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STOLEN TO ORDER
Horrific footage of ‘killing cove’ where dolphins are sold for £190k to tourist resorts or for MEAT
HORRIFIC footage shows defenceless dolphins being hunted in Japan's "killing cove" for the entertainment of tourists.
The video reveals the brutal hunting trade in Taiji, Japan as the heartless fishermen sell the dolphins for up to £190,000 to holiday resorts.
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The video, filmed by Dolphin Project campaigners, shows the sea stained with blood as the mammals struggle to get away from the fishermen's nets.
Another clip shows a dolphin smashing its tail against the water in distress in the small village of Taiji, known as the "killing cove".
Travel giant TUI is believed to be the only British travel company to offer a "dolphin experience" holiday package.
Campaign group Dolphin Freedom UK is calling on the travel agent to urgently cut ties with SeaWorld and other similar venues.
The campaigners want TUI to follow the likes of Air BnB, Virgin Holidays and STA Travel in cutting ties with resorts which keep dolphins for entertainment.
But TUI has insisted that it only endorses venues that are in line with global welfare standards.
Campaign manager of The Dolphin Project, Tim Burns, said the process in which the dolphins are snatched is "merciless".
These highly intelligent animals understand not only pain but the idea of dying. And they mourn the death of others.
He told the : "Holidaymakers who go to 'swim with' programmes have an idea that the dolphin was gently picked up off the coast and is thankful and happy to be in captivity.
"Tourists are largely unaware how many creatures have died so they can swim with that one dolphin they meet."
According to the campaign group, which used a drone and clifftop cameras to capture the horrific footage, in the last week alone 31 mammals were captured and 37 were slain for meat.
Hunters use steel poles to drive the dolphins into the shallows forcing the sensitive mammals towards the shore where they are soon trapped by nets.
"We believe that for every 1,000 sea mammals captured, around 200 end up in captivity," said Tim.
"The rest are killed for meat.
"These highly intelligent animals understand not only pain but the idea of dying. And they mourn the death of others."
TUI plugs the Atlantis Sanya resort in China which has admitted to buying from Taiji hunters in 2018.
Customers are invited to "meet and interact with the dolphins while professional photographers capture this unforgettable moment."
A TUI spokesman said: "We are committed to working only with venues that agree to uphold the Global Welfare guidance for Animals in Tourism as formulated by the Association of British Travel Agents.
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"The venues we feature are subject to an extensive and independent animal welfare audit programme to - ensure they are upholding global animal welfare standards.
"We are in discussions with the venues to further improve animal welfare and address the issues."
Kerzner International, which owns the Sanya hotel, admitted buying 12 dolphins from Japan in 2018 but said it would not support future collections from the wild.
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Documentary The Cove follows a dive team on a mission to discover the truth about the dolphin capture trade in Japan.
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