By: Joy H. Montgomery
When most people think of dolphins, they think of cute, friendly marine mammals that show off their performance skills for visitors at theme parks. They don't realize the way some dolphins forcibly end up in captivity -- or the fate many other dolphins meet each year at the hands of fishermen around the world. Dolphin hunting is an ancient act that has been outlawed throughout much of the globe for many decades, yet there are some areas where it is still common practice, including Japan, the Solomon Islands in the South Pacific and the Faroe Islands in the North Atlantic. With growing controversy over this trade, why do people hunt dolphins? There are several reasons, but most of them come down to money.
Dolphins for Sale
The dolphin business is a lucrative one, and for many fishermen, it's their only source of income. One way to earn a big profit is through the dolphin entertainment industry. Presently, most show dolphins are born in captivity, but some are purchased through dolphin hunts. According to SaveJapanDolphins.org, a live bottlenose dolphin can sell for more than $150,000 to a dolphinarium, theme park or other exhibition center. For the many other dolphins captured in a hunt that don't end up in the spotlight, their destiny is usually death. As for facilities accredited by the U.S.-based Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), because the AZA has a strict code of ethics, no dolphins from these hunts are at your local AZA-accredited aquarium.
Meat Market
Despite the low quality of dolphin meat and the high level of mercury it contains, hunters do kill dolphins for their meat and then distribute it to restaurants, grocers and even schools. SaveJapanDolphins.org reports that the meat is often mislabeled and sold as whale meat, which is more valuable and nutritious. Citizens who purchase dolphin meat are often unaware of its high mercury levels, or believe they are purchasing the healthier whale meat. Fishermen also sometimes buy the meat and use it as bait in crab pots or for other types of fishing.
Pest Control
During a meeting with Taiji hunters in Japan, protesters from Earth Island Institute (EII) were shocked to discover another reason for dolphin hunting. According to EII, fishermen admitted that they conduct dolphin drives as a form of "pest control." They explained that dolphins eat large quantities of fish, so the fishermen view these mammals as a roadblock to a bountiful harvest. The more fish dolphins eat, the less there are for fishers to trap, and the less profit there is to earn from their catch.
Culture Club
Fishermen sometimes cite their culture as a reason they continue to hunt dolphins. Centuries ago, dolphin meat was often eaten for subsistence and in some smaller villages and islands; dolphins still represent a major food source. The dolphin meat is shared among all inhabitants equally, and locals often barter the meat for other necessities. For example, people who live in the mountains of Malaita in the Solomon Islands will bring vegetables and other crops down to the shore where they trade their wares for dolphin meat. One dolphin can often feed an entire village and surrounding areas. In addition, dolphin teeth are considered very valuable and function as currency in both the Solomon Islands and the Faroe Islands. Local women in small, island villages also use the teeth to make ornamental jewelry for gifts or to trade for other goods.
Since money is most often the primary motivator in dolphin hunting, several nonprofit organizations, such as BlueVoice.org, work to help people in dolphin hunting communities learn about other ways to earn money without harming dolphins, including establishing dolphin-watching tours and sustainable fishing practices. EII, which started the campaign at SaveJapanDolphins.org, also educates the public and tries to dispel the belief that dolphins are eating all the fish -- all in the hopes that the areas that still allow dolphin hunting will one day be able to give it up as other countries have.
