Thursday September 10, 2009, 9:13 am
TOKYO — The Japanese town chronicled in the award-winning film "The Cove" for its annual dolphin hunt that turns coastal waters red with blood has suspended killing the animals — at least for this week's catch — following an international outcry.

The western Japanese town of Taiji will sell some of the animals to aquariums as it does every year, but the remainder of the 100 bottlenose dolphins that were caught early Wednesday in the first catch of the season are to be released. In the past, they were killed and sold for meat.

An official at the Taiji fisheries association, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the town abhors the publicity its dolphin-killing has drawn, said Thursday that the decision was made partly in response to the international outcry created by "The Cove."

He said about 50 of the dolphins will be hand-picked for aquariums and the rest will be set free, although a time for that has not been set. In Wednesday's hunt, the fishermen also caught 50 pilot whales, which were slain and sold as meat, he said.

He said it was unclear whether the town would stop killing dolphins. He said residents wanted to avoid trouble, but did not want to cave in to activists and give up what they see as a tradition.

Ric O'Barry, 69, the star of "The Cove" and dolphin trainer for the 1960s "Flipper" TV series, welcomed the news, saying it was a sign that overseas pressure had worked and expressing hope that the town would now institute a "no-slaughter policy."

"I am elated," O'Barry, who was in Tokyo, told The Associated Press. "When I heard that, I did a backflip off the bed here."

Last week, O'Barry visited Taiji, a village of 3,500 people in Wakayama Prefecture, with his camera crew to try to deliver the message the dolphins must be saved.

"The Cove," which has collected about a dozen awards, including this year's audience award at the Sundance Film Festival, juxtaposes stunning underwater shots of gliding dolphins with horrifying scenes of panic-stricken dolphins getting speared in a cove as the water turns red with blood.

O'Barry and his group not only oppose the slaying but also keeping them in aquariums. Although O'Barry was instrumental in making dolphins popular in marine shows, he regrets having trained them and now believes they should be left alone in the wild.

When he visited the Taiji aquarium, he was outraged that the dolphins were being kept in tiny tanks.

Dolphin meat is consumed as a delicacy in the region and some other areas but most Japanese have never eaten it.

Meat from one dolphin fetches about 50,000 yen ($500) but dolphins can be sold to aquariums for 10 to 20 times that price, with some kinds going for as much as $150,000.

The Japanese government, which allows a hunt of about 20,000 dolphins a year, argues that killing them and whales is no different from raising cows or pigs for slaughter.

Taiji has killed about 2,000 dolphins a year during an annual season that starts in September and continues through about March, but their hunt depends on the weather and other factors. Wednesday's dolphin catch was this season's first.

Taiji residents say they have killed whales and dolphins for hundreds of years as part of their fishing lifestyle because their region is not fit for rice farming.

They feel attacks from Western conservationists are unfair, noting that other animals such as cows and deer are slain for meat for food.

Thursday September 10, 2009, 9:15 am
Wellwell well.How about that.Dolphins set free,normally they are slaughtered.Now some are selected for aquariums,the other will be set free.
But sadly they did kill the 50 pilot whales they caught also yesterday

Thursday September 10, 2009, 10:05 am
NOTED I WISH THEY SAVE THEM

Thursday September 10, 2009, 10:14 am
AWSOME NEWS CLAUDIA. THX FOR THE POST. YAH DOLPHINS !!!!

Thursday September 10, 2009, 10:26 am
Some good news Claudia,sad for the 50 whales though! Thanks!

Thursday September 10, 2009, 10:29 am
Noted & xposted. Thanks Claudia.

Thursday September 10, 2009, 10:58 am
some good news thanks claudia i feel for the whales and i hate to see dolphins going to aqiariums but it could be worse we must keep up the pressure

Thursday September 10, 2009, 11:13 am
Japan is steeped in its tradtions but perhaps this is a start for a change. Thank you Claudia

Thursday September 10, 2009, 11:44 am
I'm holding a breath and I will let it go when I see they have been set free. Thx Claudia, so very much.

Thursday September 10, 2009, 11:57 am
Yes for some good news for the dolphins, but as you said, they killed the pilot whales:(
Tx Claudia

Thursday September 10, 2009, 12:17 pm
Publicity obviously works although not for the pilot whales or the 50 sold to aquariums. Change does not happen overnight but it has to start somewhere.

I understand their confusion as we in the West eat domestic animals and ill treat them so, to them, what is the difference? We must continue to press for animal welfare improvements. For those wha aren't, veggies and vegans are the way forward.

Thursday September 10, 2009, 12:17 pm
The best news I've heard all day. Wonderful, we should write and thank them to keep it up. I know you said for this week...so I hope they get a real good feeling inside themselves to continue this trend. I'd like for them to be left alone altogether...but it's a start.

Thursday September 10, 2009, 12:20 pm
Maybe the new moderate Japanese administration will change these old laws and traditions. Gotta hope. Thank you Claudia.

Thursday September 10, 2009, 12:35 pm
Thanks Claudia

Thursday September 10, 2009, 12:43 pm
Good news Claudia - at least for now. I have the sinking feeling that this time next year the dolphins won't be so lucky. Once the hype over the movie is over and the activists start to move onto something else the slaughter will start again.

We must never forget or let this town forget that the slaughter of these beautiful creatures is not acceptable. It must be stopped every year and we need to let them know that killing pilot whales is not morally right either!!!!

Thursday September 10, 2009, 1:08 pm
Hopefully it will get better but we have to keep the pressure on because these people are just killing machines.I wonder if noone taught them to respect life?
Thanks Claudia This must be a bit of relief.

Thursday September 10, 2009, 1:47 pm
Let them all go, Japan. Imho, it's torture for the poor dolphins going to the marine parks. grrr I'm angry and heartbroden about that. So unfair for them. Of course it's good to let some go, but what if the dolphins captured are someone's mother or pal? They are usually females who get sent to the parks.

Thursday September 10, 2009, 1:47 pm
Thanks Claudia. This is great news. It is a cop-out to declare that this is a tradition, therefore it should stand unchallenged. It is purely exploitation of a natural resource for the sake of profit.

Thursday September 10, 2009, 1:48 pm
heartbroken

Thursday September 10, 2009, 2:46 pm
Thanks, Claudia - I'm hoping for the best !

Thursday September 10, 2009, 3:24 pm
Thanks for this information Claudia.

Thursday September 10, 2009, 3:40 pm
Thanks, Claudia - happy tempered with sadness for the unfortunate pilot whales, and the dolphins destined for aquariums.

Thursday September 10, 2009, 4:52 pm
I am sorry about the pilot whales, glad for the dolphins set free but I will feel a longer distress for those dolphins being sold to aquariums. The dolphins belong with their families and in the open sea. Thank you, Claudia.

Thursday September 10, 2009, 6:11 pm
This is very sad!!! I wish that would stop this madness! Is this such a necessity to kill or hum,, is it all about MONEY! I guess I just answered my own question...GREED!!!!!!!
Thanks Claudia

Thursday September 10, 2009, 11:47 pm
Claudia i truly hope that the town council of taiji will institute a "no-slaughter policy." The Japanese people need to see that it is not 'caving' into foreign activists that matters here but recognizing the need to allow the dolphins and whales to exist without threats of extinction!
If they only could see the value of freedom = tourism !
Claudia i'm doing back flips too ... and praying that the killing will stop once and for all ... our voices in solidarity make all the difference :-)

Friday September 11, 2009, 1:10 am
Good news there is no killing, but all the dolphins should be free. No slaughter, no capture, nothing!
They are not commodities for people to do with as they please.

Friday September 11, 2009, 5:52 am
We can only continue to persevere for the whales. Our voices for the voiceless in petitions and media exposing the cruelty of heinous slaughters are making encouraging and enlightening changes for the common good. Thank you Claudia!

Friday September 11, 2009, 6:53 am
Just want all of them left alone for good...you get a win, but then also so much ruin.

Thanks Claudia

Friday September 11, 2009, 8:11 am
Thank you Claudia for the tremendous effort that you are making on behalf of the dolphins. Bravo, brave warrior, keep fighting !

Friday September 11, 2009, 10:39 am
Thanx... These poor whales, and dolphins, I am sure they will carry tis trauma for the rest of his life

Friday September 11, 2009, 10:54 am
Next step is leaving the dolphins alone completely! Thanks for spreading the word about the issue. Everybody go see The Cove and show your support!

Friday September 11, 2009, 6:37 pm
That is music to our ears - animal lovers.Thanks and free AT LAST! for our cherished Dolphins and whales.

Monday September 14, 2009, 8:41 am
good news, thanx claudia! something s finally improving... thank you!

Thursday September 17, 2009, 6:15 am
This is good news. Let's hope next time there won't be any killed!