Did you know that on the coasts of Japan fishermen slaughter dolphins? I bet you don’t know that the dolphin meat is sold at local and foreign markets as whale meat. What makes this even worst is that this same meat contains toxic level of mercury that end up being eaten by Japanese and Chinese consumers. Having respect for our environment, working and promoting water conservation and fighting against water pollution is not enough. The conservation of water is obviously fundamental and a funding base to the survival of the marine eco-system. Yet, protecting water is not enough if its fauna is slaughtered and treated without any dignity or respect. The Cove, an Academy winner documentary, exposes the massacre of more than 20 000 dolphins on the coasts of Japan. This film’s goal is to raise world awareness in regards to this dramatic reality in order to launch a real social action campaign with a world petition that will force the government of Japan to face the problem and respond to the demands and critiques of public opinion.
Every year, in the small village of Taiji in Japan, fishermen chase dolphins into a hidden cove where they get trapped and killed with knives and spears that make them bleed to death. As the sea turns crimson red, the dolphins are put into boats and brought the well-hidden places where they get butchered into pieces. Some of the dolphins that see their lives spared are captured and sold for an astonishing amount of money to water parks. “Taiji is regarded as the spiritual home of Japan’s whaling industry. The first hunts took place in the early 1600s, according to the town’s whaling museum, but the industry went to decline after the introduction of a global ban on commercial whaling in 1986” (Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/sep/14/dolphin-slaughter-hunting-japan-taiji). This town is a couple hours train ride from Tokyo, where restaurants serve whale and dolphin meat and where cetacean designs and photographs and designs are splattered all over the town. Locals and fishermen respond to the harsh accusation and critiques of animalists and the international community by saying that for them it is “a legitimate exercise in pest control, blaming dolphins for decimating fish stocks” (Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/sep/14/dolphin-slaughter-hunting-japan-taiji). Every year around 20 000 dolphins are killed, including endangered species, and often these dolphins contain a dangerous amount of mercury that renders their meat highly toxic for human consumption. Corruption and citizens misinformation contribute to this dramatic situation where animals are slaughtered and Japanese citizens get intoxicated because of high levels of mercury. The meat greatly exceeds the norms of Japan’s own health standards yet this doesn’t seem the stop this annual massacre. O’Barry, the trainer of the world’s most famous dolphin, Flipper, became a passionate activist for the free dolphins from captivity cause. He is working hard to launch social awareness campaigns that expose people to the suffering of dolphins in captivity where they are kept in pools that are too small.
The Cove, Oscar winner documentary has contributed to raise world social awareness to this issue that had reminded unknown to most of us. In response to the outrage, the Japanese government put a temporary ban on hunting bottlenose dolphins. This ban did not include other species and types of dolphins and even worst the ban ended up being only temporary.
If you have seen the documentary and want to be part of the solution, you can help get the word out by telling all your friends and family, writing a letter to President Obama, making a pledge, or signing an online petition at http://www.thepetitionsite.com/3/stop-the-dolphin-slaughter . WAZA is the world association for zoos and aquariums, as long as Japanese fisherman are paid as much as $150, 000 for a living dolphin, this market of cruelty will never stop. By putting pressure on WAZA we need to force them to expel the Japanese association of Zoos and Acquariums (JAZA) from their organization. Go sign the petition, it will only take you 2 minutes but each signature can make a difference. Please go visit http://www.savejapandolphins.org/takeaction.php and find out how you can take concrete action. The next time you are on vacation, if you truly want to be coherent with yourself, refuse to pay money to see a dolphins show in water parks. These beautiful and innocent animals need our help. Critiquing the actions of Japanese fishermen is easy to do if one doesn’t take action and changes its own behaviors.
