ROBERT GILHOOLY

• Role: Head of Global Outreach
• Organisation: PEACE (Putting an End to Animal Cruelty and Exploitation)

Robert has lived in Japan for over 30 years, working with domestic and international NGOs to put an end to animal suffering and death. He has worked on a number of issues, from the plight of abandoned companion animals destined for Japan’s “dream boxes” (a euphemism for “gas chambers”) to the exploitation of Japanese snow monkeys by the entertainment industry.

A core component of the activities he has been involved with in recent years is a campaign to end dolphin hunting, which has been globally condemned for its cruelty, but continues to this day. 

Each year, Japan authorises the hunting of almost 11,000 dolphins, primarily for captivity in aquariums and marine parks, but also for a small cetacean meat market. Permits are handed out to a handful of municipalities nationwide, the most infamous of which is the small fishing town of Taiji, where a select group hunts down hundreds of dolphins and herds them into a cove. Here some dolphins are selected for sale in the highly lucrative captivity industry, while the remainder are slaughtered on the spot for their meat. On numerous occasions Robert has witnessed the harrowing sight of the clear waters of Hatakejiri Bay, aka “The Cove,” turning red, as the hunters butcher their catch.

The hunt process is in itself a terrifying and stressful experience for the dolphins, and it is not uncommon for pregnant mothers that are herded into the cove to lose their calves through stress-induced stillbirths or miscarriages. Additionally, research has shown that dolphins who witness the slaughters suffer extreme distress. Moreover, those sold into captivity can experience lifelong stress and deprivation, and even death, including during transportation. 

Robert has collaborated with several concerned organisations to bring an end to the hunts, while also raising awareness about the harmful effects of keeping dolphins in captivity, which has been banned, or is being phased out by numerous countries due to the growing public sentiment against it. 

This is no easy task: Many Japanese are led to believe that the dolphin hunts here are part of a centuries-long tradition, but in reality they are nothing more than a multi-million-dollar business that started in 1969 to coincide with the opening of an aquarium — in Taiji! 

Together with the Japanese NGO PEACE (Putting an End to Animal Cruelty and Exploitation), Robert is now planning to extend its awareness-raising efforts by urging Japanese municipalities and members of the public to look beyond captive environments such as marine parks. The aim is to encourage them to engage with dolphins through alternative, more responsible and kinder wildlife experiences such as sanctuaries, where the ultimate goal is to return captive dolphins to their natural habitat.

Dolphin hunting and captivity are just two of the issues that PEACE has tackled since its inception. Indeed, it has been taking action on a wide range of animal welfare issues, including as a member of the executive committee of the “No sacrifice for beauty” campaign against animal testing for cosmetics, and a campaign to end the National BioResource Project “Japanese Macaques,” which raises and breeds large numbers of Japanese snow monkeys for animal experiments in research labs. 

Furthermore, the NGO is lobbying the Japanese government for change to animal welfare legislation, which is woefully behind many other parts of the world, gaining a rare seat at the table of a project team set up in the non-partisan Parliament Members Caucus to revise the Animal Protection Act, which at present is completely toothless, especially when it comes to protecting animals that suffer the most.

Through its website, social media platforms and other media, PEACE reports on and takes action against animal abuse, illegal trade, illegal breeding, and so forth. It also cooperates with other like-minded organizations both domestically and internationally. It recently joined hands with World Animal Protection and Action for Dolphins to successfully convince some travel companies to stop selling captive wild animal entertainment, especially venues associated with the Taiji dolphin hunts.

The name of the association, “PEACE,” is not just an acronym. It also reflects a core belief that true peace does not only mean peace for humans. PEACE believes animals also have the right to live peacefully, without being abused or exploited by humans.

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