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Your opportunity to make a difference - help save thousands of dolphins
Added: (Mon Sep 19 2005)
At noon on Saturday 8th October, marine conservationists and concerned individuals will be gathering outside the Japanese Embassy, in Piccadilly, London, as part of a peaceful world wide protest at what is widely claimed to be a "crime against nature".
The Japanese Dolphin Drive Fisheries will kill up to 20,000 dolphins and other whales during the killing season (September through to April), in what is claimed to be the most brutal way imaginable. This is the largest massacre of dolphins anywhere in the world, and although the Japanese claim that the dolphins are killed as a method of “pest control” (they eat too many fish), many of the animals are taken alive and sold on to marine parks for display.
One of the UK's leading dolphin and whale conservation charities, the Marine Connection, is co-ordinating the UK protest with a wide range of concerned groups. These include; Born Free Foundation, British Divers Marine Life Rescue, Campaign Whale, Captive Animals Protection Society, Animal Connect, Catastrophes, Cetacea Defence, Environmental Investigation Agency, International Animal Rescue, Marine Connection, RSPCA, Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, Whale Workshop, WDCS, WSPA.
Marine Connection Director, Margaux Dodds, explained: "People watching these captured dolphin “shows” in marine parks have no idea that the animals are captured from the wild in such a brutal manner; believing them to be captive bred. So, just by going to a dolphin show or participating in a dolphin swim programme, you could, unintentionally and unknowingly, be contributing to the suffering of the very animals you wish to protect."
"It is vital that today's’ children and young adults are taught about the importance of protecting marine life and what better form of education than actively allowing them to be part of a day to help stop animal suffering. So I hope that many will join us at this event to demand a stop to this slaughter." added Margaux.
Further details of this event are available from The Marine Connection telephone 020 7499 9196 or at www.marineconnection.org
ENDS
Media enquiries to:
John Hicks
Headline Promotions Press & PR
Mobile: 07771 575 654
Fax: 0707 520 9717
For interview or quotes, please contact:
Margaux Dodds
Director & Co-founder
The Marine Connection
Tel: 020 7499 9196
Out of hours mobile: 07931 366352
Fax: 020 7409 2133
Email: margaux@marineconnection.org
www.marineconnection.org
UK registered charity no. 1062222
Editor's Notes:
Further details of participants worldwide, photographs and DVD footage of the dolphin captures are available from Margaux.
1: The drive fishery season. Between 1 October – 13 December 2004, the fishermen of Taiji reported the capture of 609 dolphins (389 bottlenose dolphins and 220 risso’s dolphins). While most of these 609 dolphins were killed for human consumption, dolphin trainers selected some of the young and unblemished dolphins for use in captive dolphin shows and dolphin swim programmes. During the hunting season which commenced on 1 October 2003 through to 30 March 2004, the fishermen of Taiji had killed 1,165 dolphins; in the same period they also captured 78 dolphins for sale to marine parks.
2: Most Japanese people are unaware of the killings taking place in their country. Footage of the drive fishery taken by Ric & Helene O’Barry for One Voice, which formed part of the BBC documentary “Dolphin Hunters” shows animals in severe distress being herded into bays and systematically slaughtered – the bodies are then taken away to be butchered. Some dolphins, unable to surface to breathe, drown due to entanglement in the capture nets, young calves separated from their mothers who they are still dependent upon for milk, will also die from starvation if their mother is captured or killed and those dolphins that do manage to escape capture, will in all likelihood, actually die from injuries sustained during the rounding up process. DVD footage of footage by Ric & Helene O’Barry entitled “Welcome to Taiji” can be viewed on arrangement with the Marine Connection (details below).
The Marine Connection is a UK based charity committed to working internationally for the care and protection of dolphins and whales. Through continuous education, campaigning and research, we effectively contribute towards a world that understands and respects all cetaceans and their natural habitat. Threats to marine mammals have never been so great as they are today, therefore by raising public awareness to these threats and pressing for more effective legislation, the Marine Connection are actively securing a safer future for dolphins, whales and the marine environment.
Keywords: Marine Connection, Dolphin Drive Fisheries, cetaceans, marine mammals, Dolphin Hunters, whales, dolphins, Margaux Dodds, Headline Promotions,