According to a joint press release received from the Earth Island Institute: The Save Japan Dolphins Coalition and the Humane Society International are sponsoring a new advertisement in the International Herald Tribune today alerting the public that tourist shows with dolphins and swim-with-dolphins programs result in the killing of thousands of dolphins annually around the world.
In several areas of the world, including the
The ad notes that prices for wild-caught dolphins can reach $200,000 per dolphin, subsidizing the brutal slaughter of the rest of the dolphin pod left behind.
“The dirty secret of popular tourist shows with dolphins is that many dolphins die in the process of capturing a few for the dolphin market,†stated David Phillips, Director of the International Marine Mammal Project of Earth Island Institute. “Tourists, when they swim with dolphins or watch a dolphin show in a tank, are unwittingly supporting the slaughter of dolphins in places like
The ad features a photograph of dead dolphins, tossed into a garbage dump in the
The ad calls upon governments to take responsibility and stop the cruel trafficking in live wild dolphins.
The ad is also running in the Solomon Star,
The Save Japan Dolphins Coalition consists of Earth Island Institute, Elsa Nature Conservancy of Japan, In Defense of Animals and the Animal Welfare Institute. In addition to the Coalition member groups and Humane Society International, endorsers of the ad include Born Free USA, Cetacean Society International, Marine Connection, and World Society for the Protection of Animals.