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UPDATE January 29, 2007
… Broadcast quality film footage available of the brutal Japanese capture
… Former trainer of TV star Flipper, turned dolphin protector, eyewitness to the capture
Contact:
Richard O'Barry, Earth Island Institute,
Phone/Fax: (305) 668-1619
Mobile Phone: (786) 973-8618
E-mail: ricobarry@bellsouth.net
David Phillips, Earth Island Institute
Phone: (415) 788-3666 x145
Fax: (415) 788-7324
E-mail: davep@earthisland.org
The Save Japan Dolphins Coalition denounces the proposed sale and transfer of twelve bottlenose dolphins from the secret Japanese killing coves to the Ocean World Adventure Park, a Dominican Republic amusement park. Two American aquarium specialists -- Dr. Michael Briggs and Dr. Ted Hammond - are brokering the sale and transfer of the twelve dolphins with the park's vice-president, Stephan Meister - a German National.
The Coalition has broadcast quality digital footage of the grossly inhumane, bloody capture of these same dolphins in Japan's waters in the port of Taiji. Japan kills over 20,000 dolphins and small whales annually, most of which wind up in meat markets. The dirty secret of the slaughter, however, is that the international aquarium industry subsidizes these massacres by paying upwards of US$45,000 for prime live specimens for aquariums, dolphin-shows and swim-with-dolphins programs. A dead dolphin sells for about US$600 on the market for meat.
UPDATE January 30, 2007
The Dominican Republic Natural History Association has joined our Save Japan Dolphins Coalition in denouncing the cruel capture of dolphins by Japan and is opposing the import of the 12 dolphins caught by Japan drive fisheries.
An open letter to the Dominican Republic President has been published in the newspaper, El Caribe Newspaper.
CORRECTION January 30, 2007
Correction: On January 4, 2007, and January 18, 2007, we released two Media Alerts with respect to a proposed shipment of dolphins from Japan's slaughter pens to the Dominican Republic. In those Media Alerts we erroneously stated that Dr. Michael Briggs is associated with the Brookfield Zoo in Chicago. We have been informed by the Chicago Zoological Society and The Brookfield Zoo that Dr. Michael Briggs has not been associated with the Brookfield Zoo and has not worked on any projects with the Brookfield Zoo since April, 2004. Neither the Chicago Zoological Society nor the Brookfield Zoo are in any way involved with either the proposed transfer of dolphins from Japan or the egregious slaughter of those dolphins. We regret that our Media Alerts dated January 4, 2007 and January 18, 2007 contained that erroneous information and in any way suggested an association between Dr. Briggs and the Brookfield Zoo.
We request that you please correct any postings on this subject accordingly.
The Save Japan Dolphins Coalition is a group of four environmental and animal organizations - In Defense of Animals, Animal Welfare Institute, Earth Island Institute, and Elsa Nature Conservancy of Japan - dedicated to ending the slaughter of dolphins authorized by Japan's Fisheries Agency.