Broome and the town of Taiji have a long history, dating to back to the late 1800’s. Many young men from Japan travelled to Broome to work; around 90% of these men were from the town of Taiji.
Intensive foreign whaling in the small coastal whaling town of Taiji had pushed the price of whale meat down, subsequently the industry was in decline. Unable to survive in the failing industry, the young boys of Taiji heard through the crews of foreign ships that there was money to be earned in the Pearling Industry of Northwestern Australia. They headed to Broome and thus the township gained some of the best pearl divers and tenders in the Pearling Fleet.
In 1981 Broome and Taiji signed a sister-town agreement; the “horizons of this contract, this friendship, are not just the two towns, but Australia and Japan. More, it is our firm belief that our efforts will contribute to the peace of the whole world.”
In August 2009 the World premiere of the Academy Award-winning documentary ‘The Cove’ was screened in the town of Broome. Jeff Hansen, Australian Director of the The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, along with Ric O’Barry, star of the film, MP’s, Shire councillors and prominent citizens attended the screening which exposed the horrific dolphin drive hunts of Taiji.
Una Baker, a Broome resident, stood in front of her fellow Broome citizens and Shire councillors and said: “How can any resident of Broome watch this film and not want to suspend the relationship with Taiji? We are connected to our sister and therefore we are connected to this slaughter of these beautiful and highly intelligent beings. If the rest of the world is rallying to stop this slaughter, then it is Broome’s obligation as the sister to go above and beyond any means possible to shut this down for good!”
An emergency Shire meeting was called and councillors unanimously voted to suspend Broome’s sister city relationship with the Japanese whaling port town saying “the suspension will continue for as long as Taiji continues its horrific slaughter”. The council also agreed to help Taiji establish other industries so that the town could survive economically if it abandoned the hunting of whales and dolphins.
The impact of the suspension on Taiji (and Broome) was immense; only 8 weeks later the Broome Shire Council reversed course and overturned the resolution, stating it “unreservedly apologizes to the Japanese community in Broome and Taiji, their families and friends for any disrespect caused by the council’s resolution (and) the haste with which the decision was made.”
The Japan Times reported on October 15th that the Taiji Fisheries Cooperative had not killed any dolphins in that current harvest, which started at the beginning of September.
It is clear that when “Broome Speaks, Taiji Listens.”
Included in the list of rescission-minuted resolutions was one that could help end dolphin hunting in Taiji forever, yet this is the only resolution the Broome Shire has failed to act upon. “The Shire of Broome would like to support Taiji by offering to facilitate alternative economic opportunities similar to those that have seen Broome flourish through tourism and promotion of its natural marine resources and landscape beauty to the people of Taiji.”
To this date the Shire of Broome have done nothing; it remains silent and refuses to discuss the issue. It is of the opinion, in contradiction to the signed contract, that the sister town agreement is not the business of anyone outside of the Broome Shire.
Broome has become a multi billion dollar tourist mecca and a multi billion dollar Japanese investment hub built, in part, off the backs of hardworking Taiji people and their descendants.
Broome’s lack of action on it’s resolution demonstrates an arrogant indifference to it’s sister citizens in Taiji and to the thousands of captured and slaughtered dolphins that have been driven into The Cove for decades.
Taiji too could become a tourist destination; it is a stunning place, yet it remains one of the most despised towns in the world thanks to a small group of profiteering dolphin hunters and dealers, who through their greedy, irresponsible actions are contributing to the global demise of small cetacean species.
Broome’s complacent silence is inexcusable, it must be held accountable for allowing the slaughter to continue. It is duty bound to act —and it should. Broome Shire has the ability, the connections and the bargaining chips, all it needs is the backbone to make change happen. It was the Shire that made the resolution. It is the Shire that must follow through. Imagine the possibilities if it did.
“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” – Edmund Burke
Ask Broome Shire Councillors To uphold their resolution!
THESE 7 PEOPLE CAN ACT TO END THIS!
councillor.johnston@broome.wa.gov.au councillor.tracey@broome.wa.gov.au councillor.fryer@broome.wa.gov.au councillor.fairborn@broome.wa.gov.au councillor.male@broome.wa.gov.au councillor.mitchell@broome.wa.gov.au councillor.rudeforth@broome.wa.gov.au
References:
Broomeandthekimberley.com.au: http://www.broomeandthekimberley.com.au/broome-history-culture/ Jeff Hansen Commentary: http://www.seashepherd.org/commentary-and-editorials/2009/08/19/broome-has-the-power-to-cease-the-dolphin-killings-in-taiji-141 The Japan Times:http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2009/10/15/national/australian-town-embraces-taiji-again/#.WCQXZhQar-Y
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