Aquariums set to breed dolphins

TOKYO: Japanese aquariums are beginning to consider breeding bottlenose dolphins through artificial insemination as a way to maintain their numbers and avoid continuing international criticism against displaying dolphins caught in the wild.

A small male dolphin swimming with its mother has become a major attraction at the Port of Nagoya Public Aquarium after it was born this May through artificial insemination, the first such birth reported in Japan in 14 years.

The mother was removed from dolphin shows about six months prior to delivery and remains so.

“Showing how a new life is born and growing like this is the purpose of an aquarium’s existence,” said aquarium director Hiroshi Nitto.

Hoping to learn from the rare success, other aquariums in the country have contacted its officials to learn about its techniques.

Aquariums nationwide current hold about 200 bottlenose dolphins, with a large portion of them being caught in controversial drive hunts off the western Japan town of Taiji. The ratio of aquarium-bred dolphins only accounts for around 20%, according to the Japanese Association of Zoos and Aquariums (Jaza).

In 2015, the aquariums were rocked over whether to continue obtaining dolphins through drive hunts after the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums voted unanimously to suspend Jaza’s membership.

Jaza subsequently banned its members from acquiring Taiji dolphins, prompting some to cancel their membership of the Japanese body.

While remaining members were left with no choice but to breed bottlenose dolphins, Jaza had estimated that if aquariums in the country resort only to breeding the species, the total population at the facilities will drop to 69 by 2030.