Members of the Japanese Association of Zoos and Aquariums finished voting Tuesday on whether to remain part of a global zoo body that suspended the association over the acquisition of dolphins caught in drive hunts off the town of Taiji, Wakayama Prefecture.

The outcome of the vote on whether the Japanese body should remain a member of the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums will be announced Wednesday. If a majority effectively chooses to continue accepting the dolphins, JAZA is expected to be expelled from the world body, possibly making it difficult for Japanese zoos and aquariums to seek overseas cooperation for breeding rare animals and other matters.

The vote came after the global organization suspended JAZA’s membership last month on the grounds that Japanese aquariums and zoos had “violated the code of ethics” on acquiring dolphins.

The World Association of Zoos and Aquariums, which prohibits members from participating in cruel and indiscriminate methods of removing animals from the wild, has also told the Japanese body that it will be expelled unless the situation is improved by Thursday.

If JAZA decides to remain as a member of the global association, effectively giving up accepting dolphins from drive hunting, some zoos and aquariums in Japan may find it difficult to acquire dolphins in the future.

At the center of the controversy is the nature of the dolphin hunting practices in Taiji, which is also known for its whaling culture.

According to officials in Taiji, fishermen in the past caught dolphins by harpoon after driving them into coves, as depicted in the Oscar-winning 2009 U.S. documentary film “The Cove,” which spurred international controversy.

But at the request of the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums, Taiji fishermen have been taking steps to improve the situation, such as by separately capturing dolphins for edible use and those for aquarium use, and adopting a method to direct dolphins toward fishing nets using smaller vessels.

According to JAZA, the vote involved 89 zoos and 63 aquariums throughout Japan. Members were allowed to cast ballots by email or fax by 5 p.m. Tuesday.

KEYWORDS dolphins, Taiji, animals, zoo