“Fishermen in Japan have begun slaughtering dozens of bottlenose dolphins, ignoring protesters’ calls to spare the animals and a rare public show of concern by the US government.

The annual hunt in Taiji, a picturesque whaling town on the Pacific coast, began early Tuesday morning, according to activists from the Sea Shepherd marine conservation group who are monitoring the fishermen.

As many as 250 dolphins were herded into a secluded cove late last week; some were selected for sale to aquariums and marine parks, but by the end of Tuesday, about 40 dolphins had been killed in the cull, which is conducted mostly out of view beneath tarpaulin covers. More than 100 remaining mammals — mainly young calves — were driven back out to sea.

The hunt has been in the international spotlight since the 2009 release of “The Cove,” an Oscar-winning documentary about the town’s dolphin-hunting tradition and attempts to end it.”* Ana Kasparian, Dave Rubin (Rubin Report) and Desi Doyen (Green News Report) break it down.

*Read more here from Justin McCurry / Christian Science Monitor:
http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Asia-Pacific/2014/0121/Japan-dolphin-slaughter-draws-tough-rebuke-from-Ambassador-Kennedy-video

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