The Japanese seaside town of Taiji depicted in the film “The Cove” has begun its annual dolphin hunt but so far no mammals have been killed.
The official in charge of media queries at the Taiji fishing organisation said a handful of dolphins were kept for aquariums, but the rest were set free Friday morning. He declined to give details.
He said the criticism the town has received from the West was unfair because residents were merely trying to make a living.
Taiji fishermen herd dolphins into the cove by scaring them with noise. They save the best for aquariums and kill the rest, piercing them repeatedly until the waters turn red with blood.
The Cove star Ric Barry, who is in Tokyo to protest the dolphin slaughter, presented a petition with 1.7 million signatures to the US Embassy on Thursday.
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