Dolphins have inspired and enthralled people for thousands of years, but today dolphins are severely under threat.

Reports of dolphins dying at the hands of humans are on the increase. Drowning in fishing nets is the most serious threat. Thousands are killed for their meat every year, and many suffer a loss of food through over-fishing or pollution.

In Japan, where dolphin meat is a delicacy, at least 14 500 dolphins are killed every year to supply meat to the local markets. People in Taiji, a rural town in Japan, say it is their culture to eat dolphins.