In Taiji we have discovered unusual incidence of diabetes among dolphin eaters. Now information being developed in South America confirms and expands these findings. Exposure to PCBs appears to change the body's use of sugar. The journal Diabetes Care reports that people with diabetes have higher levels of organic pollutants such as PCBs which are high in dolphin meat.

This will be a major area of focus for BlueVoice during 2012. Proof that eating dolphin meat is harmful to human health is the strongest argument to stop killing dolphins.

2012: The Work Ahead

End The Hunt of Humpbacks in Greenland:
We will continue to fight the permit allowing hunting of humpback whales. We have evidence that whale meat sold in Greenland goes into commercial channels and is not reserved for the Inuit peoples as the permit stipulates.

Continue Testing to Stop Dolphin Hunt in Taiji and Okinawa:
BlueVoice, in collaboration with Elsa Nature Conservancy of Japan, has conducted tests of dolphin meat in Taiji and Okinawa producing evidence that it is highly contaminated by mercury and organic pollutants such as PCBs. Thanks to our test results, the mayor of the capital city of Okinawa has decided dolphin meat must be tested for contaminants. We can now be confident that our strategy of publicizing the toxin levels is weakening the market for dolphin meat.

Support Special Protection For Dolphins at Toshima Island, Japan:
Japanese enviro groups are working to establish a special relationship with dolphins around Toshima Island, off the coast of Futo, once scene of horrific dolphin massacres. Dolphin watching would provide income for local people and provide an example for Japan of non-consumptive uses of dolphins.

Highlights of BlueVoice Accomplishments in 2011:

Continued testing dolphin meat for toxins in Taiji and Okinawa proving dolphin meat is not healthy to eat. We're working with Japanese allies to fight dolphin hunting from the point of view of food safety.

Provided funding for Dieter Hagmann of AtlanticBlue and our representative in Germany to document expansion of facilities for dolphin killing in Taiji. This proves that the fishermen will not stop killing dolphins solely due to public exposure.

Funded tests on meat of Beaked whales in the north of Japan. Resulted in ban on feeding untested whale meat to school children.

In Greenland we documented the sale of whale meat in commercial channels; meat that should only have been used by the aboriginal people. Our film on this was distributed at the IWC as part of our effort to reverse the quota to hunt humpback whales.

Continued gathering information on toxics in marine mammals worldwide for publication in version 2 of A Shared Fate, a BlueVoice report.

Let's make 2012 a safer year for dolphins and whales,

Hardy Jones