About one year ago I walked out of the movie theatre after seeing The Cove, and for the first time in my life I was moved emotionally by a film to the point of having a physical reaction: I had goosebumps, I was speechless, and my heart didn't slow down for several hours afterward. It was one of the first times I've ever truly felt inspired to get up and do something. Now one year later, I'm still obsessing about the film, the dolphin hunt, and the news stories related to it. But has anything changed?
This is unusual for a home blog to write about, but I thought it worth mentioning.
We're now within a few days of the start of the annual Taiji dolphin hunt. Around this time last year, the hunt had been delayed due to international pressure. Taiji's sister city of Broome, Australia had humiliated Taiji by suspending its sister city status in protest, and I felt a renewed sense of hope that people could be trusted to do the right thing.
It's been a year of triumphs for the creators of The Cove since its release last summer: dozens of awards including the Academy Award for Best Documentary, celebrity endorsements, a spin-off reality show on Animal Planet, and of course the showings in Japan which have created so much controversy and attention for the film.
As of August 2010 the hunt is still scheduled to go ahead as usual. Broome has reinstated sister city status and fiercely patriotic Japanese nationalists have effectively intimidated Ric O'Barry and other dolphin activists from returning to the site for the start of the hunting season. The oceans seem to only have gotten worse as they are also now filled with thousands of more tons of crude oil and harmful chemical dispersants guaranteed to increase the already massive "dead zones."
For those who would argue that this hunt is a cultural tradition, it's just unfathomable. This isn't an attack on Japanese culture, it isn't racism. Some traditions just aren't worth keeping. Slavery was once considered a cultural tradition, but we're much better off without it. "Because it's tradition" is terrible reason to continue the senseless killing of whales. It's common sense that you shouldn't eat food or sell a product that is dangerously contaminated with mercury, so why protect this practice in the name of tradition?
In spite of this discouragement, I still carry the hope that people will do the right thing, that we'll all become shameless protectors of the whales, and for that matter, the ocean. I hope that anyone who hasn't seen the film will make an effort to see it. I hope that this issue doesn't just become another genre of entertainment, because the ocean is real and it's dying every day. I also hope that the Taiji hunt, and all of the other hunts that happen all over the world can be stopped. In another year, I hope I am writing that the Taiji has found a new livelihood in whale tourism and other sources.
For more information check out the savejapandolphins.org and Ric O'Barry's blog. Also, go watch The Cove!
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Thank you for posting this, not only as a reminder of what we witnessed on film, but more importantly, that it's tragically 'still scheduled to go ahead as scheduled'. I watched 'The Cove' on Animal Planet last night and throughout the film, I was angry inside. But the last quarter of the film completely broke me under. All the anger disappeared beneath a wave of despair. Like many others, there haven't been a lot of films that leave as much of a mark on me as this. But the dolphins', the whale's, the oceans' plight resonates in me now more than ever. And as hopeless as the situation is, being that we can't change a country by force into a radical departure, change begins in us, in how we treat the Earth. And it is a fervent hope that that positive energy will resonate like waves across the planet.
I just saw this movie tonight for the first time, and I still can't even begin to process it all. Those screams are going to haunt me tonight.
This is totally worth mentioning on any blog anywhere. Anything that can be done to draw attention to this cruel and senseless and pointless act is worth while.
I've only recently seen this and its scary how much truth this uncovers.
I know your idea is childish. You think the worth of black people`s human rights is as same as worth of animal rights. How do black people feel your idea?You should know that there are right cruel things and wrong cruel things in a world. There is no necessity that you understand Japanese people. You should not judge other races. Are you a judge of the earth? I do not admit that you guys are it. It is Americans' custom. You should just merely accept Japanese culture. I am supporting bullfighting of Spain as well as whaling. Do you support the opinion of Indians "you should not eat beef since a cow is a messenger of God"? I strong believe that culture is not what argues about whether it is right. And this is a Japanese typical idea.
In my research for the website www.keepwhaleswild.org I did a lot of research on the treatment of whales and dolphins by humans and was repeatedly disgusted by what I found. It never ceases to amaze me how horrible that people can treat other sentient creatures and the lengths that some people go to justify horrible behaviour.
Animals rights are just as important as human rights. Your childish to not understand no animal has a voice so its our job to do something for them. Dolphins are more intelligent then bulls and cows. Inhumane animal killings is a form of practice? You obviously know nothing about the cove and it has nothing to do with cultural practice. It's a slaughter and you should research before assuming its cultural. If it was cultural why would they hide it? If it was cultural practice why does no one else from Japan know its going on. Taiji is killing and selling dolphins what is cultural about that? A bull can defend itself, how many bull fighters get seriously injured and they deserve that! There's no excuse for Any other slaughter. Don't be so naive!