Taiji dolphin drive hunt: Difference between revisions - Wikipedia

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Residents of Taiji have been refining whaling techniques and have had significant whaling operations since the early 17th century,<ref>[http://www.town.taiji.wakayama.jp/kankou/sub_01.html 太地は古式捕鯨発祥の地として名高く、当地の豪族、和田家一族の忠兵衛頼元が尾張師崎（知多半島の突端）の漁師・伝次と泉州堺の浪人伊右衛門とともに捕鯨技術の研究を進め、慶長11年（1606年）太地浦を基地として、大々的に突捕り法による捕鯨を始めました。]</ref> and became known as a center for whaling in 1675.<ref>http://www.town.taiji.wakayama.jp/kankou/sub_01.html その後、延宝3年（1675年）和田頼治（のちの太地角右エ門）が網取り法を考案したことによって太地の捕鯨は飛躍的に発展しました。

紀州藩の保護もあって、「捕鯨の本場太地」は天下にその名をとどろかせ、熊野灘の捕鯨は最盛期を迎えました。</ref> Hunting of [[dolphin]]s for commercial purposes in Taiji still continues. In 2008, 1,484 dolphins and whales were caught, while fisherman planned to catch around 2,400 in 2009.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.japanprobe.com/2009/09/09/taiji-dolphin-hunt-begins-about-100-dolphins-and-50-pilot-whales-driven-into-cove/ |title=Taiji dolphin hunt begins: about 100 dolphins and 50 pilot whales driven into cove |publisher=Japan Probe |date=2009-09-09 |accessdate=2010-08-31}}</ref>　Some of the dolphins are sold to aquatic parks, instead of slaughtered, and [[Ted Hammond]] is one of the main brokers for Taiji.

Many people living in Japan don't even know about the dolphin hunt and that the meat is givin to schools system. Airlines which transport the captive dolphins to water parks in other countries include [[Hong Kong Airlines]].<ref>{{cite web|url= http://news.yahoo.com/hong-kong-airlines-criticised-over-dolphin-cargo-065018694.html|title=Hong Kong Airlines criticised over dolphin cargo|accessdate=26 February 2012}}; [[Jiji Press]], "Airline under fire for dolphin cargo", ''[[Japan Times]]'', 27 February 2012, p. 3.</ref>

== Health risks ==