The Tides are Turning

For those of us following (even vaguely) the issues surrounding dolphin and whale hunting, the Japanese have on the whole been portrayed as the serial killers of the sea. Campaigning by Greenpeace and the Sea Shepherds has raised some awareness around the issue, and prominent media foundations have covered the government's staunch pro-whaling position as dolphin and whale meat is sold all over Japan.

As portrayed by most Western media outlets, the Japanese public has largely turned a blind eye to the ethical and environmental implications of the whale and dolphin hunt. Politicians have been especially virulent in defending the practice when asked about it by the media. Yet the film 'The Cove' has been screened in the Tokyo International Film Festival, and it may be the beginning of something bigger.

'The Cove' is a film that features the bloody dolphin hunt off the coast of Taiji, Japan, where fishermen bang metal poles to confuse the dolphins, herd them into large groups, and spear them. Another important point made by the film is that the processing of dolphin meat involves dangerous levels of mercury, providing another reason to give up the dolphin or pilot whale meat. The reaction to the screening was strong. According to the New York Times, viewers were shocked by the bloody spectacle, and surprised that there has been so much global condemnation about Japan's practices. The viewing ended with large rounds of applause.

Will this be the start of something bigger? We'll see. The film's makers have called the screening a coup, and have offered to donate their profits from screenings to Taiji to promote less harmful ways of sustainaing a dolphin/whale based economy, such as whalewatching. Until real resistance starts to grow from within Japan, however, the practice will continue, and the upcoming hunting season is already scheduled as normal.

Posted on October 27, 2009

comments

Name

Email address

URL

Comment

If you enter anything in this field your comment will be treated as spam