Final signature count: 15,911

15,911 signatures toward our 30,000 goal

Sign this petition to demand Yahoo! Japan stop selling toxic whale and dolphin meat online.

The whale slaughter and collateral dolphin and porpoise killing that’s allowed along Japanese shores is detestable, and it’s also leading to human suffering. Tests conducted by the Environmental Investigation Agency have determined that much of the whale and dolphin meat products for sale on Yahoo! Japan exceed the limits of acceptable mercury toxicity [1].

One of the whale products tested contained 16 times the amount of acceptable mercury, and despite the fact that Yahoo! Japan has been warned of these violations, the company continues to support the slaughter of thousands of dolphins, porpoises, and small whales that are too toxic to be consumed [2].

As the largest retailer in Japan, Yahoo! Japan has a responsibility to provide a level of oversight to its products, especially when mercury poisoning has killed so many in the last century. Just over 60 years ago, thousands of Japanese were stricken with nervous system damage because mercury waste was dumped into the country’s water system [1].

Exposure to mercury can lead to fetal development issues, nervous system damage, and memory impairment. Mercury poisoning has also been linked to Parkinson’s disease, hypertension and arteriosclerosis [3].

In the town of Taiji, where some of Yahoo! Japan’s whale meat is labeled from, residents were found to have higher mercury levels [3]. Ironically, it was there that the The Cove was filmed, documenting the mass capture and slaughter of dolphins off the coast of Japan [1].

The continued killing of whales and dolphins is inhumane enough, and humans are physically suffering because of this unrestricted destruction. It’s time to end Yahoo! Japan’s support of this horrific cycle, and force the retailer to stop selling whale meat.