JAPANESE ZOOS TO BAN TAIJI DOLPHINS
In a decision heralded as “the beginning of the end of dolphin hunting”, Japan’s peak zoo association has voted to stop members buying dolphins captured in the globally condemned Taiji hunts.
The decision came after a decade of sustained pressure and a lawsuit begun by animal welfare charity Australia for Dolphins, which led the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA) to suspend its Japanese member due to its involvement in the hunts.
WAZA gave its Japanese member an ultimatum: stop live captures of dolphins from Taiji by May 21 or be expelled. The decision means the market for Taiji dolphins has been nearly halved.
MARRICKVILLE COUNCIL TO EXAMINE WESTCONNEX
Marrickville Council in Sydney’s inner west will create a special advisory committee to engage consultants to evaluate key aspects of the WestConnex motorway.
Marrickville mayor Mark Gardiner put forward the motion, saying he had always been opposed to the motorway and has pledged to stand in front of bulldozers to stop them demolishing homes.
Council is expected to allocate $40,000 to fund media campaigns, independent research and review of the state government’s business case, advocacy, community engagement, submissions on the project EIS and approvals process and expert analysis and research of public transport alternatives that take account of WestConnex.