Japan frees US dolphin trainer after Taiji arrest
Print Edition
Japanese police said yesterday that they have released American animal rights activist Ric O鈥橞arry, who trained dolphins for the TV show 鈥淔lipper,鈥 after he was arrested near the infamous whaling town of Taiji.
O鈥橞arry, 75, was taken into custody on Monday, on the eve of Taiji kicking off its controversial six-month dolphin hunt, for allegedly failing to carry his passport after being stopped by police.
鈥淗e was released at 8:40pm on Tuesday,鈥 a local police spokesman said.
鈥淗e admitted to not carrying his passport 鈥 there was no need to keep him in custody.鈥
He will likely face a fine of up to 100,000 yen (US$830), but the arrest of a foreigner in Japan for not carrying a passport is rare. Police said they had initially questioned O鈥橞arry on suspicion of drunk driving.
O鈥橞arry, who appeared in the Oscar-winning documentary 鈥淭he Cove鈥 which drew worldwide attention to the small town of Taiji, has frequently visited the community to protest against its dolphin hunt.
Police have sent more officers to the town for the hunt in anticipation of possible clashes between locals and activists.
Immigration authorities have denied entry to anti-whaling demonstrators at airports, according to conservation group Sea Shepherd.
In the annual catch, people from the southwestern town corral hundreds of dolphins into a secluded bay and butcher them, a scene thrust into the global spotlight in 鈥淭he Cove.鈥
Environmental campaigners visit the town every year now to watch the hunt. The latest dolphin-killing hunt, which opens on September 1 every year, has been pushed back due to bad weather, a local fisheries association official said.
O鈥橞arry found fame first in the 1960s for catching and training five dolphins for the well-known TV series 鈥淔lipper.鈥
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