Special Action Alert - Taiji Orcas


Japanese Capture Killer Whales


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Update - April 10th
Update - June 19th
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Latest News on Japanese whaling

ACTION ALERT

Find YOUR closest Japanese Embassy and phone, fax or write to the Ambassador telling him how cruel the Orca capture really is.

Read our example
PROTEST LETTER Apr97
PROTEST LETTER Jun97

Send your protest to:

His Imperial Highness
The Emperor of Japan
Imperial Household Agency
1-1 Chiyoda, Chiyoda-ku
Tokyo 100, Japan
"Your Imperial Highness,"

Mr Ryutaro Hashimoto
Prime Minister of Japan
1-6-1 Nagata-cho, Chiyoda-ku
Tokyo 100, Japan
fax: +81 3 3502 0794
"Dear Prime Minister,"

Email address
jpm@kantei.go.jp

-HOMEPAGE-

The Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries:

Email address
white56@sc.maff.go.jp

-HOMEPAGE-

Mr Michio Ahimada,
Director of National Fishery Agency
fax: +81 3 3502 0794

Mr Isamu Nishiguchi,
Governor of Wakayama Prefecture
fax: +81 734 22 4032

Wakayama Prefecture Government Fishery Section
fax: +81 734 31 2244

Tourist Section
fax: +81 734 32 8313

Tour Office of Taiji
fax: +81 7355 9 3375

Taiji Fishermans Union
fax: +81 7355 9 2821

Japanese Embassies World Wide

NEWS FLASH

Ten (10) orcas were trapped by Japanese fishermen on Friday (Feb 7th) when they placed a giant net across a bay near the town of Taiji, about 450 km southwest of Tokyo. Five days later, five of the whales were set free.



Captured Orca's trained to amuse audiences

Orca's Captured by Fishermen

Fishermen prodded and lured three others into slings and they were sent to Adventure SeaWorld in nearby Shirahama. Two others remained inside the netted area waiting to be delivered to another amusement park and a whaling museum.

It appears that the fishermen's authority was in the form of a permit issued in 1992, but until now, never used. The Dolphin and Whale Action Network, an environmental group, said the fishermen's permit had been nullified in the meantime by new international laws on whaling which make orcas a protected species.

Japan, where whale meat is considered a delicacy, has long been at odds with many countries over its interpretation of regulations on catching whales for scientific purposes. Critics charge that Japan uses the guise of scientific study to maintain whale catching for commercial purposes while nearly all other countries have outlawed the industry. But the environmental group said the orcas dispatch to amusement parks is for tourist purposes, not for scientific study.

It is believed that Japanese amusement parks will pay up to 30 million yen for each killer whale.

An official of the Izumito Sea Paradise, which has rights to one of the two whales still awaiting transfer, said they purchased their female for breeding purposes.
"At Izumito we are currently raising a male killer whale, and we are interested in breeding," said Masatoshi Mano, head of public relations.




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