Dolphin hunting season kicks off in Japan

[Playinghardball]

The controversial six-month dolphin hunting season began on Monday in the infamous town of Taiji, but bad weather would delay any killing, a local official told AFP.

The annual catch, in which people from the southwestern town corral hundreds of dolphins into a secluded bay and butcher them, was thrust into the global spotlight in 2010 when it became the subject of the Oscar-winning documentary "The Cove".

"The dolphin hunting season started today and will last until the end of February," said an official of the Taiji fisheries association, adding the season for hunting pilot whales, which also begins today, will last until April.

But bad weather on Monday meant there would be no hunting on the day, he said.

Environmental campaigners are already in situ to watch the hunt, the official said.

Last season, activists from international environmental group Sea Shepherd, who call themselves "Cove Guardians", streamed live footage of the dolphin capture.

Earlier this year, the slaughter sparked renewed global criticism after US ambassador to Japan Caroline Kennedy tweeted her concern at the "inhumaneness" of the hunt.

Defenders say it is a tradition and point out that the animals it targets are not endangered, a position echoed by the Japanese government.

They say Western objections are hypocritical and ignore the vastly larger number of cows, pigs and sheep butchered to satisfy demand elsewhere.

More here: http://news.msn.com/world/pro-russian-rebels-lower-demands-in-peace-talks

[chervilant]

1. The sentient species in the ocean

deserve our respect. The Japanese, like the omnivores among us, eat cows, pigs and sheep, so bringing that up is a big red herring.

So, if we're discussing hypocrisy, the Japanese government should look at their own.