The Japanese town of Taiji became synonymous with brutal dolphin slaying after the Oscar-winning, tear-jerking, doccie, ‘The Cove,’ was released. Sadly, regardless of the international recognition and fame the documentary received, dolphin hunting at the cove still takes place annually between September and April, and its about to get a whole lot darker.

A local government official has announced plans to section off part of the cove to allow visitors to swim with the animals. Black whales and bottlenose dolphins caught in the surrounding waters will be released into the pool for tourists to swim with, before serving them up on a tasting platter.

We already use dolphins and small whales as a source of tourism in the cove where dolphin-hunting takes place, but we plan to do it on a larger scale. This is part of Taiji’s long-term plan of making the whole town a park, where you can enjoy watching marine mammals while tasting various marine products, including whale and dolphin meat.

Shudder.

[Source : The Independent]