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.

驱赶式猎捕（Drive hunts）是在包括日本、法罗群岛在内的部分国家沿海水域中，用于驱赶、捕获并杀害小型鲸目动物（即鲸与海豚）的捕猎手段。在日本，此类捕猎手段常被用于为国际海洋公园及水族馆获取活体海豚。捕猎过程中，渔民会借助一支渔船编队，配合敲击金属杆产生的水下强噪音来驱赶海豚。长时间且高强度的追逐，以及利用声障驱赶、捕获并限制海豚的行为，会导致海豚出现严重应激反应与机体损伤。本文作者梳理了与海豚追逐、围捕及活体捕获相关的生理与行为学数据，并对海洋与陆地物种的追逐、捕获相关数据进行了对比分析。该分析揭示了此类捕猎行动以及从这类捕获环节中获取海豚所引发的诸多动物福利问题。作者指出，上述针对小型鲸目动物追逐、驱赶及处置（捕获）过程所产生负面影响的研究数据，证实此类驱赶式猎捕本质上违背人道原则，相关结论可为野生海豚的采集与管理相关政策制定提供参考依据。