Dolphin disgrace – 101 taken into captivity and 27 killed

Bottlenose Dolphin Capture - December 17th, 2012, Taiji Cove, Japan.

December 2012. Every year, between September and March, local fishermen drive pods of dolphins and whales into a small cove in south-east Japan. Many are killed for food, many are taken into captivity to be trained to perform in shows, and just a very few are released, usually those too old or young to be included in the above.

At the beginning of December 2012, a huge pod of some 200 Bottlenose dolphins was driven into the cove and penned in by nets. After 6 days in captivity in the cove, 101 dolphins had taken into captivity, 25 killed for human consumption and at least 2 babies had died.

The dolphins that are taken into captivity are taken to a local captive facility, where they are usually trained before being sold all around the world.

Latest update - Apparently the boats have left harbour again, to drive another pod of dolphins into the cove.

For more updates, and the full story, go to the Cove Guardians website or the Sea Shepherd Facebook page