World Association of Zoos and Aquariums takes action against Japanese member representing aquariums that take dolphins from Taiji hunt

The world’s leading zoo organisation has suspended its Japanese member over its involvement in the controversial dolphin hunts in Taiji.



The World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (Waza) has suspended the Japanese Association of Zoos and Aquariums (Jaza) following a unanimous vote by its council.

As revealed by the Guardian last month, Waza has been targeted in a court action launched by conservationists who accuse it of effectively approving the dolphin hunts, where animals are forced into shallow waters and some slaughtered or picked for public display in aquariums.

The Taiji dolphin hunts gained notoriety through the documentary The Cove. Jaza, which represents Japanese aquariums that have taken dolphins from the hunt, rejected a Waza proposal for a two-year moratorium on the practice.

“Jaza responded by proposing some guideline changes that would put restrictions on the method of capturing dolphins and improving animal care, but because it did not restrict taking animals from the drive, Waza council concluded that a satisfactory agreement could not be reached and voted to suspend the Japanese association’s membership,” Waza said in a statement.

“The basis for the suspension is a determination that Jaza has violated the Waza code of ethics and animal welfare. Moreover, Waza council reaffirmed its position that members of Waza must confirm that they will not acquire dolphins from the Taiji fishery.”

Over the past five years, observers say, more than 5,000 dolphins have been killed at Taiji, with a further 750 captured for aquariums. Since a August 2014 agreement that put in place a one-month moratorium on the killings, 751 dolphins have been killed, with 41 bottlenose dolphins captured.

The suspension has been welcomed by conservationists, who claim Jaza has been acting as a rogue member while Waza stood on the sidelines despite publicly opposing dolphin hunts. Waza has also come under pressure from several of its zoo members over the issue.

Australia for Dolphins has lodged court action in Geneva, where Waza has its headquarters, in an attempt to force the organisation to sanction members in Japan and Korea accused of taking dolphins from the drive hunt.

“This is a very promising step and an acknowledgement that Waza needs to enforce its own code of ethics,” said Sarah Lucas, chief executive of Australia for Dolphins.

“Jaza are suspended rather than expelled but the threat of expulsion will be looming over them and they will know the world’s leading zoos body will be watching them closely if they don’t improve.”

“We want Waza to enforce that code of ethics across the board so we’ll be continuing the legal action. We also want Waza to take action against zoos that are abusing animals, such as chaining and beating elephants. The reputation of Waza has been hurt by this and I hope this is a start of a new era for them.”

Waza has more than 20 associate members, including Jaza and the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria, as well as 300 individual zoo members, including London Zoo, the Zoological Society of San Diego, Toronto Zoo, Bronx Zoo and Melbourne Zoo.

A spokeswoman for Melbourne Zoo said the organisation condemned the Taiji dolphin hunts.

“Those bodies that are in some way linked to the slaughter, either as customers for the meat, or for the live animals themselves, are complicit in the slaughter,” she said.

“We welcome the suspension of Jaza from the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums. We acknowledge the efforts of the Waza council in trying to convince Jaza to stop their involvement in Taiji. We also call on Jaza members to cease any involvement in the Taiji hunt.”

Marine conservation activists Sea Shepherd also welcomed the suspension of Jaza for its “role in Taiji’s horrific massacre of wild cetaceans”.

A statement on Sea Shepherd’s website said: “While we are elated to hear this long-overdue announcement, we also stand in firm opposition to the confinement of highly intelligent and socially complex whales and dolphins in captivity at Waza aquariums, swim-with-dolphin programs and other captive facilities that continue to drive the demand for captive dolphins, and the wild captures still occurring around the world.

“These highly intelligent, sentient and socially complex marine mammals belong in the open ocean where they can engage in their natural behaviours and live in their natural family groups – not performing tricks for food in concrete bathtubs while being subjected to loud music and noisy crowds.”