This petition concerns the ongoing commercial slaughter of dolphins in Japan. Together with my colleagues, friends, family and other support team, we have become aware of the continuing killings that are occurring in the village of Taiji. Although we are also well aware of the cultural meaning and background that these rituals may have, I am desperately seeking for your support to put an end to the slaughtering of innocence. If this is a tradition that the Japanese are proud of, then why are most fisherman concealing the mass amounts of dolphins that they are killing Why are they reluctant for there to be so much international exposure on something that is said to be a tradition Between October and December of 2004, the fishermen of Taiji reported the capture of 609 dolphins to the Fisheries section of Wakayama Prefecture. While most of the 609 dolphins were slaughtered for human consumption, dolphin trainers selected some of the young and unblemished dolphins for use in captive dolphin swim programs and dolphin shows. The barbaric deaths that these dolphins are continuing to face have shocked the rest of the world that carries a concerned effort towards our plight for a safer and successful ecosystem. The intent of this letter is to not only bring this massive loss into perspective, yet it is to also to disclose to you that those who have signed this petition are well aware of both sides of the situation, however we can not come to terms with the ongoing killings of such innocent, loving and intelligent mammals. What we ask is not only an immediate cessation of such deaths, rather we ask that you support our need to end the drive fishery and immediately prohibit the sale of heavily contaminated dolphin meat within the national, regional and local Japanese government. Join us in our passionate plight to stop the killing spree of dolphins in Japan!