Cruel Japanese fishermen pick 25 dolphins for aquarium life from a captive pod of 250 as remainder face 'mass slaughter'

• 250 dolphins are being held captive in a cove in the village of Taiji, Japan
• 25 of the animals were selected today for a life of captivity in aquariums
• Among these was rare albino dolphin, transferred to Taiji Whale Museum
• Another captive died while being transported to a harbour holding pen
  
• Remaining dolphins will meet their fate tomorrow - possibly death by spear
• Selection process was documented in the Oscar winning film 'The Cove'
• Blame could lie with Japan's multi-million dollar marine park industry
  
• Fishermen use brutal tactics to herd and capture the dolphins in the cove
• The yearly killings mean the dolphin population is being decimated

By SOPHIE JANE EVANS

Published: 15:07 EST, 18 January 2014 | Updated: 18:39 EST, 18 January 2014

Fishermen have caught 25 dolphins from a pod of more than 250 being held captive on the coast of Japan, it is claimed.

The bottlenose dolphins, including one very young and rare albino dolphin worth millions, have been selected for a life of captivity in aquariums and marine parks ahead of a 'mass slaughter', according to environmentalists.

Those that haven't been taken will either be selected tomorrow, or stabbed to death for meat.

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Shocking: More than 250 dolphins are being held captive in a cove in the village of Taiji in south-west Japan

Protective: The captive dolphins gather around one very young and rare albino dolphin (bottom), worth millions

Selection process: The bottlenose dolphins have been selected for a life of captivity in aquariums and marine parks ahead of a 'mass slaughter'. Above, one of the animals is hauled into a boat by Japanese fishermen

Taken: Fisherman drag one of the selected dolphins onto a boat. The animal will either be transferred to the Dolphin Base, Hotel Dolphin Resort or Whale Museum, or kept in a harbour holding pen until its fate is decided

Caught: A total of 25 dolphins, including the one above, were captured during the eight-hour selection process

The brutal selection follows an international outcry, with thousands of people having taken to social networking sites during the past 24 hours to express their anger and disgust at the process.

Local fisherman and dolphin trainers arrived at a cove in the village of Taiji, on the south-west coast of Japan, shortly after 7am today, according to militant environmental group Sea Shepherd.

The dolphins had already been forced to endure an agonising 19-hour wait - with eye-witnesses reporting that the animals could be seen 'thrashing around' in the cramped cove.

A total of 25 dolphins were captured during the eight-hour selection process, according to the group.

Outcry: The captive selection follows an international outcry. Above, a Twitter user expresses her sadness

'Heartbreaking': Thousands of people having taken to social networking sites during the past 24 hours

Brutal process: The Twitter hashtag #tweet4taiji was trending across the world throughout the day

Controversial: The dolphins had already been forced to endure an agonising 19-hour wait - with eye-witnesses reporting that the animals could be seen 'thrashing around' in the water. Above, fisherman capture a dolphin

Heavy load: The animals were dragged onto surrounding boats by scuba divers using nets, tarp and wire

Uncertain fate: Dolphins that weren't taken will either be selected tomorrow, or stabbed to death for meat

They were dragged onto surrounding boats by scuba divers using nets, tarp and wire.

Among the captives was the albino dolphin, which is believed to have been immediately transported to the Taiji Whale Museum.

Albino bottlenose dolphins are extremely rare, and are worth considerable money to marine parks as spectator items and entertainment.

The other captives have either been transferred to the Dolphin Base, Hotel Dolphin Resort or Whale Museum, or are being kept in a harbour holding pen. 

However, one of the dolphins is believed to have died while being transferred to the pen - with its carcass, instead, being taken straight to a nearby butcher's house. 

Sad: The body of dolphin believed to have died during the selection process is transferred to a butcher's house

Horrific scene: If the remaining dolphins that escape captivity are not killed, they will be 'driven' back to the open ocean by 'banger boats' that force them to travel out to sea using long poles attached to the boat's sides

Harsh conditions: These poles are deployed above the water, and then the fishermen hit a flange on the top of the poles with a hammer, creating a cacophony that drives the dolphins back out to sea

The remaining animals will meet their fate - either a life of captivity or death by spear - tomorrow.

If the dolphins that escape captivity are not killed, they will be 'driven' back to the open ocean by 'banger boats' that force them to travel out to sea using long poles attached to the sides of the boat.

These poles are deployed above the water, and then the fishermen hit a flange on the top of the poles with a hammer - creating a cacophony that drives the dolphins back out to sea.

This is the same tactic that the fisherman use to push the dolphins into the cove and capture them.

Those driven back to sea will likely be very young, and will not have the guidance of the elders that have been killed or captured, making them very unlikely to survive.

Annual process: The fishing crew are pictured transferring several dolphins into the 250-strong pod

Rounded up: The dolphins were forced to wait in the pen for 19 hours until the holding reached critical mass

Heavy machinery: Fishermen hoist a dolphin out of the sea, on its way to either lifetime captivity or death

For the past couple of days, Sea Shepherd has been streaming live footage of the cove, which was made famous in the Academy Award-winning film The Cove, which documented the entire process from capture, to selection, to aftermath.

The footage has sparked outrage among people across the world - with #tweet4taiji trending on Twitter throughout the day.

Twitter user Graham Vingoe wrote: 'Heartbreaking story of wild animals being treated in such a way by Japan #tweet4taiji'

Meanwhile, a user with the handle @_LFord wrote: 'Sickening way to treat animals #tweet4taiji'

Tradition: Each year the fishermen capture and kill a huge amount of dolphins, putting the population at risk

Did she kill herself? There is speculation that the mother of this albino dolphin trapped by Japanese fishermen in a cove has committed suicide after being torn apart from her baby

Campaigning: One of the crusaders from Sea Sheperd, left, who hope to bring the dolphin's plight to light. Right,  fishermen prepare their nets to capture the next selected dolphin. None of the animals were slaughtered today

And Natalie McCallum tweeted: 'I'm so sad knowing that shortly all these poor dolphins are going to be killed for their meat. So upsetting. #tweet4taiji #tweet4dolphins'.

Meanwhile, the environmental group's Facebook page has received similar outbursts of disgust.

Emma Russell wrote: 'These animals belong to the world and these fishermen are butchers and thieves'.

And Leann Kropa added: My heart breaks for these dolphins, yet to endure another day of starvation and barbaric treatment.'

Boat: 'Banger boats' use poles and flanges to make unpleasant sounds, driving the dolphins to specific places

Preparation: Fishermen and trainers unload the orange nets yesterday - just 24 hours before decision day

Action: The scuba divers and boat drivers, left, are, for the most part, a selection of fishermen from the Ishana Fishermen's Union. Right, one of the dolphin fences inside the cove that allows the fishermen to stand watch

Today, Sea Shepherd said in a statement: 'Those taken captive are forced to watch as the remaining members of their family are brutally killed for human consumption.'

Every year the fishermen of Taiji corral hundreds of dolphins into a secluded bay, select a few dozen for sale to aquariums and marine parks, and stab the rest to death for meat.

The marine parks in Japan are modeled after the U.S. aquarium industry that make millions of dollars using dolphins for extremely popular aquatic acrobatic shows.

Pictured yesterday, the dolphins are oblivious of the impending doom some of them will suffer at the hands of the fishermen. They are captured around four to five at a time until enough of them are collected for 'selection'

Treatment: The fishermen brutally kill the dolphins they do not set free or capture using a sharp spike or spear

Cramped: The cove does not provide much space for the dolphins to swim, forcing them to huddle up in groups

The town's fishermen defend the hunt as a cultural tradition, yet 'The Cove' was met by protests from right-wing activists when it was screened in Japan in 2010.

The selection is process is likely to continue until tomorrow.

No dolphins have been slaughtered so far.

The Taiji Fisheries Cooperative Association, which is in charge of the dolphin hunt, was not immediately available for comment.