Captive Cetaceans: A Handbook for Campaigners - Whale and ...

Early captures of orcas had a tendency to be opportunistic, accidental and reckless.
Methods included capture by harpoon, hoop nets, gill and purse seine nets. Captures in
the Pacific Northwest involved ambushing whales as they swam into narrow, shallow
water inlets, then stringing a net across the mouth, entrapping the entire pod (Hoyt, 1992).
Explosives such as seal bombs were occasionally used to drive orcas into shallow bays.
Author Erich Hoyt (1990) described the reactions of newly-captured orcas he observed
within the nets: "These four captives were vocalising in sudden outbursts of urgent yet
seemingly despondent tones..They were distress calls. They were loud. Underwater, they
would carry about seven miles; on the surface, under ideal conditions, perhaps a few
hundred yards."
Deep water techniques require that one or more animals be encircled with a purse seine
net. Asper (1975) suggested that sub-adults of larger species (eg belugas and orcas) are
selected between one and four or five years of age. Earlier captors of orcas were inclined
to release larger animals; keeping those measuring about 16 feet (4.8 m), and the calves
(Waters, 1969). According to Sigurjónsson and Leatherwood (1988), Icelandic orcas are
generally two years old or less at capture. Of those exported, 27% averaged less than 10
feet (3 m); the smallest measuring 8.5 feet (2.6 m). The capture of young animals clearly
disputes the recommendations of experienced specialists. According to marine mammal
veterinarian and captor Jay Sweeney (1990), "Attempts at removing a juvenile cetacean
under two years of age from its mother frequently results in significant stress to the
juvenile. When removed prior to two years, the juvenile, especially a male, has difficulty
coping with alternative environments and integrating into new social groups." Since
1961, at least 134 orcas have been captured for aquariums worldwide.
Virtually every false killer whale maintained in U.S. aquariums today was either acquired
directly through Japanese drive hunts at Taiji and Iki Islands, or indirectly via Japanese
aquariums, which had acquired the animals through drive hunts. Marine World's
president Michael Demetrious (1993) confirmed that, "every animal or marine mammal
that has been captured in Japanese coastal waters was initially herded toward the coast by
a drive." Japan's marine mammal capture industry is comprised of local fishermen's
unions. Drive hunts were initially restricted to the months between October and April
under the guise of "predator control", based on the belief that various whales and dolphins
competed with fishermen. However, a year-round live capture trade for dolphinariums
and aquariums exists (Currey et al, 1990). Some animals are set aside and sold to
aquariums for a few thousand dollars more than the fishermen would have earned had
they been sold as meat (Hoyt, 1992). Aquariums defended the practice by claiming to
“rescue” animals which would have been marketed as meat; yet in reality, and according
to local people, they were encouraging and subsidising drive hunts which might not
otherwise have been conducted.
Animals set aside for marine parks originating from Japan have frequently died shortly
after transport of hepatitis and similar disorders from their original polluted waters,
compromising the health of existing captive stock as well as handlers. Sweeney (1986)
noted that, "Outbreaks of infectious disease reported in dolphins include erysipelas,
pasteurellosis, hepatitis, Pseudomonas pseudomallei infection, and systemic mycosis....
Acute hepatitis has occurred in several devastating outbreaks. Mortality is nearly 100
percent, with death usually resulting within 48 hours of the onset of illness. In addition to
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