14 DAY TRIAL // Each year, hundreds of dolphins and whales are killed by locals in the town of Taiji, Japan. These people herd the marine mammals in the shallow waters of Hatakejiri Bay, and then slaughter them.
Ironically enough, it appears that a marine park will open in the same town where these brutal killings take place, in about five years' time.
According to Ecorazzi, visitors to the park will be allowed to swim with dolphins and whales.
Once they are done swimming, they'll have the chance to visit local restaurants and taste these animals' meat, the same source tells us.
“We already use dolphins and small whales as a source of tourism in the cove where dolphin-hunting takes place. In summer swimmers can enjoy watching the mammals that are released from a partitioned-off space.”
“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,” local official Masaki Wada explained in a statement.
Apparently, the park will sit on the town's northwestern coast, at the entrance to Moriura Bay, and will cover a surface of roughly 28 hectares (69 acres).