Why do dolphins get killed

In fact, one study estimated that over 95 percent of unnatural deaths of these marine mammals can be attributed to man-related causes. In addition to the reasons previously stated, dolphins are becoming endangered due to other factors such as noise pollution. With an increase of activities including more frequent passing of ship engines and the use of navigational sonars and oil drilling, these sounds are disorienting, frightening and even injuring the animals.

Dolphins may also experience traumatic injuries such as entanglement in fishing and safety nets, as well as cages. They follow the same routes as tuna, and sometimes become caught in nets that are meant for the fish. While humans try to explore the ocean, they are bringing more dangers into the habitat of the dolphins. Although they are at the top of the food chain, they must still compete with other toothed whales and sharks for food.

Global warming and other seasonal changes have caused a shortage of food sources, thereby directly impacting the survival rate of various dolphin species. River dolphins, located in South America and Asia, have adapted to the muddy river environment, using their paddle-like pectoral fins to scoop mud at the bottom of the river. However, our of the five species of river dolphins, the Baiji and Indus dolphins are in danger of becoming extinct due to pollution, habitat destruction, fishing and hunting.

Shark fishermen are killing large numbers of these animals, and because there are so few of them already, it is becoming increasingly difficult to learn more about the species and the habitat.

They play an important part in maintaining the overall balance of the environment within the ocean. Studies show that dolphins may lead us to a better understanding of animal intelligence, as researchers are finding that dolphins may be more similar to humans than primates.

While some organizations exist to dedicate themselves to the conservation of all endangered animals, a few exist solely to protect dolphins. Some celebrities are teaming up with these groups to help spread the word about the importance of protecting wild species.

Ted Danson, film and television star, is a known and highly respected ocean activist dedicated to defending dolphins and other endangered marine mammals. Many organizations are attempting to help protect endangered dolphins, but dolphins continue to be illegally caught and traded across the world.

When the "fishermen" locate a pod, which may contain over a hundred dolphins or pilot whales, they lower steel poles into the water and repeatedly hit them with hammers, creating an underwater wall of sound.

The dolphins find themselves suddenly trapped between the shore and an encroaching wall. Panicked and disoriented, they swim away from the wall, towards the dangerous shallows. The boats herd the pod into a narrow cove, and seal the entrance with nets.

An essential element of the drive hunt technique is to drive the dolphins towards the shore at high speed, such that they are exhausted indeed some drown or have cardiac failure during the process and can be manoeuvered easily into the cove.

Any dolphins who still have sufficient energy to struggle after the high-speed chase are roughly manhandled into the shallows by divers. The pod is trapped in the cove without food for up to 48 hours while dolphin trainers come to select the most "beautiful" for sale to aquariums to read more, please see the next section, Why do they do it? Before sunrise, the fishermen return to slaughter the dolphins and whales not chosen for aquariums.

They force the frightened animals into the shallows of the cove by backing into them with their boat propellers. As the boats close in, dolphins sometimes fling themselves onto the rocky cliffs in desperate attempts at escape. The scene is chaotic as thrashing dolphins try to escape. Sometimes the fishermen tether a group of dolphins to a boat by their tail flukes and drag them flapping to the slaughter area. Panicked calves, who are separated from the rest of the pod, can be seen frantically trying to jump the nets to get to their mothers on the other side.

The fishermen kill the dolphins and whales using long metal rods, which they repeatedly thurst into the animals' backs, just behind the blowhole. Wooden wedges are forcefully inserted into the open wounds to prevent blood seeping into the area of the cove visible to observers.

The dolphins and whales die gradually from massive trauma and blood loss. According to an independent veterinary analysis published in the Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science, the Taiji killing method would register at the "highest level of gross trauma, pain, and distress".

Video footage of the slaughters shows that it can take 7 minutes for dolphins to die an agonising death. For the dolphins and whales, the process of capture and killing over several days involves not only physical pain, but likely also extreme psychological distress. We don't know to what extent dolphins and whales anticipate their deaths, but as they are closed in on by their captors and the water starts to turn red with blood, we can only imagine that they experience terror.

The police maintain a presence to ensure that activists do not interfere with the hunts. Internationally, there are no laws to protect dolphins and other toothed whale species either.

While the International Whaling Commission does exist, it functions as an international governmental organization created by convention, meaning that it is created by agreement among member states. If a country does not join the convention, it does not agree to be bound by the regulations. Japan left the IWC in July of to resume commercial whaling, so it is no longer subject to the rules set out by the Convention. Despite several requests over the years and the opinions of some member countries, the body has never adopted hunting regulations on these small cetaceans.

Therefore, this body has no ability to impact or legislate the hunts. CITES regulates the trade of animals or animal products based on listed Appendices of species according to extinction threat. As with many aspects of international law, national sovereignty plays a major—though at times self-serving—role. By doing business with the dolphin hunters, dolphinariums maintain the dolphin drive hunts. The captivity industry drives the dolphin slaughter, a connection which is hidden to most of the public that innocently visits a marine park or swims with a dolphin on vacation.

There are a range of complicated issues that surround the hunts, ranging from the ethics of animal consumption to xenophobia. Our organization is adamantly opposed to generalized criticism of the Japanese people or culture as a whole; rather, our emphasis is on the governmental and private decision-makers who enable and profit from the hunts.

Cows, pigs and other farm animals are also consumed in large numbers in Japan, but animal welfare laws— which do not apply to dolphins—exist to ensure humane slaughter practices. In addition, the hunting of wild species, as opposed to domesticated and farmed animals, generates great concern for species conservation. Dolphin Project does not believe that a boycott of Japanese products would be effective or helpful. The number of people within Taiji, to say nothing of the entire nation of Japan, involved in the hunts is incredibly small.

Condemning an entire country for the acts of a few is inappropriate. Many people within Japan are inadequately informed about the hunts, and know virtually nothing of the slaughters.

This is by design, as the government actors and hunters have their own agenda, and use culture as a shield to keep the Japanese public from understanding the issue. Our goal is to make the facts known, not to tell people what to believe or what to do. We believe that change comes from working with people, not against them, and that it is ultimately the people of Japan who hold the power to take action and end the hunts.

Understanding the intelligence and complexity of these species, as well as how they behave in the wild helps us understand that their natural ranges in the open ocean are where they thrive. It is vital that we continue to spread awareness about dolphins to help end exploitation in captivity, and to help wild dolphin populations stay healthy!