By Azer N. Parrocha
MANILA, (PNA) — All for the love of dolphins, the Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) will be joining the celebration of Japan Dolphin Day to rally against hunting, harvesting, killing and capture of dolphins in Taiji, Japan.
According to PAWS, the rally will be held on Monday from 9:30 to 11:00am in front of the Japanese Embassy on Roxas Boulevard, Pasay City.
Dolphins, PAWS said, are mostly slaughtered for meat, while the few who get selected are subjected to a lifetime of slavery in aquariums and dolphin shows, some of which are in the Philippines.
The Fisheries Administrative Order (FAO 185) bans the catching, killing and even mere possession of dolphins. Furthermore, the Animal Welfare Act (RA 8485) bans any kind of torture or maltreatment of any animal.
Despite these laws however, dolphins from the brutal hunts have found its way into the country, PAWS stated.
Five false killer whales were imported in 2001, four of which already died performing at the Ocean Adventure Park in Subic.
In 2004, another four bottlenose dolphins arrived in the country, one of which is now dead. In 2009, another four bottlenose dolphins were imported from Japan.
The demonstration is not only about animal welfare, it is also very much about human welfare, the group said.
Also an issue in the slaughter is that meat from dolphins is being sold as food in Japan.
Experts who tested the dolphin meat say that it contains mercury levels much higher than the allowed limit set by the Health Department of Japan.