The World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA) has been accused of complicity in the notorious Taiji dolphin hunts in Japan, in an exclusive story by The Guardian.
Conservationists are taking WAZA to court, accusing it of sanctioning a deal involving the fishermen who also hunt the dolphins.
A “dolphin management protocol” was allegedly agreed in 2009 to herd small numbers of dolphins to shore, before capturing them and sending them to aquariums.
WAZA said it had tried to pressure Japanese authorities to phase out the hunts and said it was not participating “in any way or form”.
WARNING: The video above contains scenes some may find distressing.
