(M. Montoya / 05-10-09) The Japanese town at the centre of the dolphin slaughter scandal has begun its annual hunt. According to BBC and local reports, fishermen in the coastal town of Taiji caught around 100 bottlenose dolphins and 50 pilot whales in the first days.

Although only the pilot whales were reportedly killed this time, the local fishermen have been given a quota to cull 240 dolphins and whales over the course of the fishing season. The dolphins caught in the hunt were either sold to aquariums or returned to the sea.

The hunting of dolphins and small whales is not illegal under International Whaling Commission (IWC) rules and fishermen say the hunt is a traditional part of their lifestyle. However, like whale hunting, the dolphin hunt has generated protest from around the world. Earlier this summer a documentary team managed to film the capture and slaughter using a high-tech dive team and hidden cameras.

The Cove was the winner of the Audience Award for Best Documentary at the 2009 Sundance Film, and tells the amazing true story of how an elite team of activists, filmmakers and free divers embarked on a covert mission to penetrate hidden cove in Japan, shining light on a dark and deadly secret. The shocking discoveries they uncovered were only the tip of the iceberg.

That’s a film from the Oceanic Preservation Society, produced by Jim Clark in association with Diamond Docs Sky films and written by Mark Monroe, with music composed by J. Ralph.