Marine Park to open in Japanese town infamous for dolphin killing - but slaughter will continue

The Japanese town made infamous by the Oscar-winning documentary The Cove will open a marine park where visitors can swim with dolphins, but officials said its annual slaughter of the creatures will continue in a nearby bay.

Unrepentant organisers say they want tourists to be able to eat dolphin and whale meat as they watch the captive animals frolic.

The town of Taiji has begun researching a plan to section off part of a cove and turn it into a place where people can swim in the water and kayak alongside small whales and dolphins, Masaki Wada said.

But, the local government official insisted, far from having caved in to pressure from conservationists who want an end to a yearly hunt that turns waters red with blood, the project was aimed at helping to sustain the practice.

"We already use dolphins and small whales as a source of tourism in the cove where dolphin-hunting takes place," he said.

"In summer swimmers can enjoy watching the mammals that are released from a partitioned-off space.

"But we plan to do it on a larger scale. This is part of Taiji's long-term plan of making the whole town a park, where you can enjoy watching marine mammals while tasting various marine products, including whale and dolphin meat," he said.