Australian NGO Australia for Dolphins (AFD) has launched legal action in Switzerland against the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA), based in Geneva.
WAZA represents a worldwide community of 1300 zoos and aquariums, with 700 million visitors annually. Some of Australia’s most prominent zoos and aquariums are members, including Taronga, Melbourne, Perth, and Adelaide zoos. WAZA has more than 350 institutional members (zoos and aquariums) and about 20 regional members, including the Japanese Association of Zoos and Aquariums (JAZA).
AFD is alleging that WAZA is misleading the public by claiming its members are committed to the "highest standards of animal welfare". In reality, they claim, some of WAZA's members are involved in one of the cruelest practices inflicted on animals anywhere in the world — the globally-condemned Taiji Cove dolphin hunts.
AFD CEO Sarah Lucas said: “On the record WAZA condemns the Taiji drive hunts. But behind closed doors it not only condones the captures, it approved an agreement that allows its Japanese members to have ‘first pick’ of dolphins.
“I’ve seen the captures first hand. They are so violent that many dolphins die from drowning, cardiac arrest, or other injuries sustained in the brutal round-up process. When I went to WAZA’s headquarters in Geneva to discuss my concerns a representative dismissed them, and excused the hunts as ‘cultural’.”
Live capture of dolphins for sale to aquariums is the main purpose of the Taiji hunts. Hundreds of “excess” dolphins are slaughtered as a by-product for meat every year. AFD estimates that aquariums in the WAZA network account for up to 40% of total demand. Eliminating this demand would be a significant step in ending the hunts.
Lucas said: “AFD is demanding that WAZA enforce its own Code of Ethics and Animal Welfare, which prohibits members from acquiring animals through drive hunts. Members who continue to purchase Taiji dolphins should be expelled from WAZA immediately.
“As a nation with strong credentials in marine conservation, Australian zoos and aquariums are well-placed to lead the way in asking WAZA to stop its members purchasing Taiji dolphins.
“Some of WAZA’s members have been criticised for animal cruelty, including chaining, beating and abusing animals, but WAZA takes no public action to admonish them. If WAZA enforced its Code of Ethics, it could benefit thousands of animals all around the world.”
Several celebrities and well-known animal welfare advocates have already voiced their support of AFD’s campaign, including Richard Branson, Peter Singer, Ita Buttrose, Olympian Sally Pearson, and musician Kimbra.
TAIJI COVE DOLPHIN HUNT
Live capture for aquariums drives the economics of the Taiji dolphin hunts. The meat of a slaughtered dolphin sells for around US$500, but live dolphins sold into captivity can sell for more than US$50,000.
WAZA and JAZA affiliated aquariums make up a significant portion of the Taiji dolphin market. JAZA facilities are home to more than 600 dolphins, 76% of all captive dolphins in Japan, the vast majority of which were captured from Taiji Cove.
The Taiji drive hunts have been condemned by the British, US and Australian governments. The International Union for Conservation of Nature and International Whaling Commission have also expressed concerns about conservation damage caused by the hunts.
In the past 70 years, more than a million small cetaceans have been killed in direct hunts in Japan.
Recent Environmental Investigation Agency assessments of current catch limits indicate that they are unsustainable for eight of the nine small cetacean species targeted.
In the 2013-14 drive hunt season a total of 1450 dolphins from six species were driven into the cove in Taiji. Of this total, 834 were slaughtered, 158 were live-captured and 457 were released and driven back into the wild, many of which would not have survived the process.
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