Dolphin Slaughter in Taiji’s ‘Cove’ Suspended
[UPDATE: Japanese Dolphin Slaughter to Continue Despite Current Suspension]
Ric O’Barry reports that the horrific annual dolphin slaughter in Taiji has been suspended due to publicity from the film, The Cove.
September 1st usually marks the first day of the year for the brutal killings, but for the first time the Japanese media has arrived in Taiji en masse, causing the local fishermen to pause while the world takes notice.
O’Barry has been trying to raise awareness in Japan about the secretive dolphin slaughter that takes place in the small fishing town of Taiji for years, but the Japanese media has refused to cover it. Until now.
“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!”, wrote O’Barry today in a report for the activist social network, TakePart.
He also said that when the Japanese police arrived, they merely shook his hand and told him they there were not there to support the “dolphin killing fishermen”, then left.
Despite all of his trials in the town, O’Barry believes strongly that Taiji can change its shameful image. He hopes to show the media around the town tomorrow, to encourage a more positive view of its people and potential. O’Barry sees an opportunity to turn the disgraced town into a place where dolphins are cherished rather than slaughtered. In time, he thinks Taiji could become a model for dolphin activism and education, raising awareness about dolphins much in the same way that Nantucket, once the center of the whaling industry in the U.S., has changed its image by stopping the killing and marketing to whale-watchers instead.
Even though the media is finally taking notice, keeping the movement alive over time will still take a great commitment from those who care about dolphins. You can help by donating to the Save the Dolphins Coalition, which you can do at savejapandolphins.org.
More on The Cove
- Documentary Movie The Cove – Shallow Water. Deep Secret.
- The Cove: Sundance Film Exposes Japanese Dolphin Slaughter in Grisly Footage
Image Credit: Zest-pk on Flickr under a CC License
This is great news and definitely something more people need to be aware of. If Taiji did become “a model for dolphin activism and education” that would be a major step forward!
This is the best news after watching a school of dolphins off Bondi Beach Sydney yesterday and feeling worried for their survival I feel elated to hear the Japanese are listening. Such great news and congratulations to all involved with the making of the brilliant film “the Cove”and to continuing to support the people of Taiji in a new dolphin friendly beginning.
I think Ric has more chance of getting Australians to stop slaughtering kangaroos in the millions than he does getting a handful or two of dolphin killers to stop that.
Why is Ric always hanging out in Taiji anyway? They kill more dolphins than they kill in Taiji further north in Iwate. Maybe that will be the target for his next anti-whaling movie.
FALSE and OVERSTATED & SENSATIONALISED – MISLEADING release by by media
One Cove for ONE Day ONLY – SO Far – A GREAT Start – BUT tHat’s ALL IT is – A START…
Do SOMETHING REAL People – http://www.broome.geeky.com.au/20090901-1819-JapanPrimeMinister.doc – please PRINT & FAX or email. In MANY COVES around Japan – Slaughtering D…olphins Started – Taiji is just one of these MANY Coves!PLEASE SHARE and ASK of UR friends to do the same
Oh, no, you guys are serious. Christ. . DOLPHINS ARE NOT CUTE CUDDLY FRIENDS. They regularly participate in orgies and casual murder of other fish for pleasure. Every single dolphin saved by dolphin-safe tuna fishing means the death of roughly 422,000 OTHER FISH. Meanwhile, the dolphin is more than capable of replenishing the minuscule numbers that human fishing is taking away, both in this cove and in tuna/other fishing.
THE DOLPHINS DO NOT FUCKING NEED TO BE SAVED FOR CRYING OUT LOUD. KNOCK IT OFF YOU IDIOTS.
Bryan Nelson, would you mind adding a bit more information into your post?
I know this might make sense to regular readers of this website, but for someone who knows nothing about dolphins you’ve left matters extremely vague: why do you call the dolphin harvest shameful and why do you promote organizations that seek to prevent japanese dolphin harvesting?
Fuck you Gonzo
From Japan.
Sorry to say, but dolphins were not captured just because the weather and the sea condition were not good these days. The hunt is ongoing as planned.
I understand that many people love dolphins and whales, but I can’t understand why those people do not love other animals, such as cows, pigs, and sheep as much as they care for marine mammals. Think what’s happening in slaughterhouses now. It’s just as bloody as the dolphin hunt at Taiji. And livestock are killed indoors without being watched, while dolphins are openly killed outdoors. Which do you think is a “secret”?
By the way, I thought “The Cove” was advertised with its “dangerous” filmmaking, wasn’t it? Then, why the man is visiting the town smilingly? And if he was happy to see “no dolphin killers in sight”, he shouldn’t come to Taiji. He will never see any dolphin killers if he doesn’t go out of his home.
That is amazing news!! I hope it stays suspended for as long as possible, even thought he film didn’t play at the film festival the people still found away to see it, or at least become informed.
For the person who commented before me, if what you said about dolphins you believe is true and think humans don’t live any different then why should we be treated any different? should we go around killing mass amounts of people because we participate in orgies and kill for fun? Your completely living in a bubble if you think the amount of fish we are depleting from the oceans on a daily basis is sustainable. People like you should be forced into cages and perform tricks for our entertainment, or better yet trapped in labs to be tested on. Ignorance is bliss I suppose.
Hurray for all the animal supporters!!! and The Cove people.
Gonzobot your an idiot!!!! I’m sure that you participate in orgies too!!! Thank you Ric and all other activistes for saving dolphins, whales, etc. Gonzobot go to church and pray for yourself!