Dolphin Slaughter in Japan

[Kim]

It's also got "working on a farm" and canyoning in there

I think Okinawa is 100x better as a dolphin watching destination in Japan, plus it gets a lot of tourists all year round currently.

Yeah of course........but that's not the point is it? (and actually I've been diving to Okinawa 4 times and have yet to see a dolphin or whale there - I know they're there sometimes....but I've never seen them!)

Seeing "Futo" & "dolphin watching" in the same paragraph has got to be better than "Futo" & "dolphin slaughter", don't you think? And today is the first time I've seen that they're trying this in Futo now. It's progress. Maybe not a world shattering solution.....but progress.

At the end of the day if these guys are asked to give something up then they need something to replace it. On top of that Futo & Taiji are both close enough to Tokyo that day trips are within reach. Okinawa is a plane ride away. It's gotta be worth a try.

It's also got "working on a farm" and canyoning in there

Is that wrong? We used to go work on farms for fun when I was a kid....and canyoning sounds pretty cool actually! Maybe I'm missing your point.

 

[Mr.X]

Some observations:

Refitting working boats into tourist friendly boats isn't easy. Depends on what kind of boat they have. I doubt anyone would do that. They would probably use the boat till they are no longer viable. Note, the Russians junked their fleet. The things were rust buckets floating on the water. Nothing went into maintenance, or refit.

The Japanese will shun you just because... I don't think the ‘outsider’ protests did much to help, nor hurt local activities. Again, the party line is what rules in Japan. It is a nation of obedience. 'Gaijin' (foreigners) are novelties anyway. Interesting, but never of any real importance. From what I gather the fishermen are not too far removed from being thugs. Their loutish behaviors certainly point in that direction.

Okinawa has some very nice waters. I was a US delegate to EXPO 75. I bet nothing exists of that billion dollar Ocean Expo! As progressive as the Japanese were with culturing the sea, they were equally restrictive about the US desire to have a dialog about whaling. Very cheesey stuff went on...like shuttling us out of meetings. changing the topic of discussion beforehand, telling us these topics would 'hurt' the host's feelings. Laughable, clumsy and duplicitous.

X

 

[Geoff_H]

Some observations:
Refitting working boats into tourist friendly boats isn't easy. Depends on what kind of boat they have. I doubt anyone would do that. They would probably use the boat till they are no longer viable. Note, the Russians junked their fleet. The things were rust buckets floating on the water. Nothing went into maintenance, or refit.

For sure. Most fishing boats are old, ill repaired, smelly and unsuitable for tourists in any form... One could uncharitably make the same point about many of the fishermen too.

I've been on at least 15 boats around the Izu penisular, including Futo in the last couple of years, and spent a lot of time in not very attractive docks. Most of the little fishing villages are pretty industrial and the government is well known for their penchant for covering even the most pretty bays in concrete...

Mind you, I've never seen a dolphin in Izu either... that's with 120 dives on around 25 weekends. That's part of the reason I'm really not convinced by the viability of dolphin watching tours. Clearly they are there as they are being killed by the guys in Futo but I wonder how often you would get to see them on tours.

 

[demonic_death]

If the people of Futo are starting the dolphin watching, then it means that there are
some tourists going there. Maybe not an earth shattering number, but at least some income to compensate for the hunting. Then again, I could be wrong, as I had never set foot in Japan yet.

So, if dolphin watching is not the way to go, then how can the killing be stopped? That is our main goal in this thread, right?

 

[Geoff_H]

A quick google threw up some interesting results

Jenny's Dolphin Page
AFC - Rocky Way to Success for Dolphin and Whale Watching...

The guy who runs the tours says he see's dolphins on four out of five trips. That's pretty good in my opinion. Maybe my cynicism about the viability of these is mis-placed....

 

[demonic_death]

A very good news indeed.

I think one of the things we can do is to tell all our Japanese friends to support
Mr. Ishii's business. If he rakes in the big bucks and his fellow hunters have none, then they will go with the dictates of their wallet.

One of the things I will certainly do when I go to Japan is to sign up for his cruises.

Kim, since you live in Japan, maybe you can encourage your friends and aquaintances there to support Mr. Ishii. The guy cannot do it alone, he needs all the help he can get.

 

[Kim]

Kim, since you live in Japan, maybe you can encourage your friends and aquaintances there to support Mr. Ishii. The guy cannot do it alone, he needs all the help he can get.

LOL. Geoff will have to do that - he lives next door in Tokyo I think. I live around 1000 kms away! (In the south)

 

[Geoff_H]

I will have a go at diving Futo in early December, I'm booked up for holidays until then. I'll definitely have a nose around and report back if I manage to get a group to go down there then.

 

[lock_washer]

Just to throw this in...the Japanese Whalers are prepared to depart for the Antartic to go after Humpbacks and Minke whales in the name of the "Scientific Whaling".... Migaloo the Albino Humpback is out there... They said they would harpoon him if they find him, but they backpeddled and said they wouldn't.

Since I started this thread...I do want to say this. Its amazing every thread I start on a subject like this...the results are the same...back and forth fighting.

If you look at past threads I have done:
Orphan Orca in Mexico City - Big political battle
Saving the Chinese Baija - The chinese fresh water dolphin
Saving Luna the Orca
Vaquita - Going Extinct

The same verbage and same people react to those threads as this one.

Lock Washer

 

[Mr.X]

Just to throw this in...the Japanese Whalers are prepared to depart for the Antartic to go after Humpbacks and Minke whales in the name of the "Scientific Whaling".... Migaloo the Albino Humpback is out there... They said they would harpoon him if they find him, but they backpeddled and said they wouldn't.

Since I started this thread...I do want to say this. Its amazing every thread I start on a subject like this...the results are the same...back and forth fighting.

If you look at past threads I have done:
Orphan Orca in Mexico City - Big political battle
Saving the Chinese Baija - The chinese fresh water dolphin
Saving Luna the Orca
Vaquita - Going Extinct

The same verbage and same people react to those threads as this one.

Lock Washer

It's good that you bring up the subject every so often. Not sure what your implied message is though? :blinking: You need to read all the posts as this thread differs from many in that there is substantive stuff being discussed. This thread has clarified (for me): perspectives in Japan, local politics, efficacy of protests and the mindset of the fishermen. That last factor has opened my eyes as to who we are really dealing with in Taiji.

BTW - Geoff said he may even report back. How terrific is that?

X