14 DAY TRIAL // Each year, thousands of dolphins and other marine mammals are slaughtered by Japanese fishermen, and Sea Shepherd has taken it to itself to raise awareness about this practice by sending conservationists to the region and having them broadcast these hunts on the Internet.
Since trying to get greenheads off its back by claiming that dolphin and whale hunts in Taiji and in several other coastal regions are a longstanding tradition and therefore part and parcel of the country's culture did not work, Japan had to find some other way to protect its image.
Thus, the country has banned Cove Guardian Lead and Campaign Director Scott West from entering its territory on the grounds that, while in Taiji, he would photograph fishermen without the latter's explicit permission to do so.
On its website, the organization details that, the last time he tried to enter Japan, Scott West was detained by officials working with Immigration.
He was then questioned for about four hours, and asked to take his mind off traveling to Taiji, and instead start making plans to head back home.
In an interview, Scott West stressed that, contrary to claims that yearly dolphin and whale hunts in Taiji are part of the country's culture, the mere fact that he had been denied entry into Japan stood as proof that the slaughters were not something the country could take pride in and celebrate as a tradition.
"The dolphin killers and the government of Japan continue to claim that the hunt in Taiji is a long-held cultural tradition. If this is a proud tradition, why is Japan trying so desperately to stop our Cove Guardians from showing it to the world?" said Scott West.
Furthermore, "The bottom line is that this barbaric 'tradition' only started in 1969 when the captive dolphin industry started to grow, and the hunt continues for the same reason it began: greed."
Sea Shepherd says that since 2010, when the organization debuted Operation Infinite Patience until present day, its members and supporters have been held and questioned by Immigration on a regular basis.
Still, the green group claims that it has absolutely no intention to quit live-streaming every capture and slaughter that occurs during the six-month hunt season.