Potential Welfare Impacts of Chase and Capture of Small Cetaceans during Drive Hunts in Japan

Drive hunts are a method to herd, capture and kill small cetaceans (whales and dolphins) in coastal waters of some countries including Japan and the Faroe Islands. In Japan, these methods are often associated with the acquisition of live dolphins for international marine parks and aquaria. During the hunts, dolphins are herded by a flotilla of fishing vessels and loud underwater noise created by fishermen banging hammers on metal poles. The prolonged and strenuous chase and use of sound barriers to herd, capture, and restrain the dolphins can result in acute stress and injury. The authors review physiological and behavioral data pertaining to chase, encirclement, and live capture of dolphins and draw comparisons between chase and capture data for marine and terrestrial species. This analysis raises substantial welfare concerns associated with the hunts and acquisition of dolphins from such capture operations. The authors assert that this data detailing the negative impacts of chase, herding and handling (capture) of small cetaceans renders these hunts inherently inhumane and should inform policy relating to the collection and management of dolphins in the wild.驱赶式捕猎（drive hunts）是部分国家（包括日本与法罗群岛）沿海水域中，用于驱赶、捕获并击杀小型鲸类（small cetaceans，包括鲸与海豚）的手段。在日本，此类手段常被用于为国际海洋公园及水族馆捕获活体海豚。捕猎过程中，渔民会借助渔船编队驱赶海豚，并通过敲击金属杆制造巨大的水下噪音。持续漫长且紧张激烈的追逐，以及利用声障驱赶、捕获并束缚海豚的操作，会导致海豚出现急性应激反应与身体损伤。 本文作者梳理了涉及海豚追逐、围捕与活体捕获的生理及行为学数据，并对比了海洋与陆生动物的追逐及捕获相关数据。该分析揭示了此类捕猎及从这类捕获作业中获取海豚所引发的严峻福利伦理关切。作者指出，上述关于小型鲸类的追逐、驱赶及处置（捕获）过程所产生负面影响的研究数据，证明此类捕猎活动本质上非人道，且该结论应为野生海豚的获取与管理相关政策制定提供参考依据。