I believe if enough people know, it will end. We can't keep doing this to most intelligent animal on earth.

The idea of "it's not right to discriminate so kill'em all" does not stand! We resolved those conflicts in the past by giving all equal freedom, not the other way.

Please read my previous post on Wiki extract of dolphins, better yet, check it out yourself in Wikipedia.

Death is part of life, only if it comes itself, not brought upon.

While searching intelligent life on space, we can't keep killing intelligent life on planet.
Patrick Smash at 11:27 AM JST - 29th August

I don't think for one second it is okay for the desperate Taiji dolphin murderers to have to chuck the product on kids in school because there is no other market for it. The whalers do the same thing by forcing an unwanted product on to schools and hospitals. If the meat is dangerous, the Japanese government should ban its sale. But that is never going to happen.
Patrick Smash at 11:30 AM JST - 29th August

davidattokyo,

I do agree with you that for most Japanese people the killing of around 3000 dolphins a year in Japan is a very minor issue. Even if alot of them disapproved, the government would do nothing about the cull, so you have nothing to worry about. In these very hard times, your job remains safe.
KobeKid at 11:57 AM JST - 29th August

Because the dolphin meat is usually mislabeled as whale meat and because of the gov't and media's silence on the high levels of mercury consumers are not being allowed to make a choice based on all the facts.
nipponreddog at 06:50 PM JST - 29th August

The big money from the Taiji dolphin hunt comes from the dolphinariums which earn millions. They pay $150,000 for these "show dolphins". If you would like to see the penultimate manifestation of how the Taiji dolphins earn a fortune for the dolphinariums, just take a look at the Shinagawa Aquarium's total dolphin complex. The Prince hotels benefit from the draw of the dolphins. Millions from each Taiji dolphin.
OssanAmerica at 08:16 AM JST - 30th August

Because the dolphin meat is usually mislabeled as whale meat..

I've heard this claim many times but I'm not convinced because I know that dolphin meat is basically pink and slightly tranparent and looks nothing like whale meat which is solid red and beef-like in appearance.
browny1 at 11:41 AM JST - 30th August

Ossan - dolphin as whale has been well documented.

A few years back - Research conducted on 100 whale samples purchased randomly across the country turned up at least 25%+ as dolphin as I recall.

When queried the powers to be said to the effect that they are all the same family. Good Science - eh?

This topic has been discussed on this forum and others thoroughly over the past 8 - 10 years or so. The research can be found on line.
davidattokyo at 11:07 AM JST - 31st August

KobeKid, I have read reviews of this film and I see that the integrity of it is called into question one way or another even by the positive reviewers. I don't think it's even supposed to be balanced, and thus I don't think I could justify wasting my time watching it.

As for labeling of food products, this is a problem that I agree needs to be addressed. The authorities have guidelines for this but (at least last time I checked) the guidelines had no teeth.

OssanAmerica - I've seen for myself first hand "whale" that I sure was some kind of porpoise or smaller cetacean. (I reported it to the authorities too, who undertook to take it up with the retailer in question).

Unfortunately, and not only for whale products, one does have to try to take responsibility for what one is buying and who one is buying it fron.
BobbieWickham at 02:42 PM JST - 31st August

If killing dolphins is the worst thing done in Taiji then they're not doing too badly. Broome must be an amazing place. If they worry so much about fish then the humans living there must have it really good.
BurakuminDes at 11:50 PM JST - 31st August

If killing dolphins is the worst thing done in Taiji then they're not doing too badly. Broome must be an amazing place. If they worry so much about fish then the humans living there must have it really good.

Hi Bobbie

Just to let you know, dolphins aren't fish. They are actually members of the whale family. Maybe Japanese people have been trying to convince you otherwise?!? Best wishes, Burakumin.
OssanAmerica at 12:38 AM JST - 1st September

Ossan - dolphin as whale has been well documented.

OssanAmerica - I've seen for myself first hand "whale" that I sure was >some kind of porpoise or smaller cetacean. (I reported it to the >authorities too, who undertook to take it up with the retailer in >question).

I'll take your collective words that it occurs. But in all my years of eyeballing Japanese fish markets I've never seen it. There seems to be a trend to create the image that all Japanese routinely eat whale (which they don't) and that they routinely eat dolphin as whale (again which they don't).
davidattokyo at 12:27 PM JST - 3rd September

BurakuminDes,

Cetaceans and fish are both forms of life. It is wrong to discriminate against a certain group, I feel.
davidattokyo at 12:28 PM JST - 3rd September

Ossan,

I agree that the propaganda about all whale being dolphin is over-stated. Indeed with less than 20,000 dolphins being caught and 1,000 big baleen whales, it's a no brainer that most of the meat is not dolphin.