Captivity Tied With Taiji Dolphin Slaughter

We all know of the dolphin drive hunt that takes place in Taiji, Japan. But what some people do not know are the ties between the Marine Captivity Industry and this drive. Though the majority of the dolphin captures are marketed and sold to the public, it is a very small market. The quota for the entire country of Japan is 23,000 dolphins, and less than 1% of this country eats it. So how does this work out? Wheres the logic and whats the catch? If less than 1% percent eat the meat from this multimillion dollar (still talking about the entire country) hunt, how can they possibly make profit?

There you go. They do not. The profit made from the Taiji dolphin hunt is not made from the meat being sold to the public, or the slaughter part of the hunt at all. The only reason at all for these hunts to even exist in today’s world is the ties between the Marine Captivity Industry and the Hunt. To be quite blunt, the glorified Sea World, Marine Land, and Sea Aquariums around the that keep cetaceans captive, and put them in shows, are the reason dolphins are hunted in Taiji.

Every morning, trainers from Marine Parks around the world go down to the shores of the Cove where the hunt takes place, to pick a specimen of choice, often staying and helping with the actual hunt itself as well. So these trainers that have such deep love for these mammals, or as they make the world believe, are actually participating in the hunt… In the boats, with the fisherman, ultimately making the choice of which one will live or die, and if they don’t die they are enslaved. Feeling the love?

The parks that send these trainers to the Taiji, usually pay from 150,000-300,000 dollars on a single dolphin. To put this in a bit more of a perspective, a dolphin slaughtered and put on the market for its meat sells for about 600$. So, the money is coming from the aquariums. Ironically, the fisherman of Taiji make around 1,000,000$ on their slaughtered catch that is sold to the less than 1% of Japan that eats it. One Million. But, it has recently been reported that security for the Cove has been hired for 1,500,000$. 1.5 Million. Safe to say why.

When I was younger, my school took a trip to Gulf World, my local marine park. Back then I honestly had a blast watching the dolphins do their trained behaviors. The flips, the spins, the twirls… since then though, I have learned the truths behind captivity and today I do not support them in any way.

The ties between captivity and the hunt is definite and has made it clear that marine parks are nothing but another big name industry exploiting animals for money that the government just wants to protect.

Why Is There Hope For The Oceans?

“Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. The important thing is not to stop questioning.” ~Albert Einstein

As I sit and ponder the atrocities of the current world that we live in, (correction, survive in) I often come to the question that must haunt every person of the cause… Is there hope to save and replenish the Ocean?

I instantly answer this question with a yes, assuring myself that there must be. That without hope nothing would get accomplished and then it truly would be a lost cause. But recently as I pondered once again, and came across this question I also asked myself, “Why is there hope?” and found this question was much worse than the former.

“Why is there hope?”

By this I mean, why do people still fight for this cause and believe in it, if these horrid acts are still committed over and over again?

This question puzzled me, and never left my mind, constantly poking and jabbing at the enthusiasm of my soul. I finally come to the answer; the realization that I had been waiting for. The reason we all kept hope in a cause and fight that seems lost to the outside world.

It came to me in an instant. The answer, I found, was something I had already known. Suspense bringing you to the edge of your seat yet? The answer wasn’t just an answer to a question. It was the driving force behind everything that I/We do for the animals.

There is hope in the cause, hope for the Oceans and their inhabitants because… our cause is the most important cause. Its a growing cause, and its the cause that will save humans from themselves. There is hope because those we fight for, those we spend our lives and time protecting, conserving, and defending are those who can’t do it themselves.

Hope (as defined by Dictionary.com): to believe, desire, or trust

If we didn’t have hope in our cause… if we didn’t have the desire for the acts of injustice to be stopped, then they would not be stopped. Hope is a large requirement of the cause because without hope, we have no cause.

Every second of every minute, every minute of every day, every day of every week, every week of every week, every week of every month, every month of every year… (need I continue?) our cause spreads farther and wider. More and more people are joining the fight, and making a change. Hope is key, hope is the answer, hope is required, and hope WILL win us this fight for our sea brethren.

My Time With “Save Misty the Dolphin” #SMTD

About a month ago, I asked the founder of  “Save Misty the Dolphin” if I could join their team. I was not needed at the time, and I respectfully cooperated assuring the team that if I was ever needed, that I would be more than happy to help. Soon after this, I received a message from an admin of SMTD, Sandy McElhaney, about a future post to look out for. For the rest of that night, I wholeheartedly went to the page over.. and over… and over again looking for this post. I soon saw it when it was posted and was thrilled that it was the announcement of a contest for someone to be the first ever guest admin (for a week) for the page.

I and two other great applicants entered the contest, supplying a short application explaining why we think we should be the guest admin. 3-4 days later, with the suspense killing me, news of the winner came out… and I had won!

The team soon set up a private group where I would train for a night and we would discuss private matters of the group. It was not everything I expected it to be, but it was so much more! Knowing some of the current admins really helped ease the tension that might have been there, so this helped a lot.

For the first day or so, I didn’t post much of anything on the page scared to death that I was going to mess up and it be over with. Very soon though I got into the groove of the posting and became comfortable. For the next couple nights, I did my part in watching our friends the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, Ric O’Barry, and the SaveJapanDolphins team and posting their updates on the horrid dolphin slaughter. Before I knew it, most of my week was gone.

After returning from school the next day, I checked on the page and the group. I found an offer from the team for me to do a SECOND week (I know, exciting) due to shortage of hands. I gladly accepted, and continued my routine for another week. This sweet sweet time, had to come to an end unfortunately; my time with SMTD ended last night and I am no longer a part of the team.

I am not sad about this though… well, I would have been more than happy to continue but I am not upset that it ended. “It is better to have loved and lost than to have not loved at all”. I am glad I got the opportunity to serve with the wonderful woman who run the page/ group and know it is an experience that I will not forget.

Ever since being part of the Misty team, I have found that I have a new respect for each of the ladies on the admin board. I truly understand now how much work goes into running such a page, and that this one is special— it’s not just another facebook page that people will stroll over and never go to again. This a page like no other I know. This is a page full of dedicated people who will always do what they can in the face of harm and death to the sentient beings that we try to protect.

Thank you Sandy McElhaney, Erin Thomas, Chasity Reed, and Alyson Walsh Fernandez (admins of SMTD) for giving me this opportunity. Thank you for… being you.

2012: Opening Our Eyes to Change

As the New Year rang in most people decided to forget old burdens, heal old wounds, and start out fresh with the resolution of losing weight. But for those whose minds have been cursed with the knowledge of animal cruelty and slaughter of the Oceans, our resolution remains the same— to end the extinction of the Oceans.

*Video created by Chasity Reed of Save Misty the Dolphin*

There has  been talk, hope, and certainty that 2012 will be the year that change and salvation spread across the globe for those in trouble in the sea. The world, it seems, is finally opening their once blind eyes to the atrocities that are occurring before us on the planet we call home. Opening their eyes and deciding its time to intervene against the depletion, murder, pollution, destruction, terror, pain, and suffering of the Oceans that cover 71% of the Earth. As if waking up from a very long nap then coming to horrible realization that the Oceans are not what they used to be…

This awakening has already began, and will continue. When the entire world is awake, change will take place. This change will include laws placed to protect our friends of the underwater realm. 2012 will bring this change. This is the first step to recovery… realizing there is a problem and changing it to the best of your abilities.

This change is and will be so powerful that the children, youth, and young adults of the world will also take part in the battle to save our Ocean. More and more often I am hearing of new young people joining the world of activism. More and more often these young people become very passionate and move on to do great things, to change the world.

2012 is the year for change, recovery, and blue waters.

THE BEGINNING IS NEAR.