A police investigation is now underway in Japan.
I am pleased to let you know our world-first criminal complaint has been ACCEPTED by the Wakayama Prefectural Police.
This means the police will start investigating the selling of dolphin meat by the Taiji Fishermen’s Association.
Following their investigation, police will submit their findings to the Prosecutor’s Office who will then decide whether or not to indict.
We’re aiming to ramp up pressure on decision makers and collect further evidence to strengthen our case.
Our complaint stipulated how the selling of meat from the Taiji dolphin hunts violates Japan’s own food sanitation laws. The evidence we submitted to police showed mercury levels 25, 12 and 2.5 times higher than the regulatory limit.
This successful legal action is the first step in our fight to end dolphin hunting in Taiji using the mercury and public health angle. We are not going to sit back and wait to see what happens next.
This process could take up to a year – the more pressure we can put on decision makers, the sooner the Taiji “fishermen” could be taken to court.
Working to protect dolphins can sometimes feel like an uphill battle. But this major win gives me immense hope for a future without dolphin hunting.