More Than 20,000 Dolphins Killed Annually!
Every year, over 20,000 dolphins and other marine mammals are brutally massacred in Japan as part of an annual dolphin drive hunt. From October to April, Japanese fishermen will kill more than 20,000 dolphins and porpoises as part of their annual hunt.

A Captive Tradition:
In the past, thousands of dolphins were killed each year for food. Now, however, the primary motivation of the drive fisheries seems to be the hefty profit guaranteed by the dolphin captivity industry and its need for new specimens. During the seven month hunt, the fishermen select young, unscarred dolphins to be sold to captive marine parks and swim-with-dolphin programs. Regardless of the cruelty and unsustainability of drive hunts, it is this lucrative captive industry that now fuels the need for the killing.

Serving Up Toxic Waste To Kids:
The Japan Times reported that they had found extremely high mercury and methyl mercury levels in the meat of pilot whales killed during these drive hunts. Those samples - which they termed "toxic waste" - were similarly sourced to meat making its way into lunches at Taiji schools. If the cruelty of the practice isn't enough to persuade the Japanese government to end the slaughtering, the health risks to their citizens should serve as justification ceasing the hunts.

Take A Stand To Protect Dolphins!
Now more than ever, it is crucial for Japanese authorities to know that the eyes of the world are upon them, and that concerned citizens will not tolerate the wholesale slaughter of marine mammals any longer.