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“Animal Cruelty” at Okinawa Aquarium?

Nicki H. from Australia sent this site an e-mail claiming that there is “animal cruelty” taking place at the Churaumi Aquarium in Okinawa Ocean Expo Park:

While I was visiting Japan last month, I saw some animal cruelty at the Churaumi Aquarium in Okinawa Ocean Expo Park.

The Sea Turtle Pool and Dugong pools are too small and the animals look so miserable. The Dugongs especially, can not swim because their pools are too small, they have only concrete walls to look at and nothing to eat or do.

Can you please alert the officals and ask them to send some inspectors to the Churaumi Aquarium in Okinawa to check on these conditions.

The Acquarium is located at 424 Ishikawa, Within Okinawa Expo Park, Motobu Town, Okinawa

Here are a few video clips of the Dugong tank, which is allegedly “too small” to allow the animals space to swim:

And the sea turtles:

From the video clips, it looks like the size of the tanks at the Churaumi Aquarium aren’t much different from those at other aquariums I have visited in Japan (or the United States). The Churaumi Aquarium is one of Okinawa’s major tourist attractions, and I’d be very surprised if it has never been subject to an inspection by authorities. Nicki may think that the conditions are cruel, but it is doubtful that regulations are being violated.

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56 comments - What do you think? Posted by James - February 18, 2011 at 4:25 pm

Categories: Animal Videos Tags:

Alex

The tanks are obviously big enough for the animals to swim, although there are plenty of things that could be done to make the tanks better. I agree that the concrete scenery must be pretty boring but that is not animal abuse.
RichInLondon

Throw in a PS3 and TV because animals have the same intellectual needs as humans
flowby

Such cramped facilities the world over are another anachronistic example of some peoples obssession with “locking up” animals and some peoples obssessions with oohing & ahhing at “locked up” animals.

http://www.google.com/reader/shared/atatakai Alan

I’m sure a huge part of the motivation in keeping such small tanks is that the visitors like it that way, with the animals swarming over the viewing area regularly.

I’ve known of responsible zoos where people come and complain because they can never see the animals. Well duh, you can’t see them in the wild and it’s not in their nature to be conspicuous.
Day-Bee-Toe

Cramped facilities called “farms” the world over are another anachronistic example of some peoples obssession with “eating” animals and some peoples obssessions with oohing & ahhing at “cooked” animals. LOL

flowby

Exactly.

Go beyond the id – evolve.

Matt

I have alerted the officials and they assured me that they will soon get to the bottom of this matter.
fish taco

They do appear to be pretty standard tanks but I think most of these places are bordering on abuse. It would be nice if they could at least try to give all of the animals an environment similar to what they would have if they were free. I know these animal might not have the same thoughts and emotions as humans but I’m sure that’s got to be a mind numbingly boring life.
Jordan

Having been to this aquarium I can tell you that the tanks are MASSIVE.

They have a whale shark for heaven’s sake.

Do I sense some Japan bashing?

niels

They have 3 whale sharks, actually.
flowby

Japan Bashing???

Some are always looking for a rock to turn over..

And on topic the tanks you saw may well be massive, but the ones in the clip sure don’t appear to be.

And massive or not – “exotic” animals in the 21st century don’t need to be confined in extremely limited areas for the entertainment of humans.
damien spatula

Jordan has been looking at the main tanks… and forgotten about the size of the specific dugong tanks.

Kevin not kevin

Compared to the aquarium in Shinagawa, this one definitely looks like a dump.
Mike S

I don’t think this is Japan bashing, just someone concerned about the condition animals are living in. Personally I don’t feel that happy when I visit a zoo, it doesn’t matter what country it is in. Keeping animals in a cramped and boring environment and having them perform tricks for our amusement just seems so antiquated. Similarly I think those tv shows where they have dress up chimpanzees and have them perform tricks are bullshit. I’m sure there are worse aquariums around, but this seems like a dump. Also I think keeping large marine mammals, like orca, in tanks is really cruel.

joebibo

well then you are visiting the wrong zoo’s ,

FullFrontal

Thanks for being Animal police, Australian!!

Next, please save the poor kangaroos being genocided by your fellow Australians!!
Thanks!

Liam

The culling of Kangaroos is a necessary evil. It’s hardly genocide, it’s a mercy killing if anything. Their populations have reached pest levels. The land just can’t support the numbers of Kangaroos that are trying to live on them, and it’s impacting on the populations of other species, including endangered species.

Having said that, whoever this guy was who wrote in should take a look at the facilities at similar locations here in Australia. They’re honestly not all that different in terms of size. Hell, Sea World in San Diego from memory has tanks for some of its attractions which are even smaller than the ones seen in the videos here, and that place is supposed to be considered world class!

Simon

I’m Australian and I love roo shooting as much as the rest of ‘em, but I’m calling bullshit on this. The land can very well support the number of kangaroos that are around. Easily. What our problem with them is, is that they are annoying the farmers. Breaking fences and getting mixed up in things.

Saying kangaroos are out of control is just as stupid as saying whales are out of control.

Tony D

Maybe elsewhere, but during the drought there wasn’t enough food/water for them so they flocked into Canberra’s outer suburbs. There were even a couple of times they actually came into peoples homes.

kujirakira

And why are kangaroos “out of control”?
Could it be because you’ve killed most of the apex predators off?
And why were those killed?
Because they were going after livestock presumably.
So in other words, Australia’s meat exports are more important than their own environment and that justifies culling over a million animals a year whose corpses are, predominantly, just left to rot.
Meanwhile, the same exact people demonize Japanese for culling cetaceans in their own waters, while maintaining biodiversity (something Australia has failed exceedingly at, unless you count invasive species as biodiversity)
But the best are the recent campaigns to demonize Japanese for bluefin tuna, when it’s Australians who have the top quota. They’ll claim that it’s still Japan’s fault for “driving” the demand — all while happy to take the cash hand over fist.
That’s quite a brilliant scheme if you ask me. Make bank killing a “critically endangered” (IUCN) species while laying all the blame on somebody else. Australian hands are so red and green with blood and greed that they must look like Christmas decorations.
Of course Europe does the same thing, and SS is happy to comply. For the past 2 years Italy has been cited for illegal fishing issues (Japan has not), both related to tuna. Spain and France also collude with Italy to keep European quotas of Atlantic Bluefin higher than scientific advice. They then turn around and blame Africans and Japanese.
When SS showed up on their bluefin tuna campaign, they even toured French and Spanish ports — appearing at Cannes and giving propaganda speeches in Spain. They lounged around for several weeks in the same ports that catch bluefine. Then, on the last days of the season, they sought out some African fishermen and assaulted people from Malta.

But, rest assured, none of this has anything to do with bigotry or playing off of the extensive and well-documented racial prejudices in Europe or Australia.

Karen

The manatee in the last video is showing the classic telltale signs of mental boredom. Swimming around in circles and circles and circles. Animals have the mentality to commit suicide, just like humans, and I wouldnt be surprised if this aquarium goes through manatees like crazy because of them dying of boredom. Literally.

They should at least try to replicate the natural habitat of these animals. Just because they’re animals does not mean they are inferior. An effort by this museum would be nice.

Just a guest

That kind of behaviour is known as stereotypy.

Kevin

The sea turtles have it larger than what used to house them in but the manatees have it really mundane compared to what we have for harbour seals and sea lions. A nice gradient bottom would be good for manatees even if it were wider than deep but logistics means boring concrete floor due to filtration ease. Can’t really decorate with any vegetation as they’d eat it but they can really try for a small lagoon like feel.
Level3

It’s pretty simple. If you’re the type who thinks zoos and aquariums are cruel to animals. Then STOP BUYING TICKETS. You are financing the “cruelty” you claim to hate.
Vox24

“The Sea Turtle Pool and Dugong pools are too small and the animals look so miserable.”

…

Can anyone honestly say they’ve ever seen a Turtle or a Dugong that looked like they were having a great time? You never hear anyone say “frolicking like a turtle” or “grinning like a dugong”…
teemid

I’m sorry to say this, but I feel like I’ve just found another sh*tty hypocrite Australian.

Larger size of the pool would make them happier, is that what she thinks?
It could be cruel for any animals being kept in the zoo and the aquarium, because they are not free.
But it might be easier to survive, because they don’t need to hunt or to protect themselves from other animals.

Hearing things like people saying ‘the animals look so miserable’ makes me lough.
She seems absolutely not understanding what kind of places the zoos and the aquariums are.
Or maybe she just love herself by feeling pity for them.　What a joke.

Tony D

“But it might be easier to survive, because they don’t need to hunt or to protect themselves from other animals.”

I don’t buy this logic. It’s like saying serving a life sentence in prison is better than being free because you don’t have to work for a living, all your food and needs are provided for, etc.

teemid

It’s NOT the point.
Being kept in zoo or aquarium is already cruel. That’s what I meant.
She wants to see animals in aquarium, but not in small pools, because they look miserable ??
It still makes me lough.

Alvaro

The sea turtles’ tank doesn’t look too bad, but the manatees’ tank is in dire need for improvement. I have seen many pools that are bigger and that get more light than that tank. It’s really hard to tell how these animals are feeling, but animals can become insane too, and an environment so reduced and with no familiar sight whatsoever where they can’t swim in a straight line for more than 2 seconds is bound to harm them both mentally and physically. It is also strange to see all this in a Japanese aquarium, with Japan being the third economy in the planet. I have seen aquariums in the caribbean and in third-world countries that are far cleaner and better adapted to fit big manatees like these.

Also, even if the authorities have supervised this already, having certain regulations for animal custody doesn’t mean we have to apply just the minimum care measures necessary to comply.

To the author of this entry: This is a serious topic regardless if the person making the claim is exaggerating or not, and your use of “” in the title already frames the rest of the article (and the opinion of this person) in a bad light to your readers’ eyes.
Weirdo

I’m not really a fan of the idea of zoos and aquariums in general myself, but when I went there, I thought that they were actually bigger than the ones I’ve seen in the states (monterey bay aquarium). And if I remember correctly, Chura Aquarium has the world’s largest tank.
Hyak

The animals look fine to me,they all look healthy….I doubt this person who complained understands what a happy animal is,because she can’t even tell the difference between a manatee and a dugong.

Even intelligent species don’t think the same way humans do,I doubt many of them have a concept of freedom.Especially if any of these animals have never seen the wild,wich is very possible as these are species that do breed in captivity.
Hamachiman

Animal cruelty huh? This the same location where one of the very few baby manatee/dugongs were ever born in captivity.

I swear, every wanna be activist with a video camera and youtube access wants to be the next big “hero.”

What is this, audition time for the next season of sea shepherd?

I remember this is the same aquarium where the media tried to sensationalize how cruel these ‘evil japanese’ were when a dolphin apparently tried to jump out of one of the pools.
islandview

Nicki H. from Australia　is so concerned about possible ‘animal cruelty’ at the Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium that he sends an email to Japan Probe???? This is not an offense on Japan Probe site, it is just very odd he sent an email to this website.

If he was ACTUALLY AT that aquarium he could have seen the international accredidation plaques that are on display there.
He could have talked to the staff about his concerns.
He could have called the police to report this ‘crime’.
He could have sent an email (along with evidence, those YouTube videos linked in this articles are not his) to the proper organization(s) that deal with concerns such as this. (easily found using an internet search site)
etc, etc.

I really doubt he was actually at the aquarium, he probably just saw some videos online and decided to try and stir up another controversy about Japan.

Oh, and by the way…. Japan Probe, nearly everyday I see some dogs tied up at homes near me here in Ginowan City, Okinawa that are dirty and not well kept, looked bored, lay on conrete all day and appear hungry. “Can you please alert the officals and ask them to send some inspectors” to check on this?

Hamachiman

All good points, I mean, he didn’t actually send any of his own videos, he just made the claim that he visited the place and saw this “abuse.”

He could have just saw it one day on youtube and thought he’d be the next great animal rescue hero cum vigilante on the world wide web.

But when you think about it, the staff here at Japan Probe would probably be more open to these kinds of submissions compared to, let’s say, CNN. Even CNN or any other mainstream media would probably laugh at this guy’s claims of “cruelty.”

Shawnji

Eh. I’ve seen much worse than that. There’s a “zoo” in Kiryu that makes that place look downright swanky. I’m still pretty sure that place isn’t violating any regulations, either. Whether the animals enjoy it or not and are happy is up for debate, but…
Dev

We offer a trade: Australia hands over all Sea Shepard Activists and Property to Japan as arrestees and forfeited property, and we use funds from sale of forfeiture property to help give the animals better conditions.

Fair is fair, right?

flowby

‘Cept wotincrisname has ss got to do with it?

Someone makes a comment about what he/she saw in okinawa and out come the old

“Yeah…….But wadda’bout the kangaroos”

“Yeah…….But wadda’bout the chickens”

“Yeah…….But wadda’bout the ss”

“Yeah…… Yeah…….wa….Wadda’bout the…….you….you…”

“You j-bashers”

ponta

I have little idea how ss got to do with it here, but generally when someone says in this context something like “Yeah…….But wadda’bout the kangaroos, Yeah…….But wadda’bout the chickens, Yeah…… .wa….Wadda’bout the…….you….you…”,

“Yeah, you hypocrite, ” is much closer to what he–whoever he is—wanted to say provided he held a double standard, no?

flowby

Hi Ponta – sorry – But I can’t follow your line at all.
ponta

” But I can’t follow your line at all.”

It the size of the tanks in your country is not much different from the size of the tanks in Japan and if you turn blind an eye to the tanks in your country but blame the tanks in Japan, you are applying a double standard.
If you approve of killing kangaroos and pigs by your fellowman but you disapprove of killing whales by Japanese for cruelty (provided there is no fear of extinction), you are applying a double standard and mostly likely you are a hypocrite or probably a racist just like a cop who only crack down black people.
And a hypocrite and a racist use a double standard to bash the others they want to attack.

I
flowby

Ponta – I agree with your analogy and would certainly see the hypocrisy in such.

However the simple gist of my posting was the nature of the attacks on nicki of australia.

The attacks often follow the same unsubstantiated hypothetical line and is neither clever nor informative – so I made an amateurish attempt at sarcastic humour to convey that point.

Nicki may well be a kangaroo eating, dog-kicking, hypocritical racist hell-bent on stirring the pot.

BUT she also may well be a pacifist vegan who works for an animal shelter as veteranarian and does volunteer work in her free time helping refugees from strife stricken countries.

Either extreme (or a myriad of betweens) is possible. So the point is – until we know facts about something, presumptive attacks on a person hold little value in intelligent discussion.

And I’ve noticed a recent trend on this forum for posters to do that, and it belittles what are often otherwise interesting debate topics.
ponta

“Ponta – I agree with your analogy and would certainly see the hypocrisy in such.”

Thanks, I pointed it out because I am sick and tired of seeing hypocrites about, say the issue of comfort women, whales, etc.

” Either extreme (or a myriad of betweens) is possible”

Right. But if one wants to improve the situation internationally,it it a good suggestion worth listening to.

” I’ve noticed a recent trend on this forum for posters to do that,and it belittles what are often otherwise interesting debate topics”

It won’t belittle the debate if one is also ready to be critical of her/his own people in the same way s/he is critical of the others. Unfortunately I’ve often noticed racists in disguise.

Hinomaru

‘Poor animals’!!!!!

While Nicki H. from Australia feels sorry for the seal or whatever it is, I bet she’s eating bloody red meat (I mean rare steak) with A1 steak sauce or whatever steak sauce she puts on it at the end of the day. This is just racism using ‘poor animals’ (which she eats BTW) as a lame excuse. Hell her country treats animals worse than in Japan.

Check it out via youtube:

Stop Animal Cruelty – The Killing of Kangaroos, Australia’s Icon (minute 3:15 see that baby kangaroo or joey get whacked to death alive)

How do we treat animals in Australia? (Pigs got locked up)

Racist Australia and Japanese whaling 白豪主義オーストラリア (Dingos are your trophy)

Animal Cruelty In United States (Drug them up and butcher them alive)

Dolphin & Whale Massacre in Europe (Kill them intelligent animals. If they were intelligent, they wouldn’t get killed. Europeans can eat whales, but Japanese can’t. I thought whales need to be ‘saved’. Only if they are Japanese, right. Racists)

You can see them beating the sxxt out of them, chopping their heads off and showing them all off as ‘trophy’ oftentimes alive. How come you aren’t ‘fighting for them’, Nicki H.
I bet its because you’re too busy stuffing your face with ‘bloody red meat’.

What a hypocrite and just admit you are one and a racist one.
Hamachiman

Maybe we should fit the manatee pool with a 50 inch plasma big screen t.v., leather sofas, and a fully stocked bar so they won’t be so “bored” or “cruelly mistreated.”

flowby

Why – they’re not humans. More anthro-morphs.

kujirakira

Sounds like the usual bs from animal rights nutjobs.
They’re making a lot of money off of Taiji, so why not expand to dugongs?
Because you know Australia loves their dugongs and sea turtles…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yjlt9V5GYLA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gyVjP8Kfyb4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQKEh4HPnhI

Hmmm, ok, maybe not.
But Australia really really loves animals in general.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/jan/13/macquarie-cats-conservation

http://www.smh.com.au/environment/kangaroos-are-the-big-losers-in-this-years-bathurst-1000-20091001-ger3.html

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/unleashed/2009/04/joeys-are-decapitated-clubbed-as-byproduct-of-commercial-kangaroo-hunting-industry.html

http://www.newser.com/story/74899/aussies-will-kill-6k-thirsty-camels-besieging-town.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GgOsdBTe1s8

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/1834061.stm

http://www.abc.net.au/news/video/2010/03/15/2846531.htm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W91HzchfJ_c

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/picturegalleries/howaboutthat/7077472/Blobfish-worlds-most-miserable-looking-marine-animal-facing-exinction.html

http://www.australiasharkfishing.com/

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/03/05/2507974.htm

http://www.themercury.com.au/article/2010/04/09/138715_tasmania-news.html

http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/programguide/stories/200808/s2340969.htm

Perhaps I meant to say Australians’ love to kill animals, wreck their own environment, and even drive many to the brink of extinction.

http://www.theage.com.au/news/National/Its-the-thrill-not-the-kill-they-say/2005/03/19/1111086058304.html?from=moreStories

http://greens.org.au/node/5006

flowby

Kujirakira – ONE person’s comment is NOT representative of a nation.

Your outpourings obviously disclose a bigoted agenda with little or no tolerance for individual thought, because you clump all thoughts together based on nationality.

It seems when someone does exactly that re Japan – out come all the “racist” knives.

I can go to bed grinning now.

returner

They’re a lot bigger than the apartments of many humans in Japan. Why should the animals get better treatment?
Karina

While I’m not sure whether this aquarium has anybody who can answer emails in English, why didn’t he attempt to email the aquarium, or attempt to search for contact info of the aquarium?

If his allegations are false, it’s going to be pretty embarrassing for him, however.

Karina

Clarification: I just re-read the article, and most likely the name is of a female, not male. Sorry for my mistake.

kelly

I live in Okinawa and visited the aquarium in mid January with my mom. These tanks, which are separate from the large whale shark and main aquarium, appear to be under reconstruction or renovation of some kind.
takahide

that’s laugh , Australian mention about Dugong .

they hunt Dugong for food . I always ask them, if they ask me about whaling

i ask
“then Why your country hunts dugong for food? as you know Dugong is more more engangered marmmal than whales”

no one can answer my question. some australian guys could answer.

a guy said
“because that is our culture”　　LOL

other guy said just “Fxxk you”

the australian is extremely racist, hypocrist and egoist among the western countries

australian hunts dugong
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_xCplLMTn4
rick

Hello! what do you expect from the people who wipe out whales and dolphins in this day and age. When it comes to animal compassion the oriental races are a horror show.Ive seen chinese markets selling snakes and bats ect… they are skinning and cooking the animals while their still alive.Cold people,hey!who knows maybe that japan earthquake was payback karma from mother nature.Oh and speaking of karma,lets not forget Nan King in 1937 or Bataan.Their actions speak for thremselves.

Day-Bee-Toe

Hello! what do you expect from the people who mistakenly believe such a terrible demagogue that some people are to wipe out whales and dolphins and that whales and dolphins are “more equal than others” in this day and age. When it comes to animal compassion the occidental races are a horror show. I know that Chinese and Japanese food cultures are hardly related and Nazi Germany was very “progressive” when it comes to animal protection. Grouping Japanese, Chinese and Koreans in one category “oriental races” is a very cheap and horrible racial “theory” like the Nazi one. Crazy people,hey! Who knows maybe that 9/11 attack was payback karma from Polish Jews. Oh and speaking of karma, lets not forget the extermination of Native Americans, Tasmanians and the Slave Trades and the fact the usage of the word “karma” by stupid Western New Age believers are very similar to the one of Aum Shinrikyo, which is the Buddhist version of Al-Qaeda.Their actions speak for thremselves.

GO TO HELL.

Day-Bee-Toe

Seriously, why many Westerners love to speak of the karma? They are like Crusaders, if not Talibans. “Karma” is a Buddhist term and it shouldn’t be used outside religious debates between Buddhists. I’m really horrified. Anyone who can tell the Tohoku Earthquake is “karma” are not humans. Death to those hate-speakers.

Heil Watson! Heil Dolphins! Sieg Heil to our Sea Shepherd!

saruzaru

First off, why are people talking about dugongs. If you are going to say anything, then at least say the right animal. These are manatees, and they are different. There are only 6 dugongs in captivity. So many people say this is cruel, but have you ever thought that captivity can potentially save these guys. I mean they get medical care, food, and they don’t have to worry about predators. Of course this can be argued either way, but there are positive affects too. Most animals under captivity are studied for their behaviors so that the ones that are in the wild can be better protected. Hell, these guys might even be saved from having to be hit by a boat propeller, which is too common an injury for these guys. Some times few gotta suffer for the better of many others. That is life sometimes ppl.

“Animal Cruelty” at Okinawa Aquarium?

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