Driven By Demand - Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society

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24The role of international zoo and aquarium organizationsSome aquaria that have featured performingwhales and dolphins imported from Japan are alsomembers of professional international zoologicalassociations. The American Zoo and AquariumAssociation (AZA) lists among its members all USSea World Parks and Ocean Park Hong Kong, thelatter also being part of the South East Asia Zooand Aquarium Association (SEAZA). 130 The AZA,SEAZA and the Japanese Association of Zoos andAquariums (JAZA) are in turn members to theWorld Association of Zoos and Aquariums(WAZA), an umbrella organization whose missionis: “to guide, encourage and support the zoos,aquariums, and like-minded organisations of theworld in animal care and welfare, environmentaleducation and global conservation.” 131WDCS believes that the sourcing of dolphinsfrom drive hunts is a violation of the WAZA“Code of Ethics” that recognizes respect for theanimals in its care, opposes “cruel and nonselectivemethods of taking animals from the wild”and states that “Members must be confident thatsuch acquisitions will not have a deleterious effectupon the wild population.” 132 In October 2005,seemingly in response to increasing pressurefrom environmental organizations and concernedscientists, the WAZA issued a statement to itsmembers, reminding them to “ensure that theydo not accept animals obtained by the use ofmethods which are inherently cruel”, and notingthat: “the catching of dolphins by the use of amethod known as ‘drive fishing’ is considered anexample of such a non acceptable capturemethod.” 133 It is hoped that this statement will beused to impose sanctions against any WAZAmembers that knowingly procure dolphins fromthe drive hunts.The ‘rescue’ rationaleIn 1993, Marine World Africa USA described its decision to capture four false killer whales from adrive hunt on Iki Island as a “humane act that saved four animals from certain death.” 134 More recently,in a BBC film documenting the drive hunts, Tim Desmond of Ocean Adventures, Philippines, a facilitydisplaying cetaceans captured in drive hunts stated: “every animal we have here had a life expectancy ofone day…these animals were either going to be taken alive or die.” 135 Desmond's position is reiteratedin his letter to the Subic Bay Management Authority in December 2000, in which he states: “We wentto Japan precisely because these were doomed animals…collection of our animals was a side-product.This was and is the lowest impact way to collect wild animals for public display. These are animals thathave already been captured and who are literally minutes from death.” 136 It is WDCS’s opinion that this'rescue' rationale to purchase cetaceans captured in drive hunts is misguided and belies the large sumsof money paid by aquaria for individual whales and dolphins captured alive in the hunts.Photo: This dolphin is sedated after being hauled from a drive hunt on a truck for transport to an aquarium.
Drive hunts: Impact on dolphin welfareDrive hunts:WelfarePhoto: Divers surround a dolphin in the water.25
Page 1 and 2: Driven By DemandDolphin drive hunts
Page 3 and 4: Driven By DemandDolphin drive hunts
Page 5 and 6: ContentsContentsIntroduction 6The h
Page 7 and 8: 7IntroductionFishermen have killed
Page 9 and 10: 9The hunts todayPhoto: Sakae Hemmi.
Page 11 and 12: 11The hunts todayShizuoka Prefectur
Page 13 and 14: 13Why the hunts continueDemand for
Page 15 and 16: 15Why the hunts continuePhoto: Mich
Page 17 and 18: Cooperation unveiledCooperationunve
Page 19 and 20: 19Cooperation unveiledTaiji, 2004In
Page 21 and 22: 21International trade in drive hunt
Page 23: The role of international zoo and a
Page 27 and 28: 27Drive hunts: Impact on dolphin we
Page 29 and 30: Drive hunts: Detrimental to cetacea
Page 31 and 32: National legislation and the drive
Page 33 and 34: Whale and dolphin watching - the al
Page 35 and 36: 35Notes and references1 Catcher boa
Page 37 and 38: 37Notes and references66 Earth Isla
Page 39 and 40: 39Notes and references150 Reiss, D.

Driven By Demand - Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society

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