COALITION LETTER TO THE EMBASSY OF JAPAN Following is a letter written by Gabriela Bellazzi - Wild Earth Foundation (WEF) to the Embassy of Japan in Argentina, on behalf of a coalition of organizations opposed to the Japanese annual kill of dolphins and small whales, also know as "drive fisheries". In particular, this letter brings attention to the slaughter of dolphins and small whales currently taking place in the village of TAIJI. See http://www.seashepherd.org/taiji/ We encourage you to send this letter or a similar letter to Embassies and Consulates in your country. NOTE: Please edit as needed, and note the additional recipients at the bottom of the letter. =============================================== Embassy of Japan in Argentina Ambassador Nagair Shinya Bouchard 547 floor 17 Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires Tel: 5411- 4318 8200 November 15, 2003 Dear Ambassador Nagair Shinya-san I write on behalf of the undersigned organizations representing millions of supporters worldwide to call your immediate attention to the drive fishery that is currently being conducted in Taiji, Wakayama prefecture, and that occurs annually elsewhere in Japan. In these "drive hunts", social groups of small whales and dolphins are chased and corralled into shallow waters and then systematically slaughtered with knives. Sanctioned by the government of Japan, and permitted by prefecture authorities, up to 2000 small whales and dolphins are killed annually in this manner. In addition, tens of thousands of small whales, dolphins and porpoises are killed in Japan each year using hand held harpoons. The undersigned groups strongly oppose these hunts on both welfare and conservation grounds. The unsustainable slaughter of entire families and communities of whales and dolphins have left the coasts of Japan bereft of the beauty these animals may bring to your people. It is unclear whether local populations of dolphins, porpoises and small whales can survive the intensity of these kills that are poorly regulated, unsustainable and breathtakingly cruel. The killing coves where the drives occur are a devastating sea of endless red as untrained hands slaughter entire families of dolphins. Whether they bleed to death from knife incisions, are shot with harpoons or electrocuted, the dolphins suffer an agonizing and terrifying death through these methods. Although the hand harpoon hunts occur largely out of sight at sea, several of the undersigned groups have been present during the drive fisheries in attempts to document for Japan, and the rest of the world, the inhumanity of the killing methods used in Japan on these sentient marine mammals. One such group is currently in Taiji and we are deeply concerned at the violent response its peaceful protests have met. The lives of the international conservationists peacefully protesting the drive hunts have been threatened by the fishermen undertaking this hunt. Ambassador Kato, we urge you to ensure that the no harm befalls these protestors and that any violence committed against them is swiftly and dispassionately addressed by the local police. In the recent hunts on October 5th: 60 Stripped dolphins were killed by Taiji fishermen. On October 23, 30 short-finned pilot whales were also driven into the bay, and 13 of them were killed. Had it not been for the intervening presence of these conservationists, all 30 whales would have been killed. On November the 4th: 13 Risso's dolphins were killed in Taiji and on November the 8th, 42 short-finned pilot were killed, including calves and newborns. As you will be aware, whale and dolphin watching is growing in Japan, where it is not only a popular activity for locals and tourists alike, but is also a financially viable alternative to killing or capturing dolphins. No public relations campaign within Japan can hide what is occurring in the killing coves, even if the public rarely sees what happens out at sea in the other hunts of both small and large whales. These drive hunts turn Japan's coves into bloodbaths, and as such, are a direct threat to a real and valuable whale watching industry that is growing within Japan, along with a growing respect and care for marine life. The reality of this was illustrated in February 2002 when 85 whales beached near Tokyo. Local officials, surfers and residents attempted to push them back to the sea. Similar strandings in 2001 elicited similar community support for the whales' welfare. A former fisherman, Mr, Izumi Ishii from Futo, Shizuoka prefecture, has recently turned from dolphin killing to dolphin watching, a real testament to the economic value of keeping dolphins alive in their natural environment, and the ability to turn from an unsustainable and irreverent practice to a more sustainable and respectful one. Mr. Ishii serves as an example of courage; questioning and denouncing a practice that is inherently cruel, and in itself economically unsustainable, and turning to another that is benign and profitable. Mr. Ishii's reformation occurred because he was touched by the very animals that he was resigned to kill. He heard the dolphins cry, and was completely changed as a result. And, most importantly, he has rejected the fallacious justification for the kills; that dolphins are in competition with fisherman for fish and other commercially valuable marine life (squid). The "drive fishery" is an archaic and traditional practice that has to be heavily subsidized by the local Fishing Cooperatives in order to be sustained. In some prefectures, the drive fishery is maintained merely to satisfy the needs of a few fishermen who supplement their incomes from this brutal practice. It is also being revitalized in some areas to supply the growing public display and aquaria interests in Japan and other parts of the world. Instead of all of the dolphins being killed for meat, some are selected and kept for the rest of their shortened lives in a tank. In addition to our concerns for the dolphins killed in Japan's hunts, the undersigned groups are also deeply disturbed that despite at least four years of warnings from Japanese toxicologists about the high levels of mercury and other contaminants in dolphin meat, the government of Japan still encourages its consumption and has issued inadequate advice to the public about the potential risks to their health from consuming the contaminated, and often mislabeled, products. We are calling for an end to the drive fishery and Japan¹s other dolphin hunts. The public outcry that occurs worldwide whenever the images from these drives are publicized will not go away. The video cameras and dedication of individuals committed to ending this barbaric practice will not go away. We are working to raise the awareness of the people of Japan, most of whom do not realize that these drive hunts and other hunts occur within their country, and most of whom are outraged when they become aware of the methods and nature of this practice. We appreciate your immediate attention to our concerns. We respectfully request a meeting at your earliest convenience to discuss this issue in further detail. With kind regards, Gabriela Bellazzi Wild Earth Foundation (WEF) Fundación Tierra Salvaje Av. de las Ballenas U9121XAQ Peninsula Valdes, Chubut, Argentina Phone/Fax: 02965-495008 E-mail to: fauna@wef.org.ar On Behalf Of: 1. Advocates for Animal Rights (Bahamas) 2. Animals Require Kindness (Bahamas) 3. Animal Welfare Institute (USA) 4. Asociación Amigos del Museo Argentino de Cs.Naturales (Argentina) 5. Bluevoice.org (USA) 6. Born Free Foundation (International) 7. Captive Dolphin Awareness Foundation (USA) 8. Cetacean Society International, CSI (International) 9. Coalition for No Whales in Captivity (Canada) 10. Conservación de Mamiferos Marinos de Mexico, COMARINO (Mexico) 11. Dolphin Project (USA) 12. Earth Island Institute (International) 13. Elsa Nature Conservancy (Japan) 14 French Association of Environmental Reporters (France) 15. Free Willy/Keiko Foundation (USA) 16. Humane Society of Canada (International) 17. Humane Society of the United States, The HSUS (USA) 18. In Defense of Animals (USA) 19. International Wildlife Coalition, IWC (International) 20. Lolita¹s Legion (USA) 21. Marine Mammal Connection Society (USA) 22. Nature Trust (Malta) 23. New York Whale and Dolphin Action League (USA) 24. Ocean Defense International (International) 25. Orca Network (USA) 26. Pacific Orca Society/OrcaLab (Canada) 27. Project Thursday¹s Child (USA) 28. ReEarth (Bahamas) 29. Sea Shepherd Conservation Society (International) 30. Save Our Sea Turtles (Bahamas) 31. Society for Animal Protective Legislation, SAPL (USA) 32. The Animal Connection (USA) 33. The Marine Connection (UK) 34. Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society (International) 35. Wild Earth Foundation, WEF (Argentina) 36. Zoocheck Canada (Canada) 37. Ánima-Etica y Animales (Argentina) 38. Asociación para la Defensa de los Derechos de los Animales-ADDA(Argentina) 39. Asociación San Francisco de Asís (Argentina) 40. CeDePesca (Argentina) 41. CMMR Leviathan (Chile) 42. Instituto de Conservación de Ballenas - ICB (Argentina) 42. Movimiento Antinuclear del Chubut - MACH (Argentina) 43. Red Nacional de Acción Ecologista - RENACE (Argentina) 44. Organización para el Desarrollo Humano Integral (Argentina) =============================================== With Cc. to: Governor of Wakayama Prefecture Mr. Yoshiki Kimura Prefectural Office of Wakayama 1-1 Komatsubaradouri Wakayama-shi, Wakayama-ken 640-8269 JAPAN Fax: 81-73-423-9500 Minister of Fisheries Mr. Yoshiyuki Kamei 1-2-1 Ksumigaseki 1 Chome Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, JAPAN Fax: 81-3-3502-8220 Taiji Fishery Cooperative 3167-7 Taiji Wakayama 649-5171 JAPAN Fax: 81-735-59-2821