What is a Dolphin’s Life Worth?

Most people think that there lives are pretty important, something that needs to be cherished, and in my opinion those people are right. Life is a precious gift that we need to take care of. But how many would say the same thing for an animal? I know that I would, but I also know of people who do not think that animals life’s are as precious as there own. And that is fine if you think that, but just remember that if we were to exterminate every creature off of our planet things would be extremely different.

We as humans are blind to what the creatures on this earth really do for us on a day-to-day basis. The existence of dolphins is a lot more important than we think. Everything is the world has a cause and effect, and with the mass slaughters of dolphins is the cause, so what is the effect?

I am glad that you asked that, according to www.dolphins-world.com,

“The food that dolphins eat is different for each species. While some dolphins eat fishes like herring, cod or mackerel, some others eat squids. Even more, large dolphins like the killer whales, eat some other marine mammals like seals or sea lions and sometimes even turtles.”

Dolphins hunting in the Wild

While that doesn’t seem like a lot, especially compared to all of the things we humans eat, dolphins need this protein and energy to do things in there daily lives. So what would happen if we removed the dolphin from this equation?

Dolphins consume fish that most fisheries do not even want. The Taiji government has stated that they kill dolphins as a form of “pest control,” when in fact the dolphins are not really a threat the humanities overwhelming need to be in control of all of the fish in the ocean.

Dolphins keep the marine ecosystem in balance. And according to www.cms.int,

“Wild dolphins are intrinsically tied to our cultural history and awareness. Inhabiting the world’s oceans and rivers, these nomads are a living treasure of our blue planet. However, their survival is becoming increasingly difficult and imperiled. To survive the 21st century, wild dolphins need clean and quiet oceans, marine protected areas and people who care. It must also be kept in mind that, ultimately, human survival too depends on intact ecosystems and biodiversity.”

Some research done by the National Parks Conservation Association, or NPCA, has labeled the bottlenose dolphin, the dolphins being hunted in Taiji, status as ‘vulnerable.’ This should be motivation enough to want to do something before the dolphin gets put on the endangered species list, or worse, if it becomes extinct (knock on wood).

 

A Sad Dolphin

In addition, the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) stated on there website,

“The exact worldwide population of the bottlenose dolphin is not known. In the eastern tropical Pacific the population is estimated to be 243,500, while in the waters of Japan the population estimates are as low as 37,000.”

The dolphin slaughters in Taiji, Japan have been so massive as to affect the population of these creatures in the region that they are being slaughtered in.

Is it even worth it to go see the dolphin shows at places like SeaWorld? Especially when you know that this creature was captured against its will and its friends and family were most likely brutally murdered. Not only that, but supporting dolphinariums that buy there dolphins in Taiji, is the same thing as supporting the dolphin hunts. According to www.savejapandolphins.org,

“We have been reporting from Taiji regularly since 2003, and the most shocking aspect of the dolphin drive hunt is the active role that some dolphinariums play in sustaining the hunt. Dolphinariums are always looking for ways to obtain more dolphins. Many times, the fishermen of Taiji will drive a large school of bottlenose dolphins into the killing cove, and dolphin trainers and marine mammal veterinarians flock to the scene to seek out the best-looking dolphins for their display facilities. By doing business with the dolphin killers, they are helping to maintain the dolphin drive hunts.”

Is a dolphins life worth stopping all of this violence and pollution? We need to save the dolphins and stop our marine ecosystem from collapsing! You know what happens in the cove and the excuses reasons why the Taiji fishermen are killing these dolphins, and now you know what killing these dolphins is doing to our planet. And now it is time to stand up and save of dolphin friends!

Here is a link to the Oceanic Preservation Society (the people who made The Cove) website and list of things that you can do to ensure that these hunts are stopped!

Dolphins in the Wild