Hansard - United Kingdom Parliament

1P
Petitions
20 JUNE 2011
Petitions
2P
Petition
Monday 20 June 2011
OBSERVATIONS
ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS
Dolphins (Japan)
The Petition of residents of Workington,
Declares that the petitioners believe that there is a
need to raise awareness both nationally and internationally
about the slaughter of thousands of dolphins each year
in the waters around Japan; notes that it is estimated
that some 23,000 dolphins are slaughtered each year in
the area of Taijii; further declares that the petitioners
believe that there is a need to raise awareness for the
majority of Japanese citizens, who are unaware that this
is going on in their country; and notes that the petitioners
believe that the dolphin meat which is highly contaminated
is being distributed to an unaware Japanese public
protected by a Government that knows the dangers of
this practice and the risks to health it poses.
The Petitioners therefore request that the House of
Commons urges the Government to take steps to raise
awareness of the slaughter of dolphins and urges the
Foreign Secretary to call on the Japanese Government
to prevent the distribution of contaminated dolphin
meat.
And the Petitioners remain, etc.—[Presented by Tony
Cunningham, Official Report, 15 September 2010; Vol. 515,
c. 970.]
[P000860]
Observations from the Secretary of State for Environment,
Food and Rural Affairs:
The UK Government strongly oppose the hunting of
all whales, dolphins and porpoises other than some
limited whaling by indigenous people to meet defined
subsistence need. The UK regularly raises its concern at
both European and International level over the dolphin
hunts in Japan. We continue to call on Japan to halt its
needless and unsustainable slaughter of these animals
and are deeply disappointed that Japan continues to
carry out these large-scale hunts, despite widespread
international opposition.
The Under-Secretary of State for Environment, Food
and Rural Affairs, my hon. Friend the Member for
Newbury (Richard Benyon) who is responsible for marine
and natural environment, wrote to his Japanese counterpart
in July 2010 to express the UK public’s concern and
Government officials have met with the Japanese
Government to highlight the UK’s opposition to the
hunting of dolphins.
Dolphin meat has been reported to be highly
contaminated with toxic chemicals such as mercury,
methyl mercury and PCBs. At the annual meeting of
the International Whaling Commission, we urged whaling
nations to take note of the consequences of contamination
for the animals themselves and also for the consumers.
We called for more nations to inform consumers about
the associated health risks of contaminated meat.
The UK remains fundamentally opposed to the killing
of dolphins in Japan and will continue to make it
known at every appropriate opportunity, including at
this year’s meeting of the International Whaling
Commission in July.