What drives a person to commit moral turpitude such as catching or killing an innocent creature, just because you can make a little money doing it? This is something that many have been trying to understand since the issue of dolphin slaughter in Taiji, Japan and other places around the world emerged. “Hunting” has been a Japanese tradition since the mid-1600s. Over the years they have “improved” the techniques and tools used in the slaughter process. The issue has raised a lot of awareness around the world and many countries have banned the practice of slaughter due to Japan's display of animal cruelty. Due to the increasing negative effects on human health, inhumane mass slaughter and the negative impact it has on other species, the fight to end whaling has become a widely recognized issue around the world. At the southern tip of Japan, there is a small fishing town called Taiji. Although the population peaks at just over 3,000 people, this place hides a dark secret that most of the Japanese population, until recently, was unaware of. It hosts "the bay". Every year, between the months of September to March, approximately 20,000 dolphins are slaughtered in the bay and sold for their meat or held in captivity. "The bay" is manned 24 hours a day with 10 guards on duty to ensure that no one comes near the area where the killing takes place. Many have tried to sneak through fences or around the jagged rocks that surround it, but few have made it through to see the horrors that hide behind the rocks. The others are arrested by the fishermen themselves and by the local authorities (The Cove). One of the effects of this hunting is the negative effect on health... middle of paper... save these "smiling" animals from being on the verge of danger. If the United States stood together as a nation and supported the fight against whaling, our example would inspire other countries to do the same and ensure the longevity of dolphins. Work Cited Frank, Joshua. "The dolphin massacre in Taiji-Japan continues." ecologist.com. Ecologist, January 30, 2014.Web. February 25, 2014.Palmer, Mark. “Dolphin Day in Taiji”. savejapandolphins.com. Save the dolphins of Japan, April 30, 2012Web. February 19, 2014. The Bay. Psychiatry, Louie. Ric O'Barry. Lionsgate, roadside attractions. 2009. Film Wakatsuki, Yoko. "Dolphin massacre begins in Japan's Taiji Bay, fisherman says." CNN Wire2014: Global issues in context. Network. February 25, 2014.Watson, Paul. "Taiji's dolphin hunt continues." seashepard.org. Sea Shepard, January 29, 2014.Web. February 19th. 2014.