The Annual Dolphin and Porpoise Slaughter in Taiji, Japan photo credit:law library
Nothing makes me happier than to use the “Red Alert” of the week to share good news about a victory for animals. It seems as if the annual dolphin slaughter in Taiji, Japan has been halted due to the huge backlash and attention that the documentary film, The Cove, has brought to the issue. September 1 st marks the beginning of the brutal killings and this year media from all over the world descended upon the highly populated dolphin cove, in order to show the fisherman horrifically taking the lives of these intelligent creatures. However, when they arrived, there wasn’t a fisherman in sight and the Japanese police who were there made mention that they wouldn’t be supporting these dolphin killers. Ric O’Barry, campaign director for Save Japan Dolphins and was featured in The Cove, who has been trying to get people to pay attention to these atrocities for years, happily reports:
“Today is September 1st, the first day of the dolphin slaughter season in Japan. But when I arrived today by bus from Kansai Airport with media representatives from all over the world, the notorious Cove from the movie was empty. There were no dolphin killers in sight. So today is a good day for dolphins!”
O’ Barry hopes that one day this area can change into a dolphin loving area, where people can come and watch these animals in their natural surroundings and be educated about them, much how Nantucket, once the center of the U.S. whaling industry, stopped the whale slaughter and was transformed into a whale watching area.
We are reminded to never underestimate the power of film and the media-each and every person can make a difference.
Click here to see how you can help Ric O ‘Barry on his mission to save the Japanese dolphins.
