The following is the 'recorded' kill figures for 2008/2009 dolphin drive. However Japanese recorded quotas have been proven to be wrong and some research shows that they actually reach over 25% of their reported catch.

Approximately 20,000 small type cetaceans are hunted in Japan every year, according to the Catch and Seizure Regulations of the Fisheries Agency. There are mainly three hunting methods: hand-held harpooning, the drive hunt which includes driving of a pod of dolphins into a bay with several fishing boatman's hand slaughtering them, and the small type coastal whaling with a boat mounted with a harpoon gun.

In the small fishing village of Taiji, entire schools of dolphins are driven into a hidden cove after a prolonged chase. Once trapped inside the cove, the fishermen kill the dolphins, slashing their throats with knives or stabbing them with spears. The water turns red with their blood, and the air fills with their screams.

This brutal massacre — the largest scale dolphin kill in the world — goes on for six months of every year. Dolphin species are not suitable for commercial use due to their low fecundity; their gestation period is 10-17 months bearing only one calf at most once per year. Even more scandalous, members of the international dolphin display industry take advantage of the dolphin slaughter to obtain some few, show-quality dolphins for use in captive dolphin shows and dolphin swim programs.

When the International Whaling Commission (IWC) implemented an international whaling moratorium, the price of dolphin meat soared, as it became a substitute for whale meat. In addition, dolphin species have remained outside the IWC's jurisdiction, inviting more fishermen who are seeking for a new economic source. The dolphin catch continues to increase.

Also most dolphins in aquariums are captured by the drive-fishery, usually when they were still calves. The family members of the captured calves are killed for their meat. Those that are captured are faced to live the rest of their lives in small confinement. However, since new dolphins can be supplied easily by the drive-fishery, they are treated as almost, disposable. As identifying each dolphin and telling them apart is a hard task for an untrained eye, it is not clear how many dolphins in captivity die and get replaced every year.  Information on such dolphin circulation is not open to the public. 

Adobe Flash Player not installed or older than 9.0.115!