Also, the species hunted is mainly bottlenose dolphins and pilot whales, both very numerous species. Neither are in any danger of going extinct and are commonly found across the globe. So the argument that they will go extinct is also inaccurate.

Most of my objections to whale hunting is based on non-sustainable harvesting, which the IWC deals with when they set quotas for different species, and the manner of killing, which sometimes is cruel or inhumane, although the explosive harpoons have quickened the death, compared to the original harpooning. Most dolphin hunting involves lancing a dolphin for a heart stab, which is said to be one of the faster humane ways to kill a cetacean(according to some rescuers of stranded cetaceans).

If the species is numerous enough to harvest in sustainable numbers, then it's really not much different than hunters in the US killing black bears(using them with the numbers and reproductive abilities again). Bear fanciers believe bears are very spiritual and special, just as many think dolphins and whales are super special. But that's still just opinions.

I studied cetaceans for quite some time, and I do think that they are amazing creatures. That doesn't mean they are anything more than amazing animals. The great whales show little more intelligence than any other animal, although there could be a lack of oportunity since people don't get much chance to run studies on great whales after all.

I like horses, but I would not declare that horses can't be eaten in Europe. Telling the Japanese people that they cannot kill dolphins is not much different than the Japanese people coming here and telling us we cannot kill black bears.

IF and WHEN someone manages to somehow prove that a dolphin is indeed a self-aware, completely intelligent entity that matches a human's abilities, then perhaps I will revise my opinion(and yes, I realize it's merely an opinion), but until that day arrives, dolphins are cool animals who happen to taste like beef.