It is a bloodbath, cruel and barbaric. Each year, the idyllic and peaceful setting
of the village of Taiji in southern Japan is shattered by almost unspeakable
cruelty as incredible pain and ultimate death is inflicted on defenseless dolphins.
- Paul Watson, president and founder
Sea Shepherd Conservation Society
The annual slaughter of dolphins at Taiji was virtually unknown until the film and photographs that Sea Shepherd released in October 2003 made headlines around the world. This was followed by the arrest of Sea Shepherd activists Allison Lance and Alex Cornelissen for cutting the nets and releasing 15 dolphins. They were held in jail for four weeks before being released. Subsequently, the fishermen erected barricades to hide their bloody slaughter from cameras.
One of the members of that 2003 Sea Shepherd crew was Ric O’Barry. He returned in 2004 and every year after, to do what he could to oppose the killing. Louis Psihoyos partnered up with Ric O’Barry to find a way around the barricades and the result was the making of The Cove, the academy award-winning film that has embarrassed Japanese society before international audiences. Sea Shepherd is honored to be featured in the movie. We are pleased that it has been widely watched and brought the world's attention to this issue.
In 2007, we returned with surfing legend Dave Rastovich and actresses Hayden Pantierre and Isobel Lucas to confront the dolphin killers and once again we were able to shine the international media spotlight on the horrors at Taiji.
It has been a long, hard fight, and thanks to Ric O’Barry, Dave Rastovich, Allison Lance, Alex Cornelissen, Louis Psihoyos, and so many others, we are making steady progress towards our goal of ending the slaughter of dolphins in Japan. We will continue with campaigns to pressure Japan to end this cruel and destructive slaughter of dolphins. Because our opposition is proud and stubborn it may take years and persistence, but determination will win the day eventually for the dolphins at Taiji. Starting in September 2010, we have positioned a crew there at the Cove to monitor and report on the situation. Read the reports and support our efforts!
• Sea Shepherd in Taiji
• Cove Guardian Reports
• The Ruthless Killing
• The Toxic Bureaucracy
• What You Can Do
• Worldwide Protest
Species At Risk
The Japanese fishermen are indiscriminate. They kill any species that approaches the coast. Sea Shepherd crew have witnessed the killing of:
- Striped dolphins
- Bottlenose dolphins
- Pilot whales*
- False killer whales
- Melon-headed whales
This is not a complete list. They kill any species that approaches the coast including those listed above and Risso dolphins.
*Killing pilot whales violates Japan's treaty obligations to
the International Whaling Commission.
