Stefano Virtuani, in his Jan. 26 letter, "Little respect for the oceans," is "outraged by the annual brutal slaughter" of dolphins at Taiji. He seems to be unaware of the age-old practice at La Mattanza, off the coast of Sicily, where blue fin tuna are rounded up in a death chamber of nets and then killed by spear-like instruments: lots of blood and big dead fish. Yet, not a word of complaint from either the Italian public or from the U.S. ambassador to Italy about this "inhumane" and "brutal practice."
If the Mattanza seems now to be coming to an end, it is not because of moral qualms but due to a lack of tuna (overfishing).
The opinions expressed in this letter to the editor are the writer's own and do not necessarily reflect the policies of The Japan Times.