continued from page 53
BP
HOPEFULLY VERY SOON JAPAN WON’T BE ABLE TO HIDE ANYMORE.
MS
It is definitely changing. With global medias and social medias, there is more pressure for them to end it. The important is ‘Why?’ are they killing the dolphins.
The capture is mainly for 'captive trade', not for the meat. Meat is secondary. The dolphins are sold for $200-300K USD each and they are shipped all over the world to marine parks. The demand comes from those marine parks.
They capture large groups of dolphins, then pick and choose the youngest and most beautiful dolphins and they kill the ones that are unfit for captivity.
They take the captive dolphins out and they drag the slaughtered one out as well.
It is very sad, not only to witness, but to know that these dolphins - so family oriented - are witnessing their families being killed or captured.
BP
HOW MANY FISHING BOATS ARE ON THE WATER CAPTURING AND/OR SLAUGHTERING THE DOLPHINS?
MS
There are 12 dolphin-killing boats and approximately 28 to 30 fishermen that are dolphin-killers on these boats.
BP
DO YOU AND YOUR TEAM FEEL SAFE IN TAIJI?
MS
We are followed by the police all the time. They are not on our side, by no means. They are there to protect the dolphin slaughter. We are never accosted by the locals but they distance themselves. No one likes Sea Shepherd here in Taiji. They think of us more as aggressive or tourists.
WE ARE NOT LEAVING.
WE ARE HERE FOR
THE DOLPHINS.
We are here to document and to expose. We are here to abide by Japanese Law so that we can continue to document what is happening. We are not leaving - we are here for the dolphins.
BP
WHAT IS THE JAPANESE GOVERNMENT DOING?
MS
This is a land campaign, we are not on a boat. But we are on Japanese soil. Everyday there is a new law, double-standards, etc. The Japanese laws are frequently changing. There is always a fear, but we are always trying to abide by law as much as we possibly can.
If we interfered at all, if we were to cut the nets, if we were on a boat, if we were to launch sonar devices, we would be arrested. It is illegal. So we are limited and we are walking on a very fine line.
Our weapons are cameras, showing the world what is happening.
DOLPHINS ARE SOLD FOR
$200,000 TO $300,000 usd EACH
Perreault Magazine / March 2014 54