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eS ecetlels!

Brittney MacDonald
Senior Columnist

en you hear the
phrase “Dolphins Day,”
it evokes the childish joy of
parades and fun associated
with the beloved animal; but
for conservationists around
the world, Dolphin Day on

it marks the beginning of the
Taiji dolphin drive, a seven-
month long hunt that takes

Thousands of dolphins
and porpoises are herded
from their migratory patterns
by fisherman into a secluded
cove in Taiji, Japan. The most
attractive of the cetaceans are
singled out by trainers from
around the world to be part

1 marks ‘Dolphins WA

NE

: of aquariums, other sea-life

: exhibitions, and breeding

: programs. The rest, however,
: are slaughtered for their meat
: or driven back out to sea.

The hunt has been

criticized because of the
: number of dolphins and
: porpoises slaughtered, as
: well as the methods with

September 1 is dreaded because : which they are killed. After

: the dolphin family groups,

: known as pods, have been

: herded into the cove, they are
-, + fenced in with nets, and killed
place from September to April. within hearing distance of
: the rest of the pod, who then

: become distressed by not only
: the sounds of the restrained

: animals, but by the smell of

: blood in the water.

The accounts of the

: slaughter bear a remarkable

sie aWevap emex-dexctel

: similarity to the controversial

: Whistler cull of 100 sled dogs

: by Robert Fawcett in 2010

: following the Olympic Games.
: The incident garnered media

: attention when Fawcett was

: brought up on accusations

: of cruelty for killing the dogs

: and for causing undue trauma
: and stress to the remaining

: animals.

The actual method of

: struggle for life for up to 30
: minutes.

Last year, worldwide

: attention was brought to the

: hunt when CNN and other

: news sources tracked the

: capture of Angel, a rare albino
: dolphin calf. Angel now lives

: in captivity in the Taiji Whale:
: Museum. The museum is being :
: sued by environmental activist :
: : groups and Ric O’Barry, former :
: slaughter used on the dolphins :
: is supposed to consist of
: a humane method called
: pithing, in which a metal rod is :
: driven into the head to destroy :
: the brain—quickly killing the
: mammal. The majority of the
: killings are done improperly,

: however, as the metal rods are
: only inserted into the spinal

: cords, leaving the dolphins to

trainer for the 1960’s television

: show Flipper, for the museum’s :
: rule that no environmental

activists or dolphin experts will
be allowed admittance to see

Angel to determine her welfare.

O’Barry is best known in

recent years for his activism

: in opposing the Taiji dolphin
: drive. He was featured in

: the Oscar-winning 2009

theotherpress.ca

 

The hunt has been
criticized not

only due to the
number of dolphins
and porpoises
slaughtered, but the
method in which
they are killed.

: documentary The Cove, a film
: that follows a group of activists
: as they attempt to expose the

: brutality of the hunt, and the

: health concerns surrounding

: the consumption of dolphin

: meat.

Live coverage of the hunt

: can be found on SeaShepard.org

 

BC teacher's strike continues

» Summarizing the strike thus far as school approaches

, Angela Espinoza
News Editor
Minews
@theotherpress.ca

 

¥ 2
fter a long summer of

striking, lockouts, and
negotiations, the British

(BCTF) and the BC Liberals

ground, as of this article’s
writing. The only sure fact is
that the 2014/15 school year,
whether it happens or not, is on :
the horizon.

Officially starting on June
17, the 2014 strike has lasted
almost three months thus far.
There’s been a final attempt
to get the public school year

: back on track, with renowned
: mediator Vince Ready at the

: table as of August 28. However,
: even Ready has stated that both :
: parties still can’t seem to meet
: halfway.

“They still are a long

ways apart,” Ready told

: CBC that same afternoon.
Columbia Teachers’ Federation : 1ve asked them to return
: tomorrow [August 29]
still can’t seem to find common : with their bargaining

: committees and present me
: with some proposals that

will hopefully lead to some

: serious negotiations and the

: continuation of negotiations.”

Ina unique turn, with the

: public school year ideally set to
: begin September 2, there seems :
: to bea separation between the
: strike and the schools. Parents
: are now concerned with

: pace.

: whether or not their children
: will be back in classrooms on
: time, yet many still want the

strike to end at an appropriate

The 2014 strike is yet

: another ina long run of the

: BCTF using their time to

: advocate for improved teaching
: conditions.

Since 2002, when the

Public Education Flexibility
: and Choice Act (Bill 28) was
: enacted by then-Education
: Minister Christy Clark, BC

: public school teachers have
: found many of their rights :
: removed, including their ability :
: fine unconstitutional. In
January of this year, the

: BCTF won and was owed

: $2-million in damages by

: the Liberal government. In

to discuss class sizes and staff-
to-student ratios.
In early 20u BC public

: school teachers were without
> acontract, as the government

: was given a 12-month period

: to reverse the changes made

: from Bill 28. By February

: 2012, little change had taken

: place; the main purpose of

: introducing the Education

: Improvement Act (Bill 22)

: was for Bill 22 to end by June
: 2013 so further discussion

: could happen ata later date.

: A mass strike resulted in

: March 2012. The government
: then attempted to fine the

: BC teachers who continued

: to strike, a case which the

: BCTF took to court with

: Justice Susan Griffin. Justice

Griffin found the attempted

: February, Education Minister
: Peter Fassbender stated the

: provincial government would
: appeal the ruling.

In July, Finance Minister

: Mike de Jong stated the BC

: government would be willing to
: pay parents $40 a day in savings
: were the strike to continue into
: the public school year.

Throughout the strike,

: BCTF president Jim Iker

: has defended the strike,

: and argued against BC

: government spending and

: earlier regulations like striking
: teachers’ not being allowed

: toattend their students’

: graduations this year.

“We know we need

government to show some
: flexibility,” Iker told the Globe
: and Mail. “I’m hopeful.”