Join Sea Shepherd Conservation Society & Sea Shepherd Cove Guardians at “World Love For Dolphins” Day Demonstrations This Valentine’s Day - Sea Shepherd Conservation Society

Join Sea Shepherd Conservation Society & Sea Shepherd Cove Guardians at “World Love For Dolphins” Day Demonstrations This Valentine’s Day - Sea Shepherd Conservation Society



February 3, 2014

Join Sea Shepherd Conservation Society & Sea Shepherd Cove Guardians at “World Love For Dolphins” Day Demonstrations This Valentine’s Day

Demonstrations To Take Place in the U.S. and Overseas Against Taiji’s Brutal Dolphin Hunts

On the heels of the recent global outcry condemning the brutal and inhumane dolphin hunts in Taiji, Japan, Sea Shepherd Conservation Society is inviting supporters and all concerned individuals to join with us and our Sea Shepherd Cove Guardians in targeted demonstrations on February 14, 2014 against Taiji’s brutal capture and slaughter of dolphins.

On February 14, 2014, Sea Shepherd USA chapters will be leading demonstrations at the Embassy of Japan in Washington, D.C. and Japanese consulates in cities across the country to stand in solidarity with the Cove Guardians in demanding an end to the bloodshed in Taiji. Sea Shepherd invites anyone who cares about dolphins to join us for peaceful “World Love for Dolphins Day” demonstrations on Valentine’s Day to raise our voices for the dolphins. On a day meant to celebrate love, we will show Japan the love felt by the people of the world for dolphins.

“Valentine’s Day is the perfect time to stand with Sea Shepherd at the Embassy and Consulates of Japan and tell the Japanese government that the world holds dolphins very near and dear to our hearts and we will not tolerate this brutal slaughter by a small group of men who are dishonoring Japan to sell dolphins to the captive industry. We hope that thousands of people will turn out to show their love for dolphins and ask Japan to end the needless killing,” said Susan Hartland, Administrative Director, Sea Shepherd Conservation Society USA.

Please find details on how the public can participate in Sea Shepherd’s “World Love for Dolphins Day” demonstrations below:

World Love for Dolphin’s Day

Valentine’s Day Demonstrations Feb 14th, 2014, 12:00pm-1:00pm ET/PT

Join Sea Shepherd Conservation Society & Sea Shepherd Cove Guardians at the Japanese Embassy and Consulates on Valentine’s Day to honor the dolphins who are brutalized in Taiji’s Cove.

There are two ways to help:

1. Demonstrate at Japanese Embassy & Consulates

Sea Shepherd will be demonstrating outside the following Japanese Consulates and the Japanese Embassy in Washington DC. Join Sea Shepherd and Sea Shepherd Cove Guardians at these locations to remind the Japanese government that the Taiji dolphin drive hunts dishonor Japan. Japan can only begin to restore their honor by ending the horror in the Taiji Cove. Download & print a poster on our website here and join us.

Demonstrations begin at 12:00pm ET/PT and end at 1:00pm ET/PT at the following locations:

Seattle
601 Union Street, Suite 500
Seattle WA 98101-4015

San Francisco
50 Fremont Street, Suite 2300
San Francisco CA 94105-2236

Los Angeles
350 South Grand Ave, Suite 1700
Los Angeles CA 90071-3459

Denver
1225 17th Street, Suite 3000
Denver CO 80202-5505

Houston
2 Houston Center Building
909 Fannin Street
Suite 3000
Houston TX 77010

New York City
299 Park Ave, 19th Floor
New York NY 10171-0025

Washington DC
2520 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W.
Washington, DC 20008

2. Send a Valentine for a Dolphin directly to the Japanese Embassy

Remind the Japanese government that dolphins are loved and revered by millions. Download & print a Valentine for a dolphin here and send it directly to:

Ambassador Kenichiro Sasae
C/O The Embassy of Japan in Washington, D.C.
2520 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W.
Washington, DC 20008

Sea Shepherd encourages international demonstrations: Sea Shepherd invites our global supporters and dolphin lovers to join in the demonstrations and bring their concern to the doorstep of the Japanese government in cities around the world on the same day. For a list of Japanese embassies and consulates worldwide, please visit: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan.

The drive hunt and slaughter of thousands of dolphins, porpoises and small whales occurs throughout Japan each year. The most well-known among these annual hunts occurs in Taiji from September 1st and usually continues to March 1st of the following year. Fishermen herd entire cetacean families into shallow bays. Those considered “most beautiful” are selected for sale to marine parks around the globe for hundreds of thousands of dollars. The others are mercilessly stabbed with a metal spike inserted into their backs to sever their spine. The dolphins slowly and painfully bleed to death or drown in the blood of their family, or if somehow still alive after that assault, they will drown as they are dragged to the butcherhouse, after which their flesh is sold for human consumption despite its high toxicity. These inhumane killings would not be allowed in any slaughterhouse in the world. Japan refuses to sign on to many protection efforts and regulations for marine mammals, despite most of the world recognizing the need to protect these imperiled animals. 

Sea Shepherd Conservation Society first brought the Cove to the world’s attention by capturing and releasing now-iconic footage and imagery of the brutal hunts and slaughters in 2003, during which the Cove turned a blood red. Later the Academy Award-winning film “The Cove” again shone a spotlight on the hunts, bringing worldwide attention to the killings. Many individuals thought the film succeeded in bringing an end to the hunts, but that was not the case. So in 2010, Sea Shepherd established Operation Infinite Patience and our volunteer Cove Guardians took up positions alongside the cove to document, report and live stream these atrocities in the hope of capturing attention to bring pressure to bear to stop these barbaric acts. Sea Shepherd is the only organization to have a team on the ground in Taiji for the entire six-month killing season, and the only group who live streams every capture and every kill for the world to see. Sea Shepherd’s Cove Guardians will not stop until the slaughter ends.

JOIN US ON VALENTINE’S DAY AND HELP US BRING AN END TO THE HUNTS!

Visit our  Cove Guardians site for more information.

Hampton Creek Foods Eggless Eggs

Bizarre Food from Jordan Viola on Vimeo.

I can't wait for this to be available to the public! I've already found my mayo of choice—Vegenaise by Follow Your heart—but a plant-based egg substitute that can emulate a scrambled egg, be used for baking, cooking and anything else a regular egg would be usually used for? I need that. We all need that. Chickens will thank Hampton Creek Foods for this. I hope it takes off and sells like mad!

Actor James Cromwell arrested during protest at UW Regents -- 2013

2013

'Babe' Savior Stands Up For Abused Pigs in New Video

The actor and animal rights activist calls on Wal-Mart to end the use of gestation crates.

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Actor James Cromwell with one of the pigs who played the star in a scene from "Babe."(Ho New/Reuters)

October 31, 2013 By Willy Blackmore

Willy Blackmore is TakePart’s Food editor.

full biofollow me 

It’s nearly been 20 years since James Cromwell said, “That’ll do, Pig. That’ll do,” in the filmBabe.

Farmer Arthur Hoggett, played by Cromwell, initially puts off slaughtering the titular piglet only in order to allow it to fatten up. But when the hog proves to be adept at wrangling sheep, he becomes a important living, working member of the farm.

Cromwell is talking pigs again recently, as an animal rights activist, narrating a disturbing, violent video (serious warning: it’s really, truly graphic) cut from undercover footage shot at a Wal-Mart pork producer.

The chain promotes its low prices, he says in the opening, however, “when it comes to the pork sold at its store, animals are left to pay the highest price of all: A life filled with misery and deprivation.”

Not only is the behavior of workers in the facility reprehensible—employees are shown severely beating both sows and piglets, as well as docking tails and castrating young piglets without administering any anesthetic.

“Dead and dying piglets are a frequent sight at this Wal-Mart supplier,” Cromwell says.

A Wal-Mart spokesperson told The Hollywood Reporter, "We think the animal handling in this video is unacceptable," but the statement does not address the issue of gestation crates—the widely banned, very tight confinements sows are forced to inhabit in such a facility.

“These curious and social animals are driven mad by boredom and stress in these nightmarish conditions. This is torture, plain and simple,” Cromwell says of the horrendous impact the gestation crates have on pigs. Viewers are encouraged to call on Wal-Mart to ban the confinement practice via a petition on Walmartcruelty.com.

James Cromwell Locks Himself in Cage to Protest Against Air France | Ecorazzi.com

James Cromwell Locks Himself in Cage to Protest Against Air France

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BY JOAN REDDY APRIL 29, 2014
CATEGORIES: ANIMALS, CAUSES
TAGS: JAMES-CROMWELL.

Animal rights activist, and Oscar-nominated star of ‘“Babe”, James Cromwell, voluntarily caged himself at the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), as part of a protest against alleged cruelty to primates.

Cromwell joined members of the animal rights organization People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), inside of the Tom Bradley International Terminal for a protest against Air France airlines. The seventy-four year old veteran actor was placed in a shipping crate large enough to fit his six-foot-seven-inch frame. While standing inside the crate that displayed the spray painted words “Live Primate” across the front, Cromwell held a sign that read; “Air France: Stop shipping primates to labs.”

Cromwell and the other protesters called for Air France to change their policies regarding the shipment of primates to laboratories. They demanded that Air France “join every other major airline in the world and stop transporting intelligent, social primates to laboratories, where they are tortured—sometimes for decades—before being killed.”

Cromwell sharesd his message on Twitter:

James Cromwell’s message to @AirFranceFR at #LAX airport: CRUELTY DOESN’T FLY.

Stop shipping monkeys 2 labs! pic.twitter.com/fXqzd13huA

According to a statement from PETA, which organized the action, Air France “is the only major airline in the world that still ships primates to laboratories, where they’re confined to cramped cages, poisoned with drugs and chemicals, infected with diseases, intentionally injured, deprived of food and water, and ultimately killed.”

“The real horror story is the pain and terror of the monkeys in Air France’s cargo holds beneath the feet of unsuspecting passengers,” said Cromwell . “My friends at PETA and I are telling Air France that cruelty shouldn’t fly and that the airline needs to join the rest of the industry in refusing to deliver primates to their deaths in laboratories.”

“Some of these animals come from squalid monkey farms, while others are torn away from their homes and families in the wild. The primates are crammed into small wooden crates and transported inside dark cargo holds for nearly 30 hours before they reach their final—and deadly—destination. Air France shipped at least 5,500 monkeys to U.S. laboratories in 2013,” said PETA.

Air France officials have not yet issued a response to the protest.

Cromwell has engaged in many protests on behalf of animals. Last year, the actor was arrested for interrupting a university board meeting at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and demanding  an end to cruel and deadly brain experiments on cats. The actor pleaded no contest to disorderly conduct charges and paid a fine.

Photo Credit: PETA

The War Between CNN and SeaWorld Over 'Blackfish' Escalates | TakePart

 

This story is from TAKEPART. Please visit TAKEPART for the full story and more related stories.

The War Between CNN and SeaWorld Over 'Blackfish' Escalates

A park spokesman finally answers questions surrounding the controversial new documentary about keeping killer whales in captivity.

October 24, 2013

David Kirby

Tilikum, SeaWorld's 12,000-pound breeding male orca. (Photo: Milan Boers / Flickr)

Judgment Day has arrived for SeaWorld—well, at least in the court of public opinion.

Tonight, the documentary about captive orcas, Blackfish, premieres on CNN. The film centers on the 2010 death of SeaWorld trainer Dawn Brancheau by Tilikum, raising serious questions about the highly profitable practice of keeping killer whales in captivity. While SeaWorld has criticized film, they have declined requests by CNN to be interviewed on camera. But, this week, company spokesman Fred Jacobs did provide written answers to a few of the most poignant issues in the documentary.

Most of these topics are discussed in my book, Death at SeaWorld: Shamu and the Dark Side of Killer Whales in Captivity. Readers will recognize SeaWorld’s latest attempt at positive spin as part of its eternal drive to make orcas in swimming pools appear to be a good thing, especially for the whales.

Here are some of the main points raised in the CNN Q&A with Jacobs, paired with what I discovered researching Death at SeaWorld.

Killer Whales in Captivity: 7 Reasons They Should Be Free

Conservation

Jacobs wrote SeaWorld has “assisted whales many times, including killer whales,” who were lost or stranded. But in at least three cases, SeaWorld seemed more interested in sending these orcas into a life of captivity to entertain tourists, rather than releasing them back into the ocean.

First there was Springer, a young female discovered in Puget Sound in 2002, alone and undernourished. As I reported, the main organizations working to help Springer were the U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), the Vancouver Aquarium, the Center for Whale Research, and OrcaLab, on Johnstone Strait in British Columbia, the summer home to Springer’s pod.

Springer was eventually caught and transferred to a netted-off pen, where she could be fed and cared for. Many scientists and activists wanted to see her returned to her family, but her fate was uncertain.

According to my sources, SeaWorld wanted to see Springer taken captive. “The SeaWorld vet tried his best to find something wrong with Springer that would dictate that she be moved to a SeaWorld tank,” Howard Garrett of the Orca Network told me this week. He and his wife Susan Berta spent time with Springer in Washington.

Springer had settled near the Vashon Island ferry dock. “She chose one of the best fishing spots in Puget Sound, and was seen catching salmon with ease,” Garrett recalls. “She was always very active and alert. In the hour Springer was captured, we watched her do half a dozen breaches or half breaches. We didn't see anything about her condition to worry about.”

But, at the time, SeaWorld veterinarian Jim McBain told The Seattle Times that, "We're still worried about the next step. Her condition is a concern. This is not a robust killer whale.”

According to Garrett, "It was only the resounding voices of orca experts and conservationists who absolutely opposed captivity that turned efforts toward finding a way to transport her back to Johnstone Strait, where she did rejoin her family within 24 hours. She soon became an adopted member of her aunt's matritine and returned this year with her own newborn."

Shouka, ‘World’s Loneliest Whale,’ Relocated to SeaWorld San Diego to Live With Fellow Orcas

Jacobs also mentions a young female rescued off the coast of the Netherlands, namedMorgan. Despite attempts by scientists and activists to win the whale's freedom, Morgan was sent to the Loro Parque theme park, in the Canary Islands, where she remains.

All killer whales at Loro Parque belong to SeaWorld, and now the company lists Morgan as part of their "collection" in papers filed with the SEC. There will be another legal hearing on Morgan's fate next month, but it's clear that SeaWorld has no intention of letting Morgan go. SeaWorld and Loro Parque claim that Morgan is "hearing impaired," but have not released data on how severe the impairment is.

Education

Millions of SeaWorld visitors, Jacobs wrote to CNN, "have experienced killer whales in a way that is personal, enriching and inspirational," adding that it is "our hope" that every SeaWorld visitor will leave the park "with a greater understanding of and appreciation for all the animals we display, including killer whales."

And while SeaWorld is certified by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, meaning they meet minimum conservation requirements, during the several times I visited the park to research my book, I heard virtually nothing that would educate people about killer whales in the wild, how long they live, their social bonds, their hunting patterns, and ways to conserve their threatened natural habitats. Instead, I “learned” that whales like blaring music, roaring crowds, back-flips and French kissing.

Dr. Lori Marino, a prominent whale and dolphin scientist, says there is no reliable evidence that people get educated, or motivated to take action, after visiting a marine park.

“It is not proper to simply ask people whether they have learned or what they think they have learned, or how much they enjoyed the class,” Marino testified in a 2010 Congressional subcommittee hearing on killer whales in captivity. Direct testing of acquired knowledge, and not feel-good public opinion polling, is the only way to properly assess any education program. Industry-sponsored papers “typically involve asking visitors whether they think they have been educated. But they do not actually test knowledge,” she said. “There is no compelling or even strongly suggestive current evidence that visits to zoos and aquariums promote positive attitude change, learning or conservation actions.”

Research

"Much of what is known about the killer whale's anatomy, reproductive biology and capacity to learn was learned at SeaWorld and other accredited zoological institutions," Jacobs wrote.

There is no question that some killer whale research could only be conducted in a tank, and SeaWorld is to be commended for adding to our body of knowledge on the species. But a scan of the scientific studies cited by Jacobs reveals that several were conducted in the ocean, not at SeaWorld. Many studies conducted with SeaWorld orcas pertained mostly to animal husbandry and keeping whales in captivity. Others weren’t really studies at all.

Quality of Life

While Jacobs conceded that "a killer whale can and occasionally might travel as much as 100 miles in a day," he wrote that "swimming that distance is not integral to a whale's health and well-being.” And he added this: "They adapt very well to life in a zoological setting."

One wonders if Jacobs read the science on this issue. As I wrote inDeath at SeaWorld: "Any species’ home range is as large as needed to support its food requirements. Animals with all their energy needs met in the immediate area evolved to have a small home range. But animals with energy requirements that were met only by widely dispersed sources evolved to cover a larger home range. Restricting an orca’s foraging range was precisely the reason why killer whales did not thrive in captivity. You cannot switch off millions of years of evolution just because an animal is captive."

All carnivores that are wide-ranging do poorly in captivity. One 2003 study analyzed data from predators with small home ranges, and those with large ranges and widely dispersed prey. The former did well enough in captivity: their health was good, they didn’t develop behavioral stereotypies (pacing, etc.), and they had lower infant-mortality rates. The latter fared much worse.

In Killer Controversy: Why Orcas Should No Longer Be Kept in Captivity, Dr. Naomi Rose writes “The science is in, and we should realize that nothing—not profit, not education, not conservation – can justify keeping this large, social, intelligent predator in a small box.” Her paper highlighted “the growing body of scientific evidence showing that orcas do not adapt to captivity,” including the example of captive female orcas giving birth too young and too often, which lead to a higher death rate for both mother and child.

Alternatives

Many opponents say the best thing for these animals is gradual retirement to netted-off sea pens. There, they wouldn’t have 100-mile-a-day ranges, but at least they would catch and eat live fish and live to the rhythms of the natural world. SeaWorld would still own the animals and could charge people to observe them from shore. It would be a win-win-win situation: for SeaWorld, for the public, and especially for the whales.

But SeaWorld disagrees. "Sea pens are not appropriate for long-term care," Jacobs claimed, without providing any supporting data. Apparently, we should just take his word for it.  

"Our killer whale habitats are the largest and most sophisticated ever constructed for a marine mammal: 7 million gallons of continually filtered and chilled water," Jacobs said.

One expects that SeaWorld, at minimum, can filter and chill its own artificial seawater. But before deciding whether seven million gallons is sufficient to sustain these top oceanic predators, watch Blackfish and then make up your own mind.

David Kirby

David has been a professional journalist for 25 years. His third book, "Death at Seaworld," was published in 2012.

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