Were 900 dolphins murdered out of spite?

As many as 900 dolphins have been slaughtered by villagers in the Solomon Islands, allegedly due to a dispute with the conservation group Earth Island Institute.

Accounts from the Islanders suggest the villagers were expecting payment from the conservation group to stop their traditional hunt. The check never arrived, resulting in a hunt more fervid than usual. The Earth Island Institute alleges the slaughter was the work of a "renegade group," according to U.K. newspaper The Guardian.

According to Radio Australia, villagers from Fanalei, on the island of Malaita, had been in negotiations with the California-based conservation group for two years. They accused the Earth Island Institute of failing to pay the agreed upon $400,000 to halt their traditional hunt. Villagers claim they received only one third of the promised payment before funds dried up.

As a result, the disillusioned villagers went back to hunting, according to Fanalei community leader Atkin Fakaia.

The Solomon Islands are well known as a hot bed for dolphin hunting. The Islands supply wildlife to aquariums in China and Dubai, where a live dolphin can go for upwards of $150,000. Earth Island Institute hoped to preserve the dolphin population by offering restitution for not hunting.

"We are very, very disappointed," David Phillips, who oversees international dolphin protection efforts for the conservation group, told The Guardian. "This is a tragedy. It's bad for dolphins. It's bad for the community. It's bad for the Solomon Islands as a nation to have this blot on the record."

[margroks]

DOlphins appear to be very intelligent and hunting intelligent creatures is abominable. The islanders should find another way; that's no excuse. In fact, it's appalling that they expect to be bribed not to kill sentiant beings.

[wolfmagic2012]

Mindless acts of the unevolved.

[Scimajor]

This tragedy comes out of certain people having no respect for life. Sad.

[newjackcitypost]

The tragedy comes from people not respecting a contract. I notice that this article includes no mention of why Earth Island failed to pay them the money that they promised.

The reason Earth Island was paying them not to hunt is that for a lot of these people, dolphin hunting is their job- their livelihood. Without money and without income from dolphin hunting the people of Fanalei are up a creek without a paddle.

Anyone have more info on how the relationship between Fanalei and Earth Island broke down, or why/how the dolphin hunt was more intense than usual?

[mack642004]

The dolphins had it coming.