This really is nuts & not good! :( From a WhalesNeedUS colleague: "There has been buzz about plans for this “whale farm” in Moriura Bay in Taiji for a year and half or so, and it seems to be going forward, with a new tourism element. Taiji Fisheries Association to lift ban on scuba diving in Moriura Bay--Aim is both tourism and whale research Mainichi Newspaper, July 11th, 2013 mainichi.jp/area/wakayama/news/20130711ddlk30040403000c.html The Taiji Fisheries Association is lifting the ban on scuba diving in Moriura Bay beginning next spring. The bay will be sectioned off with nets and the like, and the approximately 40,000-m2 bay area made into a giant sea pen, with plans to begin raising whales and dolphins within the pen within 5 years. It will be a rare opportunity in Japan for divers to swim with cetaceans. Taiji is not known for being a good place for scuba diving, with no coral or colorful subtropical fish like those found in spots like the town of Kushimoto. Therefore, it was decided that Taiji would be promoted as the origin of traditional-style whaling in Japan. The Taiji Fisheries Association will set up and maintain facilities for divers near the bay, where they can refill their oxygen tanks, shower, change clothes, and more. They plan on opening shop next March. The town of Taiji is implementing an “Moriura Whale Bay Plan.” They hope to attract cetologists and researchers and offer them a place to study whales, while also offering tourist attractions: a place where visitors can swim with whales/dolphins, a place where visitors can dig for clams at ebb tide, and a beach that visitors and locals alike can enjoy. Yoshifumi Kai, adviser to the Fisheries Assocation, said, “We here in Taiji have been living with whales for 400 years. We want to pass on the whale meat food culture tradition while also supporting research and tourism.”
Posted on: Sat, 20 Jul 2013 15:04:34 +0000
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