Outline
I am a Japanese citizen who had face-to-face discussions with the Fishermen’s Union and city authorities in Taiji in February 2013.
The town of Taiji, which has drawn the attention of the whole world, profits from the sale of live bottlenose dolphins.
The only way to protect the bottlenose dolphins of Taiji is to prohibit their sale under the CITES convention at CoP 16 in March 2013.
In 2006 the international trade in live bottlenose dolphins from the Black Sea was prohibited. We must try to achieve the same success for the Pacific population!
Ask the Prime Minister of New Zealand to act to prohibit the international trade in live bottlenose dolphins at CoP 16 in March 2013.
Details
From February 7th to 9th (3 days), I visited Taiji and discussed the dolphin-hunt problem with the Fishermen’s Union and members of the city council. I learned much about the sale of large numbers of live dolphins there and resolved to save the bottlenose dolphins as soon as possible.
The trade in live bottlenose dolphins.
Currently live bottlenose dolphins are sold on the international market at a price of 3~5 million yen a head. I was shocked to see them confined to small pools where their activities are limited, and where the stress they undergo is responsible for many shortened lifespans.
*In 2010, 168 live dolphins were sold.
Prohibit the live trade under the CITES convention.
At the CoP12 conference in 2006, Georgia proposed upgrading the Black Sea population from Appendix II to Appendix I, and the motion was passed.
By this strengthening of controls, commercial international trade was prohibited. We need to demand that the Pacific population around Japan be given the same protection!
Ask John Key, Prime Minister of New Zealand, an anti-whaling country, to act to prohibit the trade in live bottlenose dolphins from Japan.
Please join me in appealing to Mr Key. Ask the politicians and prominent people in your country to join us in signing, supporting and spreading this petition.
Let’s pray that we will be able to return them to the ocean as soon as possible!
Related information
STOP dolphin trade - YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Km8MYe41nPE&feature=youtu.be
Catherine Yick, Corporate Communications Manager: Stop Profiting from the Misery of the Taiji Dolphins!
https://www.change.org/petitions/hong-kong-airlines-stop-profiting-from-the-misery-of-the-taiji-dolphins
STOP supporting travelling dolphin circuses!
https://www.change.org/petitions/stop-supporting-travelling-dolphin-circuses
