Launch of new whale watch body in Japan could help end slaughter

WDC has welcomed the launch of a body promoting whale and dolphin watching in Japan which could help the country turn its back on whale and dolphins hunts for good.

Representatives from WDC were present at the first ever meeting of the Japan Whale Dolphin Watching Council in Tokyo, together with whale and dolphin watching operators based in Japan.

Whales and dolphins can actually benefit from responsible watch operators. It is a great defence against hunts as it provides local people with a source of income without having to kill them.

Japanese whale hunting was dealt a blow earlier this year when the United Nation’s International Court of Justice, ordered Tokyo to stop killing whales in the Antarctic.

However, Japanese coastal whale hunts continue and hundreds of dolphins are still killed each year in cruel drive hunts in Taiji, Japan.