entertainment

'The Cove' wins Oscar for Best Documentary

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''The Cove,'' a U.S. film about a controversial annual dolphin hunt at a Japanese town, won the best documentary feature at the 82nd Annual Academy Awards ceremony Sunday in Los Angeles.

Directed by Louie Psihoyos, one of the world's most prominent still photographers, the film depicts, partly through the use of hidden cameras and microphones, the capture of dolphins by local fishermen in the whaling town of Taiji, Wakayama Prefecture.

After screenings in selected countries such as Japan, Australia and the United States, the documentary provoked criticism against the hunt, while local fishermen defended it as part of a Japanese tradition, saying the practice was not bloodthirsty as they built memorials for the dolphins.

Reacting to the Academy Award, fishermen in Taiji voiced anger, saying they were misleadingly described as ''Japanese mafia.'' A senior official of the local fisheries cooperative association rejected an interview, saying, ''Whatever we might say, it will just help advertise the movie.''

Taiji Mayor Kazutaka Sangen said, ''Dolphin hunting is not an illegal activity. It is necessary to respect each culture's diet, based on an understanding of regional traditions.''

Negotiations are under way with a distributor in Japan, although no release date has been set yet.

© Wire reports

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Tee hee. Be fun to see how much media coverage this gets over here. I suspect it won't be deemed quite as important news as Okuribito was last year.

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We'll see if they can find a Japanese distributor or any theater willing to show it. Sounds doubtful to me.

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Wow...how are they gonna edit this film over here in japan not to mention the translations????

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there already is a Japanese distributor...it will come out in April....

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I think they already found a distributor willing to handle the film but they want to obscure the faces of all Japanese who appear in the film because they've complained that permission to film wasn't obtained in advance and some claim they didn't know they were being filmed. Hard to imagine that someone can be so stupid as to yell into a camera in their face and NOT think it might be recording them.

I hope the film is released in Japan and I'd like to see it available in video rental stores too. I really hope that the producers take care to ensure their now Oscar-winning film isn't recut to suit Japan's viewpoint.

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the Japanese distributor is Medallion Media...the article is wrong.... http://www.indiewire.com/article/the_cove_finally_heads_to_japan/

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Cool. I'll be in Tokyo in April and will be sure to see it.

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Wow. Didn't expect this to win.

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Dolphins and whales are cute mammals so let's not eat them.

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Dolphins and whales are cute mammals so let's not eat them.

i think it's more that dolphins and whales are smarter than the people who kill them, that we must preserve them

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WOW!!! Yes!!! This is a great news!!

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No cheering today in Taiji.

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Dolphins and whales are cute mammals so let's not eat them.

Dolphins, yes. Whales, no.

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Great news, lets see how much of the Japanese media actually covers this and or puts their head in the sand on this.

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To sum up the issue:

Japanese eat dolphin, white man sheds tear.

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NeoJamal, my wife sheds many tears and she is Japanese. and your point is?

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What Award? This will get buried by the local press who don't like the idea of some ignorant heathens criticizing the nirvana-on-earth that is Japan.

I think they already found a distributor willing to handle the film but they want to obscure the faces of all Japanese who appear in the film because they've complained that permission to film wasn't obtained in advance and some claim they didn't know they were being filmed.

The edited result might be rather interesting. Perhaps the editors might tie up with Sanrio or somebody similar and superimpose Hello Kitty's head (in different shades) to both protect the privacy of the dolphin-slaughtering locals and add a bit of mass appeal to the movie. Everybody in the twilight zone would want to see this movie if it had cute characters. Then again, some small children might end up traumatized if they saw Anpan Man shanking a poor dolphin with a gaff.

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I'm sure that the Japanese media will cover this, the Wide Shows rarely pass up controversial stuff. It will be interesting to see how much it is covered. Even more interesting will be seeing the reaction of the Japanese public to the movie, and if they pressure for changes. Congrats to the makers of the film. In my opinion it's things like this that will bring about changes, not the things that the echo-terrorist SS are doing down under.

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NeoJamal, my wife sheds many tears and she is Japanese. and your point is?

Same here, my J wife sheds more tears than most white man. And not just becuase they are cute. They have a life just like our own, they don't deserve to be chopped up in a small cove.

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ive had countless arguments with Japanese that deny any dolphins are killed in Japan, despite the photographic evidence of dolphin meat for sale in supermarkets.

They would ask a fellow japanese who would say no, me being a foreigner could not possibly know so I was wrong.

Dont know if this deserved the oscar, the article doesnt even say what other films were in the category. Sloppy journalism

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Dolphins and whales are cute mammals so let's not eat them.

It's not about cuteness. They are the second most intelligent creatures on earth after humans. http://news.sciencemag.org/sciencenow/2010/02/is-a-dolphin-a-person.html?etoc

And whales and dolphins are just about the same.

Moderator: No discussion of whaling please.

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I remember last year, a little known Japanese cartoon - espousing, of all things, environmentalism(!) - won the Oscar for best Animation. Much fanfare in the press here. I wonder how much fanfare "The Cove" will get here? Anyway, when will the Oscar ceremony be telecast here? Perhaps it will co-incide with when the detained kiwi Captain arrives in Tokyo! Would be awesome timing for the environmentalists!

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It's not about cuteness. They are the second most intelligent creatures on earth after humans

Sure you got the order right?

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Is it out on video? Would really like to see this documentary.

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Now the question is how many theaters will show it and whether they will shy away because of possible controversy.

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paulinuasa, they will say, "it may disrupt our business".

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Doh! lots

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ogtob, oh of course. So that meaans the dolphin slaughter is ok. Thanks for enlightening us.

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paulinuasa, they will say, "it may disrupt our business".

If they don't make a profit from showing the film, then it would be bad business to do so.

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stevecpfc:Maybe right wing protesters. And wouldn't it be interesting to see counter protesters. That would be a sight to see.

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Same here, my J wife sheds more tears than most white man. And not just becuase they are cute. They have a life just like our own, they don't deserve to be chopped up in a small cove.

Is it OK to eat dolpins if they are farmed or belong to a sub-species that's not too affectionate of us humans or dumb? Why am I like the only one on this thread who's like endeavouring to not be a hypocrit? Why do I get the feeling that the documentary crew cares more about their career than dolphins?

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the cove was an amazing film. i thought they were actually rather gentle towards the japanese. that is why it was so well received, in my opinion. i hope getting the academy award will make a lot more people see it ... and think about the issue ... and relate it to other horrors.

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Sure you got the order right?

Sorry not sure, they maybe the smartest.

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Why do I get the feeling that the documentary crew cares more about their career than dolphins?

Because you are not familiar to this topic?

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Damien15 said,

"It's not about cuteness. They are the second most intelligent creatures on earth after humans."

Of course it's about cuteness. ;-) Why do you think children and adults want to go see dolphins in captivity at SeaWorld in America? All creatures are intelligent in their own ways.

It's ironic that it's okay for American businesses to exploit dolphins for money, but it's a crime for the Japanese people to hunt dolphins for food.

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OMG Japanese are eating a mammal we'd rather see doing forced pet trick in aquariums!

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The Cove will be ignored and if it has any exposuer ridicules and likely cinemas will be threatened by nationalist thugs.

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It's ironic that it's okay for American businesses to exploit dolphins for money, but it's a crime for the Japanese people to hunt dolphins for food.

Dolphins captured in the Taiji drive hunts are sold and shipped throughout the world. Several sold to a Turkish aquarium/ Sea World type outfit died this past week. Please refrain from conjecture before seeing the film.

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The Cove won ??? Amazing I wish i can see this movie. That's why I don't go and see dolphins performing at shows. I take my kids on a boat tour and watch them in their natural habitat.

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Skip,

Why do you think children and adults want to go see dolphins in captivity at SeaWorld in America?

I was talking about the reason for not slughtering them. Cuteness can't be a good reasos, because what's cute differs from person to person. Intelligence though is something we are searching vigorously outside of our planet. It's a good reason for not killing. We believe the intelligence we posses makes us unique. How can we keep on slughter what maybe the closest to us, when it comes to intelligence.

It's ironic that it's okay for American businesses to exploit dolphins for money...

It's sad that they are being held captive in small spaces. But it's still better than rounding them up in a small cove and heck them to slow death.

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I've seen it and although it is very entertaining and exposing documentary it broke my heart to see how belligerent and ignorant Japanese people are towards this issue. It does mostly deal with the slaughter at Taiji, but it also deals with a few other issues as well. One particularly disturbing issue it addresses is how the Japanese government had planned to use the dolphin meat in schools throughout Japan even though they were fully aware of the high levels of mercury in the meat. The documentary compares it to the cover up of the Minimata mercury poisoning 40 odd years ago, which took three years and hundreds of children born with horrible deformities for the Jp Gov to admit there was actually a problem.

Interesting comment about how some people prefer this kind of action over the actions of SS. I think you will all be in for a surprise when you see the highly covert operations undertaken in the documentary.
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MrUSA, the fishermen try to hide their activities and most Japanese are ignorant of the fact. Why are you excusing the dolphin killers hoodwinking the nation and the medias lack of reporting?

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but it's a crime for the Japanese people to hunt dolphins for food.

If they were actually feeding some people with this hunt, they'd have better argument. But the meat is toxic. They are actually poisioning people, just in sake for keeping their income.

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"Private Space" is my favourite character!

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Good! This will draw more attention to the issue. And the 'We are not blood-thirsty because we build monuments for the dolphins!' is one of the poorest examples of logic I've ever heard.

Anyway, I will give props to the mayor of the area: "‘Whatever we might say, it will just help advertise the movie.’‘ Good on him for not letting his anger give way in media interviews that would hype the film. It'll still get a lot of hype and bad press for Japan, but I suspect in Japan it will get buried under repeated news of Watanabe Ken's win in the JAPANESE Academy Awards.

Whatever. I'm going to get an imported copy and play it on my region free DVD player. There's no way I'm watching some Japanese white-washed version.

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Why are you excusing the dolphin killers hoodwinking the nation and the medias lack of reporting?

This is a strawman argument. I never said anything like that.

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The dolphin massacre is little known in Japan and the media are very reluctant to mention it as they are in fear of extremists a fact that doesn`t occur in other first world nations.

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I think the Japanese media's reaction will be to not react at all. This is viewed as an attack on Japanese status quo, and in light of this country's current state of affairs (economic strife, Toyota's scandal troubles, foreign environmental activists/extremists protesting a related fishing industry), they will do all they can to quash the latest 'disruption'. This would probably mean a concerted effort at mainstream media blackout of any mention/advertisement of the film. Perhaps this strategy has already been implemented by concerned parties: "Whatever we might say, it will just help advertise the movie." shows a certain media-savviness not displayed by those groups before..

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smithinjapan, I haven't seen repeated news about Ken Watanabe's win in the J Academy Awards, which are for the most part reported sparingly in the Japanese press. It is a non-event in Japan. The Oscars are a big event, even here, and like I wrote before, it will be interesting to see the reaction of the J-public. Maybe there will be some pressure for a change, and maybe with the Hatoyama government some changes will happen. Anything is possible.

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KobeKid said,

Dolphins captured in the Taiji drive hunts are sold and shipped throughout the world. Several sold to a Turkish aquarium/ Sea World type outfit died this past week. Please refrain from conjecture before seeing the film. It's a much more complicated issue than "white man protests yellow man's eating habits."

"The Cove,’’ a U.S. film about a controversial annual dolphin hunt at a Japanese town, won the best documentary feature at the 82nd Annual Academy Awards ceremony Sunday in Los Angeles."

That statement is pretty clear cut what the issue is about.

Any issue is always a complicated issue if one wants to make out of it. It's about saving the dolphins. Dolphins are animals that deserve to live in the ocean without man hunting them for food and businesses to stop dumping the ocean with waste. Maybe there should be no boats, navy ships, and commercial boats and ships on the ocean because they pollute the ocean. Pollution is killing the dolphins. The ecosystem of the ocean is changing because of the lack of dolphins? Can dolphins be tame? As we have seen, dolphin can't because of the death of the trainer at SeaWorld in the States. Dolphins are used for food, sold for profits, and are exploited for entertainment for money.

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Jpn press is somewhat covering it. Mainichi:http://mainichi.jp/select/world/europe/news/20100308k0000e040065000c.html Yomiuri:http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/entertainment/news/20100308-OYT1T00643.htm Asahi:http://www.asahi.com/national/update/0308/TKY201003080166.html

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Valmain,

"One point the movie makes is that eating dolphin is not a part of Japanese culture, contrary to the claims of Taiji's fishermen. It's only a part of Taiji's culture."

Did the author do a survey and how many Japanese people took the survey in order to determine that conclusion? Did the author do like Jay Leno and go out on the street and ask random people?

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The dolphin massacre is little known in Japan

Yea, I can attest to that. Last year they were jazzed that the movie about the coffin maker won something, wonder how they'll react when I tell them the Oscar for best documentary was about Japan...

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Since when has dolphin hunting been illegal? The Japanese are hunting in their own waters, I think this is an issue of sovereignty. If the meat is toxic, then the Japanese government needs to investigate, not some self-appointed Western activists who think they have the moral high ground on everything. You might have a point on how MAYBE the whale hunting is illegal, but saying that the dolphin hunt needs to stop? Thats taking it too far. They're hunting in their own waters, dolphins are not going extinct, I think this issue is done.

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Did the author do like Jay Leno and go out on the street and ask random people?

Yes he did. If you have seen the movie, or at least the teaser, you'd know. I'm starting to think that you don't even know why you're against the moviemakers.

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The above concepts are completely alien to the Japanese unfortunately, thus the hunting continues.

Less than 100 fishermen engage in this hunt, and most Japanese don't know dolphins are hunted in their country. Yet you stereotype the entire country and insult them. Did you do a survey to come to your disrespectful conclusion? You should find another forum to spew your hatred.

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They are sentient animals. 2. They live in highly-developed and effective family units. 3. They are intelligent with high IQs. 4. They have an effective language/system of communication. 5. They are free, happy creatures that express emotion.

The above concepts are completely alien to the Japanese

So true! Right on Smash you called it like it is!!

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I've seen the movie a while back; it's a brilliant, well-executed film that plays out like a suspense thriller but at the core a documentary about the going-ons in Taiji. Objectively it's not too subtle on the propaganda and heartstring-tuggings, though, and if you're the emotional type toward animals (cetaceans in particular) might be best to skip it as it can be very gut-wrenching to watch. At any rate, it's well-done, powerful filmmaking that'll surely get people talking.

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MrUSA - Less than 100 fishermen engage in this hunt, and most Japanese don't know dolphins are hunted in their country. Yet you stereotype the entire country and insult them.

Only stereotyping their ignorance. Or, are you saying that ignorance is an excuse?

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Damien15 said,

If they were actually feeding some people with this hunt, they'd have better argument. But the meat is toxic. They are actually poisioning people, just in sake for keeping their income.

Did the Taiji people know the dolphins meat have toxin in the beginning prior to the documentary? It's one thing knowing about the toxin and selling it or not knowing about the toxin and selling the meat.

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Look the reasons that people don't want to slaughter whales and dolphins are: 1. They are sentient animals. 2. They live in highly-developed and effective family units. 3. They are intelligent with high IQs. 4. They have an effective language/system of communication. 5. They are free, happy creatures that express emotion.

The above concepts are completely alien to the Japanese unfortunately, thus the hunting continues.

Oh I say. Bravo!

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I see the apologists and Japanophiles yet again pull out the race card, hich is not in fact true.

A film doesn`t in awards without reason. Hope this highlights the medieval style slaughter and helps finish it.

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Damien15 said,

"Yes he did. If you have seen the movie, or at least the teaser, you'd know. I'm starting to think that you don't even know why you're against the moviemakers."

I have not seen the movie. I read articles about the creators plight about making the movie and the movie on saving the Japanese people from toxin dolphin meats from the creators.

If activist want the Japanese people to come to terms with toxin dolphin meats and the whaling issues the activist are going about the wrong way. Instead of slapping it in the majority of Japanese faces the activist should be educating the Japanese people about it in Japan before making a documentary. Otherwise, the majority of the Japanese people will think and believe the activists are telling (attacking) them what to do and what not to do instead of educating them even though the activists may be right. It's called respect which seems a lot of people lack that these days.

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wow, 2010 seems to be the year of fishing for Japan. Taiji is really on the map now.

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Ric O'Barry is holding a sign, details here

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/03/07/text-dolphin-to-44144-wha_n_489456.html

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skipbeat have you seen the film?

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sorry I just saw your recent post to D15.

the activist should be educating the Japanese people about it in Japan before making a documentary.

ahhhh how about educating them with a documentary?

See the film and then your criticisms will be much better informed.

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Is it a documentary??

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Is it a documentary??

While many of the scenes in the film are staged or misrepresented, it is still considered a documentary.

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• Chicagoan Fisher Stevens, who first made his mark in the entertainment field as an actor, won his first Oscar Sunday as a producer for ‘‘The Cove,’’ the documentary that turns a spotlight on the killing of dolphins in Japan.

Backstage at the awards, Stevens said ‘‘winning this Oscar for this important film means more to me than anything I’ve ever done.’’

Echoing one of his co-producers, Stevens stressed again, that both the killing of dolphins and Sea World-type shows should be banned.

‘‘Claiming studying dolphins is educational is indeed like claiming watching people in solitary confinement is the same thing.’’

http://www.suntimes.com/entertainment/2089218,oscars-red-carpet-zwecker-030710.article

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While many of the scenes in the film are staged or misrepresented, it is still considered a documentary.

link please

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They can't pretend it's sacrosanct Japanese culture if they spend so much time and effort (and tax money) keeping the locals ignorant of it.

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I have an inkling that The Cove would have gotten a different reaction from the Japanese if the director was Japanese. More than anything what the Japanese hate is having Westerners criticize their 'culture'.

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MrUSA damn should remember to google before believing what people say. thanks.

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Instead of slapping it in the majority of Japanese faces the activist should be educating the Japanese people about it in Japan before making a documentary.

Activists wants to educate the J public by making this documentary. Do you know a better way how can a foreigner educate the J public? Would J listen anything coming from foreigners?

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While many of the scenes in the film are staged or misrepresented,

Please give us an example of mispresentation in this movie. I don't believe there are any.

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I don't believe there are any.

Like most documentaries, many of the scenes are staged for dramatic effect, or misrepresented to "prove" the filmmaker's thesis.

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From an activists FB page

Japanese student survey after seeing The Cove and a MYSTERY

Dear Friends:

I showed The Cove to my Japanese high school students at my high school in Osaka, Japan. To my knowledge, this is the first time Japanese teenagers have seen the film. I will share their reactions with you now.

It was not easy to get permission to show the film, one of the few copies in existence with Japanese subtitles. There was considerable resistance at every step: co-workers, administration, and most of all, the rights’ holder in Japan who seemed afraid of a lawsuit from the dolphin hunters’ union.

My high school fortunately chose to support students' education. The Cove was shown on March 5th, 2010, two days before the Academy Award ceremony. A reporter, camera crew filmed and encouraged discussion before and after the showing. The result of a short questionnaire is as follows. I have selected answers that show the variety of responses.

Generally, the teenagers’ answers are interesting and well thought out. I feel blessed to have such students. The students write that they are motivated to suggest that their friends and family see the movie. Many noted that they felt shocked that dolphins are being hunted in Japan.

The MYSTERY for me is that sometime between the lively discussion about issues in the film and the time I left school, my DVD copy of the film went missing. I haven’t been able to find out who might have taken it or why. I just hope I can get it back.

QUESTION 1: What will you tell your friends and family about the movie, The Cove?

-I will tell them that we should watch this movie. -I know this movie might be a sad story, but it is worth seeing. -Some people in Taiji are insane...they are killing many dolphins and I assume that they don't feel anything. How can they kill dolphins? They must be dead inside. -Why do they kill dolphins in Taiji? They are our family. -Don't eat dolphins! -I will tell my friends and family to watch the movie, to see what is going on under our noses. -I’m going to tell them that they have to see the movie and I hope they think twice about dolphins. I know this movie might be a sad story but it’s worth seeing.

QUESTION 2: What would you like to happen in Japan regarding issues in the movie?

-I want to help in solving this problem. -Of course I want the Taiji people to stop killing dolphins. The Japanese government has to tell everyone what’s going on in Taiji. All citizens have the right to know this. Under no circumstances does the government have the right to cover up this problem. -I want everyone to protest this problem and the government to give an obvious way to solve this situation of killing so many dolphins. -After seeing the movie, I feel so sad, but something tells me that I should take action against the killing, -I would like no killing and for us to enjoy life with many animals. This is a good ending I think. -I would like (the hunters) to stop killing dolphins. Besides they can’t give food poisoned with mercury to people! -I want more people to know and face this fact happening in Japan. Then we can move more and more people to take action.

QUESTION 3: What do you think and feel about the movie?

-I felt so sad to see the movie. I can’t understand why they kill dolphins. -I really love dolphins and I want to keep dolphins from being captured. I also can’t understand why the police try to arrest the people who are trying to save lives. The people who try to kill dolphins are the one’s who should be placed under arrest. -I think the biggest problem is that there are not many people who know about this problem. -I’m angry. Dolphins are so kind, but people kill them. I can’t believe it. -If Japan wants to kill dolphins, they must show it to the world. -I really can’t believe it. I’m shocked. They are poisoning people for money and they don’t care! I think they are breaking the law for living creatures. How is it that they have the heart to make dolphins suffer? -I felt myself helpless because there are many people from other countries trying to solve this problem happening in Japan, while most Japanese who should do something about it, don’t know about it. -One world, one dream. Take our earth beautiful and keep every creature healthy. Let’s live peacefully.

In the near future, I hope to show The Cove more in Japan. I am happy with the results of my first showing. I will know more about the mystery on Tuesday.

Thank you for your interest in ending the dolphin hunt in Taijji. If there is anyway you think you might be able to help, please contact me.

For the dolphins and for us,

Steven Thompson Founder: Taiji Dolphin Action Group

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The Cove would have gotten a different reaction from the Japanese if the director was Japanese.

If any J director tried to film it, he would have been assulted badly by the Taiji local yakuza and fisherman (actually the same thing). If he filmed it, showing that they defied warnings and went into the prohibited area, they'd be arrested, film would be confiscated and they'd serve jail sentence. Just like the greenpeace two, who tried to expose large embasselment with J-whaling program. Don't you know that already?

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Like most documentaries, many of the scenes are staged for dramatic effect, or misrepresented to "prove" the filmmaker's thesis.

without any documentation (links to reputable sources) this is pure conjecture on your part.

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Damien15 I apologize- I thought my point was clear. I don't mean that The Cove COULD have been filmed by a Japanese director, more that IF it were, the Japanese public would have accepted it more as an objective analysis instead of Japan-bashing. "Do you know a better way how can a foreigner educate the J public? Would J listen anything coming from foreigners?" not with a condescending attitude like yours they won't.

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What really angers me about this is why all of a sudden people feel the need to attack Japan on this issue. I agree as if these activists really are concerned about the dangerous levels of toxin in dolphins. Then why don't they address this through other means like education, research and public awareness? This is only going to create more anger and miscommunication which benefits no one. If the Japanese people were educated in that eating dolphin was actually hazardous to their health. I think people then would want to know about it!

I personally am not looking at this from an animal activist point of view either as I frankly could care less. Dolphins, Whales etc. are just animals as far as I am concerned and not same as people. Doesn't mean though there shouldn't be regulation to keep their populations at sustainable levels. Putting out a documentary under the radar is only going to further anger all parties involved. We all need to respect each others culture which includes our diet and not pass judgement out of spite. There are more legal ways of handling these sort of issues which will get the point across in a far better light. These sort of covert tactics will only force the Japanese operations underground and thus harder to trace. Open dialog is aways the best method of negotiation as to keep both parties talking.

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KobeKid, Thanks for the great post. This says it all. There is a hope for the future. Near future!!

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I've seen an imported copy. It was identical to the Japanese version which I also saw. So this whole whitewashing thing is nothing more than a prime example of wishful thinking.

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I can't believe all these posts comparing killing beef cattle to killing dolphins. Beef cattle are farmed and they are killed quickly by electric shock, whereas these dolphins are rounded up and stabbed with spears to let them bleed to death. Where are the similarities?

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Instead of slapping it in the majority of Japanese faces the activist should be educating the Japanese people about it in Japan before making a documentary.

Ummm, isn't making a documentary a means to educate the Japanese people. Am I missing something here? I believe that not so many Japanese people know about this and would be appalled by it. This is an excellent way to let them know.

Now they can react in way that they see it as they are being attacked (us Japanese vs. outside). Or they can vent their anger at the few selfish fishermen that make them look bad.

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Look the reasons that people don't want to slaughter whales and dolphins are: 1. They are sentient animals. 2. They live in highly-developed and effective family units. 3. They are intelligent with high IQs. 4. They have an effective language/system of communication. 5. They are free, happy creatures that express emotion.>

All of those reasons could apply to pigs. The reasons people don't like to slaughter dolphins are: 1. They look like they are smiling. 2. They are very social animals which like to play and cooperate. 3. We in the west have been taught to see them as very intelligent, friendly, cute and innocent. 4. It is too much effort and expense for a food source that is not necessary, not particularly good-tasting, and potentially loaded with harmful mercury.

No doubting dolphins are smart, but that is not the reason people don't like to kill them. The dolphins cleverness may actually be the source of their own problems. I wonder if the fishermen of Taiji and the Faroe Islands didn't learn their methods of hunting by watching those sentient, intelligent, emotional dolphins engage in their own favored methods of slaughtering prey.

From Wikipedia, "One common feeding method is herding, where a pod squeezes a school of fish into a small volume, known as a bait ball. Individual members then take turns plowing through the ball, feeding on the stunned fish. Coralling is a method where dolphins chase fish into shallow water to more easily catch them. In South Carolina, the Atlantic Bottlenose Dolphin takes this further with strand feeding, driving prey onto mud banks for easy access."

Another touching marine documentary this past year was "Oceans". However the scenes of dolphins, sharks and birds of prey cooperating to massacre schools of terrorized fish and of orcas (a species of dolphin) slaughtering innocent baby seals were a bit much for my young daughter to take.

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Two points - one, it is a documentary! That means it is about something that is problematic or controversial (or at least of some interest to the general public), if it isn't such a topic then there would be no movie. Duh. Two, a comment above referred to "the need to attack Japan". By what logic are dolphin hunters representative of Japan? What they are are representatives of Japanese dolphin hunters. If they, like the whalers, try to claim they represent Japan, that is just an attempt to manipulate public opinion and cultural biases, and protect their interests. Just because people will fall for it doesn't make it true. They are dolphin hunters, and the argument stands or falls on the rights or wrongs of dolphin hunting.

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Compating to other acts of cruelty is a form of justification and it is wrong. 2 wrongs don`t make a right.

stevecpfc: Of course. I totally agree with you. I think killing dolphins is cruel, just like many other acts of cruelty, which I have written down. My point in raising other examples was a hope that this Academy award win would shed more light on not only the plight of these dolphins, but on animals everywhere. It's just that people like you make cruelty to dolphins as the number one form of cruelty to animals; which is not true. It is sad that the dolphin is made to be the "poster child" of animal cruelty.

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You misread what I was saying. I am merely looking at this from a health and food safety perspective. This is more likely to have a stronger impact then just saying it is wrong. I am not condoning killing dolphins or whales but I also respect other cultures and what they choose for their diet. Conservation is really what the focus should be on as with anything. How is putting this out in the open going to change anything! It is only going to anger the Japanese and put them on the defensive. It is always easier to criticize when looking from the outside without knowing all the facts. I also strongly resent you saying I don't care. I tend to look at things from both perspectives and not based on my own personal views. I meant I could care less in reference not to this issue but in regards to what the Japanese choose for their diet. I guess i should have been more clear on that point. Food health & safety should be put above all else and not as a means for profit which is unforgivable.

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this comment needs to be repeated Two, a comment above referred to "the need to attack Japan". By what logic are dolphin hunters representative of Japan? What they are are representatives of Japanese dolphin hunters. If they, like the whalers, try to claim they represent Japan, that is just an attempt to manipulate public opinion and cultural biases, and protect their interests. Just because people will fall for it doesn't make it true. They are dolphin hunters, and the argument stands or falls on the rights or wrongs of dolphin hunting.

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still waiting for those links on how the film was fabricated...

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Anyway, I saw the movie. Not much of a documentary. It sucks.

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this comment needs to be repeated What really angers me about this is why all of a sudden people feel the need to attack Japan on this issue. I agree as if these activists really are concerned about the dangerous levels of toxin in dolphins. Then why don't they address this through other means like education, research and public awareness? This is only going to create more anger and miscommunication which benefits no one. If the Japanese people were educated in that eating dolphin was actually hazardous to their health. I think people then would want to know about it!

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ReikiZen, I respect your opinion, but just one teeny mistake: Dolphin meat is rarely consumed by the majority of the Japanese. That's one of the biggest problem of dolphin-slaughtering. It's a dead culture, no one eats dolphins except the people in Taiji and a few other remote areas, but the slaughtering is still continuing. I've lived in Japan for more than 20 years and not once have I laid my eyes on dolphin meat, nor have I met anyone who have consumed them. And I totally agree with you on the idea that food health & safety should be a priority, except that's rarely ever the case.

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MrUSA

You contradict yourself:

I agree as if these activists really are concerned about the dangerous levels of toxin in dolphins. Then why don't they address this through other means like education, research and public awareness?

Making a documentary raises public awareness and educates in one of the most effective ways possible.

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You contradict yourself:

No, I'm not. I was quoting another poster here.

Making a documentary raises public awareness and educates in one of the most effective ways possible.

No it doesn't. Not when your intended audience doesn't want to watch your documentary because they feel it insults them.

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MrUSA

No it doesn't. Not when your intended audience doesn't want to watch your documentary because they feel it insults them.

Well I would have to disagree there. I think many Japanese would be interested in this documentary. However, maybe they are afraid to watch, because they may learn something bad about their fellow countrymen but you can't blame the documentary makers there. You can only blame the people who want to put their heads in the sand.

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MrUSA - Not your intended audience doesn't want to watch your documentary because they feel it insults them.

That's exactly right! The truth can be a bitter pill to swallow. Ignorance is not an excuse! If Japanese people chose not to watch this documentary on the grounds of feeling insulted then it is they deserve to be put in the same boat as the dolphin hunters.

betternotsay - I've lived in Japan for more than 20 years and not once have I laid my eyes on dolphin meat, nor have I met anyone who have consumed them.

That is because most of it is labeled as whale meat and sold in supermarkets for kids to get their daily dose of mercury. Luckily, the government's plan to use dolphin meat in school lunches has been squashed, for now. This would have given you a lot of opportunity to see dolphin meat and possibly another spate of Minamata disease to go with it.

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"That is because most of it is labeled as whale meat and sold in supermarkets for kids to get their daily dose of mercury. Luckily, the government's plan to use dolphin meat in school lunches has been squashed, for now. This would have given you a lot of opportunity to see dolphin meat and possibly another spate of Minamata disease to go with it."

Disillusioned, who again told you that you're living in a fantasy world? Or better.......a wishful thinking world! Anyway, forgot who it was but I fully agree with that poster.

"Dolphin meat labeled as whale mate being sold at supermarkets for kids". Sure, Disillusioned!!

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Taiji Mayor Kazutaka Sangen said, ‘‘Dolphin hunting is not an illegal activity. It is necessary to respect each culture’s diet, based on an understanding of regional traditions.’

I dont respect a mercury laden lunch diet for kids in any country.

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roomtemperature, lots of dolphin has been sold as whale meat in Japan.

I tyhink it was Wakayama pref that started putting whale on the school dinner menu and some was in fact dolphin.

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roomtemperature -

Why do you think Disillusioned is 'living in a fantasy world'? Because the idea of supermarkets selling dolphin meat is so far-fetched it cannot possibly to be true? Or you don't believe anyone would label dolphin meat as whale meat? Or give it to kids to eat?

http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20070904a3.html

the meat is sold in local supermarkets in packages of approximately ¥170 per 100 grams. Dolphin is available in supermarkets in Taiji, Yamashita said, adding that some 150 kg was served last year in school lunches in the area.

http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg17823990.900-shops-in-japan-are-selling-mercuryriddled-dolphin-flesh-as-whalemeat.html

DNA analysis of 17 "whale" products purchased in supermarkets by EIA investigators in 2001 revealed that 12 were from porpoises and dolphins.

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The lack of openess displayed by the Taiji dolphin hunters is probably the reason for the film to be of such consequence in the first place.

Their cloaking and veiling, their refusal to discuss and put forward their views in a rational manner well before the filming project began, just made themselves the obvious target. They essentially set themselves up.

And once they got the local constabulary and town officials to impose highly questionable "laws", in a sense - throwing down the gaunlet - they were doomed to be presented in a dark light casat by their own shadows.

Why didn't they speak out about their proud culture and traditions and produce some positive media to counter the film makers?

Why? Perhaps they didn't have faith in themselves and their story, so by covering it up all will go away and everyone will return to hunky-dory land.

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for gods sake, a sensational politically charged drama/documentary takes the prize. sounds like shrewd insight from the directory and investors paid off. good on em, hope they take all those earnings and buy the freaking cove n put those dolphin cowboys out of business... doubt that will happen though because they are most likely all talk like most of the 'activists' out there. as for the dolphins? who gives a rip.

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Now that their dolphin slaughtering has been exposed to the world, the poor people of Taiji are going to be forced to stop this custom, which has been practiced for Millenia (according to some posters). As a result, they are going to starve to death, as they are apparently unable to grow rice in that region of Japan - and have relied on eating dolphin meat. Documentary makers: you will have the death of Taiji-jin on your hands. I hope you are all happy!

I think my University students are going to enjoy this Oscar winner when I show it to them next semester!

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ReikiZen,

I am not condoning killing dolphins or whales but I also respect other cultures and what they choose for their diet.

Understood, but issue is more than what they chose to eat, it's more like some minority of fisherman running these animals to the cove for selling them to aquariums and such. The ones that didnt' seel is not released back, but hacked to pieces and sold under false packaging as whale meat, forced into schoolchildren. It's just these fisherman trying to make more money on these innocent animals. They make sometimes upto $150.000 off a single dolphin, but greedy enough to heck the rest to pieces for just little more money.

How is putting this out in the open going to change anything!

It will change everything. Millions are aware of this horrible practice because of this documentary. How about the KobeKids post about the highschool kids reactions? Future is bright.

It is only going to anger the Japanese and put them on the defensive.

I deeply believe Japanese public will not be angered when seeing Cove. They will be the ones to put a stop to this. It's the yakuza fisherman that will be on the defensive, will say it's their culture and won't even care if they are poisioning people or themselves.

Food health & safety should be put above all else and not as a means for profit which is unforgivable.

Yes, exactely! There is nothing more important than health of our children. If the meat contains mercury, end of the story.

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This is another PR disaster for Japan. They are so useless at PR it is unbelievable.

Their big error was to try and cover up the dolphin slaughter. They used blue tarpaulins, banned filming, harassed people trying to film it... that is just an absolutely silly approach. For any (normal) documentary film maker that is like a red rag to a bull. They'll be smacking their lips at the juicy opportunity... a film of the dolphin slaughter taken against all odds... the documentary they tried to ban... etc

This raises the other point. Notice I put a "normal" before documentary film maker above. Japanese documentary makers are far from normal. Why on earth haven't the Japanese media made a documentary about this? Are they too busy filming programs about ramen?

We rarely get any hard hitting documentaries about the more unpalatable sides of life here in Japan. The media is not fulfilling its role, presumably from fear of upsetting people watching, upsetting the subjects of the documentary, upsetting the government, etc. This timid media is useless and this fear of upsetting people makes TV here bland and childish too the extreme.

We criticize (for example) the BBC in the UK but at least they make some great hard-hitting documentaries... how about "Slaughterhouse: The Task of Blood" showing the inside workings of a family slaughterhouse in the UK. Or how about any of Michael Moore's documentaries? The Japanese media certainly is too timid and that's left this open for a foreign documentary team to make a great documentary... and look how successful they have been with it.

If the Japanese had from the start been open about the slaughter (we are very sorry but this is our culture and this is how we do it) and if the Japanese media operated as a normal media should then The Cove would never have been made.

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The NHK evening news had little to say about this. Strange really: "Documentary about Japan wins Oscar" would usually get much more coverage. In this instance "Pretty young woman golfer comes 54th in a tournament" is deemed more newsworthy by the NHK guys.

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If you hide it, then you know something is wrong. It's wrong. The inhuman slaughter of wild animals. As 'bokuhaneko' posts, the Japanese can't be blamed for not knowing anything about things like this, they are fed sugary-plums of spun homeliness about their nation by the toothless media.

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This mean is the end of Japan try to get out of they wrong doing with bride!!! i guess the world is tired of this country stupid way of thinking that money can fix anything!!! this is just the beginning!!!!!

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This film touches on the whole picture, which is to say that not only are the people of Taiji responsible for the slaughter of these dolphins, but so too are the people involved in the senseless capture of whales and dolphins for the mere pleasure of entertainment in theme parks all over the world. This film is good in that it makes us think about the overall picture: slaughtering animals (not only dolphins) is wrong. It is good that this film is bringing to light the plight of not only dolphins, but other animals.

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scrote:

The NHK evening news had little to say about this. Strange really: "Documentary about Japan wins Oscar" would usually get much more coverage. In this instance "Pretty young woman golfer comes 54th in a tournament" is deemed more newsworthy by the NHK guys.

I came back just in time to see the last 30 seconds on NHK. But what followed was NHK news spending 5 minutes showing Matsuzaka Daisuke doing stretches. For god's sake!!!

I will no longer visit dolphin shows.

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It seems some folks here dont realize that the word kujira encompasses both whales & dolphins in a lot of cases thats why many Japanese dont realize whats what, not making any excuses about anything just saying whats what

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I always love the 'Japanese tradition' argument. Correct me if I'm wrong, but one of the primary reasons for hunting/slaughtering dolphins and whales was for the meat and materials it provided, as in the former there came with it a lot of nutrition (which was lacking, particularly after WW2 in the case of whale meat). However, saying in this day and age that it's a 'tradition' to kill thousands more dolphins than they need to to sustain the people and obviously for export to other parts of Japan, and that Taiji has no other foods like back then, is utterly ridiculous. It's like the people who come on here spouting about the tradition of whaling, like it was done hundreds of years ago in the Antarctic in giant diesel ships!

There's a point when Japan and other nations need to stop using the guise of tradition to carry on mass slaughter for commercial gain, and it's so utterly see-through in cases like this I can't help laughing when they talk about 'understanding culture'. I say, let us understand it, then! Get rid of the tarps, and open Taiji up to the public 100%. Let the media see the truth of the matter 24/7, and let the non-Taiji 'scientists' test the meat for mercury instead of simply saying, "Nope. We don't agree with those figures. Ours, which we can't show you, are different".

Come on... you're feeding this to KIDS!!

Earlier on the Mayor simply said, "No matter what I say it will publicize the movie", for which I had a mild respect for him, but now I see he's currently complaining to the Oscar board and preaching from a soapbox about scientists being wrong and what not, so I take it back -- the guy's a fool.

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The fact that Japanese companies have in many cases been shipping dolphin meat as 'whale' was aired on Japanese TV only last year. It was a friend of mine who brought it to my attention, and after looking into it it seems that, as GW says and I've said before, 'Kujira' encompasses both species of mammal. Therefore, they're not exactly 'lying' when they say it's whale any more than if I sold someone pigeons and said it was bird meat.

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I find it a bit strange that the Cove never mentioned dolphin slaugher in Europe or in other parts of the world. Check out the slaughter in this video, its a festival atmosphere with little kids and people taking pictures. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LU640t7VjK8

Not sure but i think the above video is from Denmark.

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ruger - do not need to criticize the japanese for their traditons!!!

Well I beg to differ on that one.

All citizens of the world should have the inalienable right to voice their opinions about something they believe in - irregardless of the country. And preferrably presented without hate and vitriol. What kind of free world is it where we are to be muzzled for commenting on - oh no !!! - a culturally sensitive issue. The dolphin hunters made themselves open game and they will certainly attract a lot more attention now. Crying after the fact with wishy-washy statements - as on tv media this evening - changes nought.

It's up to the dolphin hunters and associates to present their story to the world instead of waiting for someone "culturally sensitive" to come in and do it for them.

They've had years and years - this story is not new. I first heard about it at least 10 years ago.

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We, who are not Japanese do not need to criticize the Japanese for their traditions.

I think you misunderstood my post.

I'm not talking about criticizing the Japanese for their traditions.

I'm saying there was no need for Japan to try to cover up the slaughter with silly blue tarpaulins. By doing so they created an even juicier topic... ripe for a documentary producer to make a film about.

I'm also saying that the documentary film maker could (should) have been Japanese, but the media is so timid in Japan we hardly ever get hard-hitting documentaries.

These 2 things IMHO created the circumstances for a foreign film maker to step and make a documentary which has become world famous.

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I find it a bit strange that the Cove never mentioned dolphin slaugher in Europe or in other parts of the world.

In my opinion, it is because it wouldn't make for a good dramatic movie. If they covered all places where whale or dolphin slaughter was going on, it would seem more like a Discovery Channel or PBS documentary, and thus wouldn't merit a chance at an Academy award.

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Expect the rightwing nutters/yaks in Taiji to say the killing is done for research purposes.

There is no doubt that the whale and dolphin slaughters are embedded in the far right of the LDP and their sponsors the Yaks.

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There have been numerable documentaries made on the plight of animals in many countries. MANY countries. I saw my first "evil factory farm film" decades ago. Many of these were made on shoestring budgets and lacked the "Academy" technique, but the messages were in your face.

The Cove is about dolphin hunting in Taiji. It ISN'T about the gorillas of congo or other such tales to tell.

It doesn't need to be representative of the whole world animal rights movement and mention every case of animal injustice. Hopefully it does though open some eyes to how people treat animals in general, BUT it's reason to be is to show what's happening in Taiji.

That's it. It's about Taiji. That's TAIJI. And it was made with a level of tecnical expertise and poise that happens to elevate it in the cinema world's eyes.

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at least the Americans are concerned and there's a lot of debate.

actually, Pukey2, there is debate in Japan about the killing of whales. You obviously don't know about the Japan branch of PETA. In fact, musician Masami Akita (aka Merzbow), and PETA activist, made an album called "Dolphin Sonar" as a form of protest against these killings in Taiji. There is also a Japanese branch of Greenpeace which I've donated to in the past. They even mail a newsletter when you donate.

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Heard mixed reviews for "The Cove". Some say it was chilling and very powerful, while others were saying it was kind of preachy.

You obviously don't know about the Japan branch of PETA

PETA can be crazy sometimes.

That's it. It's about Taiji. That's TAIJI.

Good point. I hope that the world understands that this killing is going on only in Taiji; not all of Japan. But unfortunately, after reading some comments of people who have seen the movie, many people are getting the wrong impression that all Japanese kill dolphins. I've even heard of some Internet posters shouting hate messages to all Japanese people for these actions. Sheesh!

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Another international slap in the face for Japan! Yikers, this cannot be good!

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hotbox:

actually, Pukey2, there is debate in Japan about the killing of whales. You obviously don't know about the Japan branch of PETA. In fact, musician Masami Akita (aka Merzbow), and PETA activist, made an album called "Dolphin Sonar" as a form of protest against these killings in Taiji

well how come people hardly ever hear about them? Yes I've heard of them and Greenpeace and also some anti-vivisection groups in Japan, but they don't nearly get enough exposure. There is certainly no public outcry on the way animals are treated in zoos and how pets are abandoned. And the only shops I know that sell toiletries that have specifically not been tested on animals are or were British companies.

And what debate about the killing of whales are you talking about? There are debates outside of Japan, and sometimes it makes an appearance on NHK news, but where is the debate within Japan?

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tamako123

You make it sound like there is a cultural bias in this documentary. Like it's Western commentators dictating there views. So wrong; things are a lot less clear cut and many Japanese detest this slaughter.

The barbarism is there to see in the film and if you are 'human' you will see that. I suggest you see the film.

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At the same time I feel "revenged" by their winning, I also feel ashamed of myself. For, how can I feel outraged seeing those poor dolphins being killed while I am having a beef and other meats everyday?

Shame on Japan, shame on us.

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These dolphins are being killed specifically for scientific research. At least 1000 of them per year must be killed to gain a representative sample - and they must not be killed quickly - but over a lengthy period by incompetent (elderly and possibly drunk(?)slaughtermen. The meat is an incidental by-product.

Stop being so critical of the poverty-stricken Taiji locals, all you racists: THIS IS JAPANESE CULTURE. These people can't cultivate rice, so they MUST slaughter dolphins as their staple food. Stop lecturing them - same goes for Hollywood!

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Nobody here in the US has even heard of this film, which isn't too surprising since there're just so many movies to be watching. Nevertheless I do believe that dolphins, or specifically bottle-nose dolphins are indeed very intelligent and ought not be consumed.

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Has anyone on this post actually seen the movie??

The main "blame" is obviously put on the world's desire to see and play with dolphins in sea parks, hotels and dolphinariums. It is not an anti japanese movie. As is noted in the movie, a dead dolphin can be sold by the fishermen for $600 for meat, but one sold to the sea parks around the world can bring in $150,000.

The fishermen in Taiji make most of their money from the sea park sales, then they kill the rest for meat which is often illegally labeled as more expensive whale meat. If no one around the world wanted to see these shows there wouldn't be much incentive to capture/kill the leftovers.

Ric O Barry, the main subject, puts the blame on the popularity of sea parks squarely on himself, due to his show Flipper, but he has now dedicated the past 35 years of his life to rescuing dolphins around the world. The movie clearly shows he has focused his efforts around the world, showing him getting arrested in many different locations, but this particular documentary focuses on Taiji.

The whole food issue in the movie is not that eating whales and dolphins is bad, but that dolphin meat is dangerous and being sold to the unknowing public

Watch the movie folks before you get sidetracked on other issues

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To clarify, it should be clear from my above post that I am totally against this capture and killing, but I want to say that it all of our countries fault, not just the Japanese. If you take your kids to see these dolphin shows you are part responsible too

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MrUSA at 05:02 PM JST - 8th March

Is it a documentary??

"While many of the scenes in the film are staged or misrepresented, it is still considered a documentary."

Japan Today: "After screenings in selected countries such as Japan, Australia and the United States, the documentary provoked criticism against the hunt, while local fishermen defended it as part of a Japanese tradition, saying the practice was not bloodthirsty as they built memorials for the dolphins."

Who are any of you trying to kid? Frankly, it is quite bad enough this has been allowed to go on for so long by the Japanese authorities without people now making feeble excuses, trying to discredit the Oscar winning documentary (none of which was staged) or lying. Hang your heads in shame and campaign to get this brutal and barbaric practice stopped as quickly as possible. The eyes of the World are now fixed upon you.

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This is great news!! Yes the world is watching you now.

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As most years, I watched the Oscars distractedly, not really caring for the rich and the mighty, the entertainments of millions. The real issues, the real problems are rooted in the soul, in the heart that is not caring enough. Injustices and abuses towards all living beings continue through apathy. And then: The Cove won best documentary!!!! A dirty secret is exposed to the world! They risked their lives to make this documentary, and they get well-deserved recognition! There is maybe hope, after all!

Most of the comments here are intelligent and well-informed. BUT... I was shocked at BarakuminDes, saying, amongst other things: "These dolphins are being killed specifically for scientific research. At least 1000 of them per year must be killed to gain a representative sample - and they must not be killed quickly - but over a lengthy period by incompetent (elderly and possibly drunk(?)slaughtermen. The meat is an incidental by-product." And then he says that they "have to" eat dolphin meat, because they can't cultivate rice in Taiji...

It is this level of awareness of the world, this coldness of heart which cause most of the problems I talked about...

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If you take your kids to see these dolphin shows you are part responsible too

Good point, qazwsx, and well put. The true message in the film is that this is the tip of a deeper and larger problem in which we all share a bit of responsibility for. Without the need and demand, there wouldn't be the people to fulfill that. It is something that we as humans will have to look deep into ourselves to overcome.

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I couldn't care less if a few dolphins got slaughtered for food. For some reasonk, people are quite fond of these things. I blame flipper.

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Wontond: Yes, thanks to The Cove the entire world now knows you could care less.

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Most of the comments here are intelligent and well-informed. BUT... I was shocked at BarakuminDes, saying, amongst other things: "These dolphins are being killed specifically for scientific research. At least 1000 of them per year must be killed to gain a representative sample - and they must not be killed quickly - but over a lengthy period by incompetent (elderly and possibly drunk(?)slaughtermen. The meat is an incidental by-product." And then he says that they "have to" eat dolphin meat, because they can't cultivate rice in Taiji...

love2allanimals - That poster is being sarcastic and comparing the Japanese attitude to whaling to illustrate how ridiculous it sounds in the context of dolphins.

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As most years, I watched the Oscars distractedly, not really caring for the rich and the mighty, the entertainments of millions. The real issues, the real problems are rooted in the soul, in the heart that is not caring enough.

Well, I guess then nothing has really changed. This year's Oscars were pretty much the same.

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If the million wasted on storing whale meat that is not eaten by Japanese were instead given to the citizens of Taiji they would have far better lives than now. And they would not die of mercury poisoning as well.

But now, the apologist was useless slaughter would rather the local people carry out a practice that no one wants any longer in Japan or elsewhere.

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Has anyone on this post actually seen the movie??

I haven't. Where can I download it?

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“In distributing ‘The Cove’ we are not taking sides,” Norio Okahara, the director of Medallion Media, said in the statement. “Rather, we are presenting the film for the Japanese people to decide for themselves about the issues it raises. There is a debate to be had here and this important film – and the Academy Award nomination only serves to reinforce its importance – offers the opportunity for such a debate.”

http://carpetbagger.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/02/08/the-cove-breaks-into-japan/

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How dare you treat other sentient beings in such a way?

With nets, spears, and gaffs - the way the folks in Taiji normally hunt dolphins.

Few things are as ridiculous as armchair environmentalists lamenting the death of dolphins with melodramatic lines like "the world is watching you" and condemning a people for eating them because they're "cute" or "sentient."

And if these dolphins are really so intelligent, you'd think they would have learned to avoid Taiji by now.

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Its time that Dolphins and Whales were not made to live in swimming pools. Anyone who goes to see those shows has to be selfish and stupid. Dont teach your children to laugh at suffering.

Japan has the blood of whales and dolphins on its hands. The world is watching.

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Japan has the blood of whales and dolphins on its hands. The world is watching.

Please tell us what's wrong with hunting dolphins.

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SiouxChef: "Few things are as ridiculous as armchair environmentalists"

Please don't mistake me for one - I'll be in Taiji on 1st September along with a lot of other people. Why not come down and meet us?

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I'll be in Taiji on 1st September along with a lot of other people.

Maybe you should just leave them alone and let them do their jobs. The people of Taiji don't harass you, so you should just leave them alone.

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Anyone who goes to see those shows has to be selfish and stupid.

This is rude. Maybe people want to learn about animals.

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MrUSA: The dolphin slaughterers of Taiji and officials permitting and condoning the killing and distributing toxic dolphin meat will likely know no peace until this practice is brought to an end. You are being extremely niaive if you think The Cove is the last documentary that will be made about Taiji. The world's media are now onto this.

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LOL, and there's all those people out there saying that if Japan would only catch whales closer to home there would be no opposition to it's whaling.

:)

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Los Angeles Times: "Oscar winner 'The Cove' to become the basis of a new TV series - Animal Planet says the series may premiere in the fall, after 'The Cove' debuts on the channel this summer."

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Please don't mistake me for one - I'll be in Taiji on 1st September along with a lot of other people. Why not come down and meet us?

Well, good luck to you Tigerlily4. After you succeed, then maybe you can help me take up the fight against marine parks and sea worlds across the globe. They should be made to set their animals free where they should be, rather than to be kept in small fish tanks that are often cleaned irregularly, and trained to do unnatural tricks. Down with cruelty to animals all over the world.

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Please don't mistake me for one - I'll be in Taiji on 1st September along with a lot of other people. Why not come down and meet us?

Because there's no reason to harass anyone in Taiji? Because I normally try to avoid acting the fool in a foreign country when my values are incongruent with those of its citizens? Because I have no use for being arrested? Because I'm an adult?

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Sky News: "The Cove - The world's horrified and the Japanese people are horrified."

Japan Probe: "Taiji is now infamous in America and Australia because of 'The Cove' "

SiouxChef: Who said we're coming to Taiji to harrass anyone? Those were your words not mine.

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The Taiji people eat dolphins. That's that. Western world should not be crying for that.

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btw. God Bless all those connected with the making of The Cove.

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Dolphin meat is horribly toxic. They shouldn't be eating it to begin with. If the meat wasn't toxic, I wouldn't care as much. Also, the government sometimes mislabels dolphin as whale, which is pretty heinous considering the mercury levels.

roughneck: Not everyone in Taiji eats dolphin. The local council in Taiji was against feeding dolphin to their children.

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btw. God Bless all those connected with the making of The Cove.

Amen!

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Damien15 said,

"Activists wants to educate the J public by making this documentary. Do you know a better way how can a foreigner educate the J public? Would J listen anything coming from foreigners?"

The activists don't do anything unless they gain something back that is the nature of man. The activist gain an Oscar along with names recognition doing a good deed. A documentary to add to their resume. Dirty laundry sells.

If the activist really cared they should have went door to door and talk to the whole of Japan one-on-one about the dolphin meat being toxic. Stand in the center of every city and give fliers out. A documentary sound so much better and less work then going from door to door. A story about cute animals and mammals tug at the heartstrings of people. When people get emotional they want to do something about it. The documentary is a slap to the Taiji. The activist haven't and probably don't care what happens to the Taiji if hunting dolphin becomes illegal. Maybe the activist should be forking over the money from the movie and provide the Taiji with an education and new jobs. I agree with save the dolphins but at the same time give the Taiji a better life to. You can't take away someone livelihood and not give something back to the people that you took away from.

The emphasis is the pollution of the ocean is a detriment to the mammals, planets, and other life form. The documentary should have target the big corporation and countries that pollute the ocean and have them clean the ocean in order for dolphins and whales to not carry toxins. This is the problem that led to the Taiji and their way of life is endanger because of toxin dolphins used for meats.

From my own experience I was never told by the fishing industry in the States that eating fish is bad for you because mercury. I stumble upon that finding by accident due to a homework assignment. I don't see companies required by law to put a health risk notification on any of the fish, tuna, salmon packagings.

I would not eat dolphin meat because they are too cute and have toxins.

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Maybe the activist should be forking over the money from the movie and provide the Taiji with an education and new jobs.

Louie Psihoyos agrees with you.

Louie told the Associated Press: "Any of the money that is generated out of Japan, if they stop dolphin-hunting, will go to Taiji." He continued, "Once the Japanese people see this film ... I think they will shut down the cove. "This is not an animal-rights film. This is a people's rights film for the Japanese people."

I understand the intrepid fishermen of Taiji prefer to carry on butchering dolphins; they certainly don't want the film seen in Japan.

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@skipbeat- good post, except I do not think dolphins are cute. Great post none the less.

@cleo- you think they will really give up that money?

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IchyaWarFare -

Does it matter what I think? Psihoyos is on record saying it's what he wants. I would like to see Psihoyos having to put his money where his mouth is, if only because it will mean the Taiji butchers have stopped butchering Flipper.

I don't think 'cute' is the right word to describe dolphin. The word that floated through my mind when I was lucky enough to swim with them in Ogawasara was AWESOME.

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Maybe the activist should be forking over the money from the movie and provide the Taiji with an education and new jobs.

Ric has offered to pay them the same money they are making from dolphin hunt. Their response was, "it's not a matter of money, dolphins are pests and eating the fish we are after"

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Their response was, "it's not a matter of money, dolphins are pests and eating the fish we are after"

Isn't that a good reason to cull them?

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If they donate all the prize money from this award to saving of the whales, I will consider that their interest in this work was genuine.No, I don't think so. Why did they have to hide and do things?

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Raja: This is a discussion about The Cove, not the war.

Woman: "Why did they have to hide and do things?"

When you watch the film, it will become clear. The slaughtermen in Taiji erected barriers and stopped people filming and taking photographs - they were the ones attempting to hide what happens in Taiji. The film crew had no option other than to film covertly.

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womanforwomen ,

There is no prize-money awarded with an Oscar.

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The slaughtermen in Taiji erected barriers and stopped people filming and taking photographs

This is not true.

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funkymofo thanks for that info. I really don't pay attention to all these shows and fanfare.

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The film crew had no option other than to film covertly.

Who appointed this crew? Did they approach the authorties concerned to say their view on this before secretly filming it? Did this crew first approach the government in their own country to intervene and resolve this issue? What are the other projects this crew has undertaken? How long have they been working on this project of saving the dolphins?

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I have a copy of the film, there are photos and videos on the web - some made by Japanese film-makers - clearly showing locked barriers and slaughtermen harrassing and screaming at people to keep away from Taiji's cove.

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womanforwomen - All your questions have been answered.

I'd suggest doing a little research and you will find the more detailed answers you are seeking.

I've been following off and on this story for most of the last decade. A lot of jonni come latelies here need to realize that this story didn't invent itself last Sunday.

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Woman: In fact, Japanese officials agreed to and do appear in the film many times. The Director previously made films for National Geographic. I suggest you watch the film. You can find the other information on the web, although I'd choose English or American newspapers rather than Japanese.

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You can find the other information on the web,

Good point. The Humane Society International website has a lot more information concerning cruelty to animals.

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MrUSA: If you had actually seen this film - which I strongly doubt - then you would be aware, as is everyone who has seen it that high, steel, locked barriers are present in Taiji cove. In fact, there is a video on YouTube made by a Japanese director in 2007 in which the same barriers are also clearly displayed, along with many photographs of them online. Also photos of signs put up by the slaughtermen telling people to keep away and that photography is forbidden.

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MrUSA: And, by the way, this is a discussion about a documentary - ie. a film recording things that actually happened. Why would I need to present you with facts and evidence? The film speaks for itself.

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Who cares about oscars. Especially documentary oscar.

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The Cove came across as a one-sided, finger-pointing exercise in guilt relief for the director's past sins. Taiji is a much softer target than Seaworld or corporate America.

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National Geographic: "In the end, it might be Japanese consumers who stop the Taiji hunt. Activists, scientists, and the Japanese press have documented high levels of mercury contamination in Japan's dolphins. The Cove features Oregon State University marine biologist Scott Baker, a past National Geographic Society grantee who tested Japanese striped dolphin meat and reported in 2005 it had nearly a hundred times the amount of mercury permitted by Japanese regulations."

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Tigerlily4: National Geographic: "In the end, it might be Japanese consumers who stop the Taiji hunt. Activists, scientists, and the Japanese press have documented high levels of mercury contamination in Japan's dolphins. The Cove features Oregon State University marine biologist Scott Baker, a past National Geographic Society grantee who tested Japanese striped dolphin meat and reported in 2005 it had nearly a hundred times the amount of mercury permitted by Japanese regulations."

That's an argument I can take.

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KingRat: That's an honest and honourable comment and I much respect it. However, my concern is much of the dolphin meat from Taiji is sold to China at around $500 per dolphin. In your opinion, do you think there's any chance of the slaughter stopping while there's a profitable demand for the - albeit - toxic meat?

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It may have been mentioned in one of the previous 180 comments, I haven't had time to read every single one. But if the fishermen of Taiji are just exercising their rights to preserve and continue their tradition of hunting dolphins and they truly feel they're not doing anything wrong then why all the secrecy and banning of filming of the hunt? It's not like any of them care what the outside world thinks of what they're doing.

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Tigerlily4: However, my concern is much of the dolphin meat from Taiji is sold to China at around $500 per dolphin. In your opinion, do you think there's any chance of the slaughter stopping while there's a profitable demand for the - albeit - toxic meat?

I wouldn't want Chinese to eat toxic food more than i want Japan to import toxic food from China.

Out of any other reason I have no beef with killing animals for eating.

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Just because you've always done it that way doesn't mean it's not incredibly stupid.

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Only a simpleton could justify this barbaric slaughter.

Nobody has provided reasons why the hunt should stop. If you don't like hunting dolphins, then don't. If you don't like eating dolphin, then don't.

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MrUSA: Dolphin meat contains extremely high levels of toxins. Why would the hunts carry on if the meat can't be eaten? This makes little sense.

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yabusama was correct when he/she asserted:

"But if the fishermen of Taiji are just exercising their rights to preserve and continue their tradition of hunting dolphins and they truly feel they're not doing anything wrong then why all the secrecy and banning of filming of the hunt? It's not like any of them care what the outside world thinks of what they're doing." Unless there is something about their "cultural practice" which they're ashamed of. Sorry, but while I can respect people and cultures to what I think to be a quite large extent, sometimes the cultural arguments need to be flushed. A few eyebrows would no doubt be raised were someone to assert that they should be able to continue keeping slaves because it was okay according to their culture. And this goes for things from my own "culture" as well. Being from the U.S. I often hear the same nonsensical argument being put forward in defense of the long history of the U.S.'s "gun culture". If it's bad, you change the culture. You do NOT keep making excuses to prolong the travesty.

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Once again people, just WATCH IT FIRST before you go all off topic defending traditions, getting riled up about it being anti-Japanese etc. I thought the documentary focuses on the deep problems of animals in captivity around the world, and mislabelling of dangerous food. It's not particularly Japan-bashing, this documentary just happens to focus on what's going on in Taiji.

Some posters here seem to think that the filmmakers have some sort of vendetta against Japan. Look, all countries have nasty stuff going on, this just happens to be based in Japan. Where does it say nothing critical can ever be said about Japan? The point of a documentary is to make us aware of things that otherwise we may not know/consider. If you don't wanna know, fine, don't watch it, but then don't comment on it either.

Doesn't anyone know how to google a torrent?

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It's not particularly Japan-bashing, this documentary just happens to focus on what's going on in Taiji.

This is where you are wrong. You can go to any other site or forum and you have people saying "why don't we do that to the Japanese or the Japanese are so cruel". Don't believe me, look it up. Perception is the key and most people percieve this as a Japanese thing. The people in this forum have been to Japan or live here and know the difference. Those that have not, think Japan is some island in BFE that kill dolphins and whales for food or what not. This film did not intend to do those things, but search yahoo or where ever and you will find this hate in their forums.

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Ichya: I totally get what you're saying but also you have to remember there are plenty of Japanese in forums advocating violence to foreigners who turn up in Taiji and sending armed military to AAT during the next whaling season. I agree all of this on both sides is inflammatory and unproductive and, actually, I think we all know that.

However, on the other hand, it is true the dolphins in Taiji are slaughtered in what is perceived by outsiders as inhumane and unacceptable in this day and age and the Japanese do eat whale and dolphin meat. Yes, Faroe does this too and there are as many groups campaigning against that as there are Taiji. This is not a Japan bashing mission.

But the slaughter is actually secondary to the fact that Japanese dolphin meat contains seriously high levels of toxins. Until this was exposed by the people who made The Cove, school children in Taiji were eating it every day for lunch. This has now been stopped - by the Japanese authorities - so isn't that one positive change these campaigners have brought about?

I repeat my earlier post: National Geographic: "In the end, it might be Japanese consumers who stop the Taiji hunt. Activists, scientists, and the Japanese press have documented high levels of mercury contamination in Japan's dolphins. The Cove features Oregon State University marine biologist Scott Baker, a past National Geographic Society grantee who tested Japanese striped dolphin meat and reported in 2005 it had nearly a hundred times the amount of mercury permitted by Japanese regulations."

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@Tiger-Good post and I agree with you.

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sad but typical that a main reason for not killing dolphins will be that they are contaminated with mercury. Feels like the end of the world.

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sad but typical that a main reason for not killing dolphins will be that they are contaminated with mercury.

If people want to eat mercury meat, then why can't they? If dolphin meat was healthy, would you still opposed the hunt?

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oppose the hunt*

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MrUSA: Are you not familiar with Minimata disease - which was brought about by mercury poisoning? I've just been watching videos of terrible suffering on You Tube. I understand Japanese authorities recently ordered dolphin meat from Taiji no longer be given to school-children for lunch and that pregnant women have also been advised not to eat it. I also understand a great deal of dolphin meat from Taiji is sold on to China and elsewhere in Japan. How would you feel to be eating toxic meat imported from China, with no idea it was poisonous?

And who will pay medical expenses and care for the Japanese people who do eventually fall ill if they continue to eat it?

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that's two excellent posts in a row Tigerlily.

"If people want to eat mercury meat, then why can't they?"

I would support that under a few conditions.

gov't clearly states the risks involved with eating the meat health risks clearly printed on packaging no more dolphin meat mislabeled as "kujira"

even if all these conditions were met you would still have the question raised by Tigerlily "who will pay medical expenses and care for the Japanese people who do eventually fall ill if they continue to eat it?"

What we have at the moment is mislabeled meat with no warnings attached. You have to sift through gov't web sites to find out that pregnant women are recommended to never partake and all others should only rarely partake in very small amounts. No extensive medical tests have been done on any of the residents in Taiji so we have no idea about the effects so far ( I posted about this on the other story), and recent tests of residents hair have shown

recently Japanese scientists published new findings that show mercury levels in citizens of the Japanese whaling town Taiji up to 25 times higher than Japan’s average.

http://www.eia-international.org/cgi/news/news.cgi?t=template&a=580&source=

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I was surprised to find a highly educated Japanese who said he'd never heard about Japanese still eating dolphins. He asked everyone in his lab and they were equally ignorant. This documentary is a good step toward raising awareness.

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And who will pay medical expenses and care for the Japanese people who do eventually fall ill if they continue to eat it?

This is an excellent point. I agree, dolphin meat should not be consumed. But if people are allowed to smoke and drink, I don't think they should be prevented from eating mercury meat if they want to.

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MrUSA: Well, I think foreign exports of dolphin meat will probably have to stop and also that it will end up being banned for eating in Japan. However, I guess if people still want to kill the odd dolphin to eat despite the risks, like drinking and smoking, you'll never be able to stop them doing it. It's pretty foolish though if you watch some of the videos of Minimata on YouTube - and of course it doesn't only affect humans - animals can be affected. The Taiji dolphin meat wouldn't even be suitable for livestock or pet food. I'm really worried for the people of Taiji! I think someone should arrange for them to be tested. Don't forget, it's not just mercury. There are many toxins in this dolphin meat.

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Nessie: I meant to comment on your post too. If Japanese people are largely unaware that dolphin is still being eaten in Japan, presumably the Taiji meat must mostly be eaten in Taiji or exported?

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Tigerlily4

We agree with the health risk here but the movie is about Japanese "slaughter" of dolphins. And just because it's Japanese it is difficult for some posters to not jump on the usual bashing bandwagon, if ever so subtle.

Your point is just a portion of this movie, if at all, as this is not a documentary to protect the health of the people of Taiji but to protect the health of the dolphins.

Selling dolphins is not a crime. If the market is there you can sell it just like you can sell Chinese products made by unprotected workers in toxic environments like the textile or coal industry.

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KingRat, wrong watch the film. Some people hate animal cruelty and because they may post where you dont see it doesnt mean it is Japan bashing. That is the easy answer that the dolphin killers and their misguided fans believe.

By comparing tainted dolphin meat to toxic Chinese environments says it all really.

The film hows many thing, but does not bash Japan, just the bad people that carry out this brutal practise.

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It's just amazing that there are so many people afraid of mercury poisoning. Yes, it's no laughing matter, but to all you "chicken littles" out there, the chances of you ever coming in contact with it is slim. Fact is, there are so many more things out there that I would be more afraid of and would more likely occur: car accidents, cancer, stroke, muggings, robberies, assaults, and a whole range of other diseases and serious viruses. Heck, even terrorism and earthquakes give me scares more than the remote possibility of me ever coming in contact with mercury. I feel for the dolphins getting slaughtered, but think the "everyone's going to get mercury poisoning from eating the stuff and die" reason as bs. Fact is, I have been in Japan for a long time now, and have never experienced eating the stuff, nor have anyone I know. The closest is a couple of coworkers who have told me that they have tried whale meat, but didn't like it, so never ate it again. Yes, it is sold in certain markets and yes it contains mercury, but you all have a choice; don't buy it; tell your friends and family don't buy it. Simple.

Don't forget, it's not just mercury. There are many toxins in this dolphin meat.

Simple, don't eat it, don't buy it. I know I don't.

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haoushouhaki, mercury is only part on the problem. The cruelty in the slaughter and the selling of dolphin as whale meat are other concerns.

The hiding of the slaughter and the seemin g ignorance og government officials into what it entails is also alarming.

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It all boils down to the fact that some want to protect whales and dolphins while others view they as any other regular fishes, sorry intellectual mammals.

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Nessie: I meant to comment on your post too. If Japanese people are largely unaware that dolphin is still being eaten in Japan, presumably the Taiji meat must mostly be eaten in Taiji or exported?

I'm in Hokkaido, so maybe it's not that surprising that people up here don't know about the dolphin slaughter. Even so, it indicates that the domestic media have been reporting this story much less than the overseas English-language media have been reporting it.

I doubt the meat is being exported (i.e., distributed overseas). I imagine it's mostly eaten locally, or distributed domestically. It's a good question, but I have no information on who is actually eating all this dolphin.

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The reason i a mostly against thsi is the suffering caused to the dolphins due to the slaughter. Any decent person with morals who watched the film would also agree, unless of course they have another agenda.

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King: Steve is right. Only the last 5 - 10 minutes of the film shows scenes of dolphin slaughter. The remainder of the film is taken up with intervews of Japanese and other officials about the toxicity of the meat, the testing of the meat and scientific/health discussions and the remainder explains how the film was made.

I think you will be pleasantly surprised to find it contains no "Japan bashing".

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stevecpfc: The reason i a mostly against thsi is the suffering caused to the dolphins due to the slaughter. Any decent person with morals who watched the film would also agree, unless of course they have another agenda.

Ok yea I forgot you were. I agree with you I don't want animals to suffer either. So I guess the only point here is the protection of these secluded group of animals that I don't agree with.

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Sorry - took me so long to post, I'm way out of synch!

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Nessie: Thanks for your reply. It is, in fact, documented that Taiji dolphin meat is exported to China - $500 per dolphin carcass.

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The film shows many things which i hope the Japanese public wills ee and hope that they wil prssure those in power to ban this kind of killing.

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Haoushokuhaki: But we're talking here about slaughtering dolphins specifically to harvest toxic meat that is not fit for consumption - by anything. There is quite a difference between that and the slaughter of livestock or culling pests.

What particularly bothers me (and the makers of The Cove) is the Japanese people don't appear to have been informed by the authorities that no-one should be eating this meat - never mind exporting it - as Nessie says above. Look I know some of you will have seen this before but I will post again:

National Geographic: "In the end, it might be Japanese consumers who stop the Taiji hunt. Activists, scientists, and the Japanese press have documented high levels of mercury contamination in Japan's dolphins. The Cove features Oregon State University marine biologist Scott Baker, a past National Geographic Society grantee who tested Japanese striped dolphin meat and reported in 2005 it had nearly a hundred times the amount of mercury permitted by Japanese regulations."

And this was the result in 2005!

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But we're talking here about slaughtering dolphins specifically to harvest toxic meat that is not fit for consumption - by anything. There is quite a difference between that and the slaughter of livestock or culling pests.

TIgerlily4: But have you ever eaten the meat? Will you ever eat it? I bet your answer will be a resounding "no", right? Are you that afraid that somehow you will get mercury poisoning? I bet you are also a believer in global warming as well. Use your common sense, stay away from that "toxic meat". I do. Then again, it's pretty easy because I just don't see it in any of the supermarkets where I live anyway. And if you want to split hairs, then you could also make the argument that there are other dangers lurking in all kinds of food. If they ain't organic, it will contain small amounts of either bacteria (harmful or not), pesticides, heavy metals, etc. More often than not, you will never know the effects of these things right away, but maybe over time ...

The point is, the argument for stopping this slaughter is that it is blatantly cruel, and I agree that it is. To make the additional argument of the "everybody's gonna get mercury poisoning in the world" argument for stopping this slaughter, is wrong. It feeds into a false paranoia. Grasping at straws and other reasons to strengthen the argument against it only looks desperate, if you ask me.

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haoushokuhaki: With respect, this is a discussion about The Cove and Taiji and its by-product - toxic dolphin meat (the subject of the film). Of course I'm not going to eat it, neither am I going to split hairs with you : there's no need because a scientific analysis has already been carried out, the results of which are posted above. If mercury in the meat was 100 times Japan's permitted levels in 2005, it might be double or triple or more than that now. To attempt to say we're making "something out of nothing" is quite untrue. Or do you know more about toxicity than scientists and your own Government?

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With respect, this is a discussion about The Cove and Taiji and its by-product

Tigerlily4: Yes, I agree and it should stay that way. The brutality of the slaughter should be highlighted; not the toxicity of mercury.

To attempt to say we're making "something out of nothing" is quite untrue.

Well everyone IS making something out of nothing. Think about it: If we don't eat it, how can we get it? Yet, many of you are saying things like that and making everyone paranoid that mercury poisoning is the most deadly thing that can happen to you in your lives! NO WAY!

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many of you are saying things like that and making everyone paranoid that mercury poisoning

"Only recently Japanese scientists published new findings that show mercury levels in citizens of the Japanese whaling town Taiji up to 25 times higher than Japan’s average."

"In November a joint letter by Japanese consumer and food safety groups and international conservation organisations called on Japan’s Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama and his Minister of Consumer Affairs and Food Safety to prohibit the sale of polluted cetacean products."

lots of paranoid folks around these days.

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haoushokuhaki: Have you forgotten similar scenario to Taiji happened in Minimata with lead poisoning? Thousands of dolphins are being slaughtered every year in Taiji. I have not seen one person in this forum say they eat dolphin meat - some say they had no idea it was still being eaten and have never seen it on sale in supermarkets. The people of Taiji could not possibly eat all the meat so I wonder what happens to it?

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haoushokuhaki: I have never said people are dying every day from mercury poisoning - but actually, I just discovered they still are in Minimata. I think it would be niaive to dismiss the possibility of the same thing happening in Taiji. Who will support all these sick people? The Japanese taxpayer I think.

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Tigerlily4: So what you are saying is that there are more reported cases of people dying from mercury poisoning than say car accidents? More people dying from mercury poisoning than stabbings? Show me the proof! I don't dispute the fact that mercury poisoning does occur, but to say that it is the worst thing that we should be afraid of is ludicrous if you ask me.

And as for the Minamata case, the poison was ingested not primarily from dolphin, but fish and shellfish caught in the Kumamoto area. The fish were contaminated from the polluted wastewater. In other words, this case has nothing to do with the "brutality in slaughter" argument in Taiji. So you are off base there. The people who are dying from Minamata disease in that region are the ones who had been afflicted from it from the start.

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haoushokuhaki: I'll have to return to this a little later but, meanwhile, how do you think the Taiji dolphins' meat is becoming poisoned? They swim in seas and eat fish which contain mercury - and are therefore poisoned in exactly the same way as the people of Minimata, albeit to a lesser degree.

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haoushokuhaki: With respect, you are completely avoiding the obvious. If the seas surrounding Japan are now clean and fish are unaffected please explain how the Taiji dolphins' meat becomes laced with mercury and other toxins.

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I did a lesson 2 months ago to about 40 elementary kids about things they like to eat. I asked the class who likes whale and 80% of the kids put their hand up. I asked who likes dolphin and none did. The teacher said Japanese don't eat Dolphin. I was surprised as I had just watched The Cove the night before. Japanese people don't know.

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My lesson was in Kobe

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haoushokuhaki: "So what you are saying is that there are more reported cases of people dying from mercury poisoning than say car accidents? More people dying from mercury poisoning than stabbings? Show me the proof!"

Not a very clever argument, to be frank. How many people do you know that die from radiation poisoning? How about lead poisoning? Sure, far less than people who die from car accidents, but that does not mean we should start eating lead tainted food, does it?

No matter what way you spin and twist it, these hunts are still barbaric, unnecessary, and the product it gives us is better not consumed. Hey, even the hunters themselves seem to know they are doing something that would better not see the light of the day, and thus hide their hunting from the public eye!! How could any civilized society NOT oppose it? But the Japanese are soooo stuck in their "we are victims of international criticism" role that their pride will just not allow them to admit that these hunts are wrong.

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I asked the class who likes whale and 80% of the kids put their hand up. I asked who likes dolphin and none did. The teacher said Japanese don't eat Dolphin.

If those 80% regularly eat whale, odds are they have eaten some dolphins too.

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No matter what way you spin and twist it, these hunts are still barbaric

sarcasm123: Hey, I agree, these hunts are barbaric and should be stopped, on the sole reason that it is barbaric. Bringing in the paranoid notion that the world's people are going to die and we all should panic with fear over getting mercury poisoning is crazy, IMO.

Sure, far less than people who die from car accidents, but that does not mean we should start eating lead tainted food, does it?

And yes, I don't eat lead-tainted food. In fact, the chance of you ever getting lead in your system through food is still much less than sniffing it from lead-laced paint, but does that mean you will stay away from ever painting anything? NO. Does it mean you will stop driving because you fear of getting into an accident? NO. Now that mercury poisoning is such a big thing, does that mean you will avoid any type of fish in your diet? Well, that's your personal choice, but not something I feel we should be panicking about.

They swim in seas and eat fish which contain mercury - and are therefore poisoned in exactly the same way as the people of Minimata

Tigerlily4: How can you compare the two? Have you even seen pictures of those that have been affected by it in the Minamata case? It's horrible. The amounts of mercury in their systems were hundreds of times greater, and the crime of complete negligence on the part of the Chisso corporation was above and beyond anything I've heard. The deformities and ailments these people experienced were far greater than those living in Taiji, if you ask me.

And as for the mercury in dolphins coming from Minamata, that is a strong possibility and I'm sure it doesn't help them. Then again, it is not only dolphins in Taiji that contain high levels of mercury. Studies have shown that dolphins in all parts of the world contain the substance. Yes, there have been a lot of cases where people have been afflicted with mercury poisoning from eating seafood laced with it. However, more people have gotten mercury poisoning through inhaling its vapor in mines, factories and laboratories. Of course, to a much lesser degree and a much lesser possibility, from broken fluorescent light bulbs, dental amalgams, and mercury laced vaccines.

The bottom line is: These hunts of dolphins are barbaric and inhumane. Period. They should be stopped based on the fact that they are barbaric and are unnecessary. Period.

The thing is, you stop the demand for dolphins, you stop the hunts and need for them. Say no to dolphin meat and stop going to marine parks! Stop with the "world is going to die from mercury poison" paranoia. Great for disaster movies, but not reality if you ask me.

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Tigerlilly4, thank you for the information on export.

My friend who is aware of Japanese whaling and dolphin hunting told me yesterday that she saw footage from The Cove while watching the Oscar show, and she was worried about not being able to get to sleep. She thought she might have nightmares.

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haoushokuhaki: If you read my earlier posts you would know I have taken the trouble to research this matter and also watched some of the many distressing videos on YouTube of people from Minimata with mercury poisoning. Of course, I entirely agree with you: the people of Taiji who are regularly eating toxic dolphin meat are clearly ingesting less mercury (in the short term) than those in Minimata - but no mercury at all would surely be preferable? Because no recent toxicity tests have been carried out within the general population of Taiji, who knows when the effects of long term, low level mercury poisoning migh become apparent. This is a culumative process. The human body has no way of eliminating the toxin and, once ingested, it is with you for life.

What bothers the makers of The Cove and it's fans is local officials (and presumably the Govt) know about the toxicity of the meat, have stopped it from being served to school children for lunch but have been less than forthcoming with information to anyone else. I believe KobeKid did comment on the fact that he had to spend a great deal of time searching through Govt websites to find their recommendation that pregnant women should also avoid dolphin meat. Also, as Nessie remarked previously, it looks like everyone else knows a lot more about this health threat than the Japanese public.

Yes, of course I agree the hunts are barbaric and inhumane and have said so many times. However, so long as there is demand for dolphin meat, both locally to Taiji as well as for export to China, I cannot see them ending. If anything changes, it must be brought about by the Japanese people. This will be extremely inconvenient for whomever it is reaping the profits from selling dolphins at US$500 per carcass to China and I'm sure will be met with a great deal of resistance.

I began this conversation under the impression that many people in Japan ate dolphin meat but now gather this may be quite untrue - apart from that which is mis-labelled and mis-sold as whale meat. The Cove raises this point. I hope you can eventually watch it.

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Tigerlily4,

You are correct, the only Japanese who consume dolphin meat are some residents of Taiji and areas of Kyushu. Of the over 20,000 dolphins and porpoises that are killed off the coasts of Japan, the majority of the meat goes into fertilizers and pet food. The UK group Environmental Investigation Agency is working on this issue you can find out more from their web site.

Also you have given more than enough information to haoushokuhaki, stop wasting your time. Haoushokuhaki has not backed up his/her assertions with any evidence.

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KobeKid: Thank you for the information. I'll check it out.

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KobeKid: For your information, these Taiji dolphin killings are barbaric and inhumane. Period. For more information about it, check out this website:

http://www.wspa.org.uk/latestnews/2009/Japans-secret-dolphin-slaughter-exposed.aspx

It mentions the movie "The Cove" and the brutality going on with the dolphin slaughters. It details how motorised boats are used to corner the dolphins and then are harpooned and left to slowly bleed to death. It also mentions how dolphin parks around the world will pay up to 100,000 pounds to use them in their shows. Nowhere in it does it mention about the threat of mercury poisoning. Yes, mercury poisoning is a possibility if you eat it. But you know why they don't mention it as a terrible danger to the world? Because most people have common sense and will stay away from eating it in the first place. Yet, you and other JT posters will continue to feed the frenzy and make the "mercury poisoning" threat the main issue, rather than the brutality involved. In my opinion, more focus should be on the brutality, NOT the so-called "everybody's going to die from food poisoning so we should panic" reason. It only makes people more scared of eating anything and everything that comes from the sea. That is my point.

Oh, and here is another good link about what is being done about cruelty to dolphins:

http://www.wspa-usa.org/pages/309_cruelty_free_dolphin_activities.cfm

WSPA is a well known group that is leading the fight in the protection of animals; all animals, and not just dolphins. I agree with what they say in that we should "hit them where it hurts" and stop going to dolphin shows and report any kind of dolphin show or program you see, whether it be in a shopping mall, zoo, etc. As for eating dolphin meat, that's a foregone conclusion. The majority has never and will never eat it anyway. You are not going to convince the people of Taiji to stop eating dolphin meat, but you can convince everyone else that supporting programs that promote cruelty to dolphins is wrong. IMO showing the brutality makes me sicker to the stomach, than hearing that the meat is laced with mercury.

But hey, if you are so scared of getting mercury poisoning, fine. Stop eating any seafood. Stop eating anything. Danger lurks everywhere, but to let fear rule your life is wrong, IMHO.

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these Taiji dolphin killings are barbaric and inhumane

All killings of animals are barbaric and inhumane. If you condone a killing of certain set of animals while completely oppose another set, you're essentially a hypocrite.

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All killings of animals are barbaric and inhumane.

No they aren't. If you want to limit it to all killings of animals for food are barbaric, I'm with you. But even then it don't have to be inhumane.

Moderator: Stay on topic please.

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IMO showing the brutality makes me sicker to the stomach, than hearing that the meat is laced with mercury.

Good point, haoushokuhaki. I agree. There will always be the casual eater who is tempted to try dolphin or whale meat once. Even the threat of getting mercury poisoning will not stop them. After all, can you really die or get any debilitating effects from trying it just once? No, it takes eating it on a daily basis. That being said, the best way to do it is to show people the savage nature in which these intelligent mammals are killed. In this way, this movie, "The Cove" does this well. People who watch this film will be sick to their stomachs. It's like in driving school where they show you the video of violent, bloody car crashes to show you how dangerous driving is and why you should always be careful. It's called the shock treatment. Showing people how brutal the killings are will have a greater effect than telling them it contains mercury. Heck, with all the chemical additives and preservatives in food nowadays, and how people have been warned of the effects of eating a whole range of types of food, people still eat them because a slow death means nothing to them.

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why on earth are americans this hell bent to stop japanese hunting dolphins/ pilot whales when people hunt whales in us and canada? also, why do not americans make a documentary on the first whale which is about to get extinct. the north atlantic right whale? the reason why i do not support sea shepherd is because they are driven by the hate of whalers than the love of whales. and so are most of you anti whaling people.

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why on earth are americans this hell bent to stop japanese hunting dolphins/ pilot whales when people hunt whales in us and canada?

Who is hunting them there? Do you dare to tell us? Also, it is not like only Americans are trying to stop you...

also, why do not americans make a documentary on the first whale which is about to get extinct. the north atlantic right whale?

I am pretty sure there is someone who made a documentary on this whale. Just not one you have ever heard of. Are you saying Japan is allowed to get some whales endangered because in the past the US also made one endangered? This sounds pretty stupid to me...

the reason why i do not support sea shepherd is because they are driven by the hate of whalers than the love of whales. and so are most of you anti whaling people.

This is a discussion on "The Cove" and you are talking about the Sea Shepherd... Would you kindly get your act together?

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Who is hunting them there? Do you dare to tell us? Also, it is not like only Americans are trying to stop you...

It is mostly the Anglo Saxon countries which are hell bent on stopping people who hunt whales. According to the World Counsil of Whalers, an umbrella organization for whaling people throughout the world.

I*t is time to bring down the curtain on yet another dark chapter in the history of Anglo-Saxon cultural imperialism.

The anti-whaling lobby is fighting tooth and nail to ensure the whaling ban is never lifted, regardless of the status of stocks. And with no conservation arguments left to support their position, they now resort to tenuous ethical arguments for exempting whales from any consumptive use.

Faced with environmental challenges and yet respectful of cultural differences, the world community has thankfully embraced the principle of sustainable use as embodied in Agenda 21. We have agreed that the use of renewable natural resources is acceptable provided rates of usage are within the resources' capacity for renewal. Yet the West's cultural imperialists would have whales exempted from the sustainable use principle - an exemption that would, quite simply, place them above and apart from the animal kingdom to which they obviously belong.*

Native Americans, Inuits in Canada, USA, Greenland, Danes, Icelandics, Norwegians, Indonesians, people in the Caribbean have been hunting whales for ever. The truth of the matter is people across the world have have been hunting whales for ever including Japan. People who hunt whales have a unified voice. They find the anti whaling stance to be extremely arrogant, rude and culture imperialistic. Who are they to judge what people can eat and not eat? It is their attitude which is culture imperialistic and outdated.

I am pretty sure there is someone who made a documentary on this whale. Just not one you have ever heard of. Are you saying Japan is allowed to get some whales endangered because in the past the US also made one endangered? This sounds pretty stupid to me..

Source please. If you are pretty sure there is a documentary on the North Atlantic Right Whale, care to hare a link? Japan is not hunting whales that are endangered. Thats the point. If the growth rate of whales is larger than the whales being hunted then the hunt is sustainable. Whaling as in utilizing natural renewable resources is the most environmental friendly form of food production for human consumption. Enery is low in releation to yield, no pesticides have to be used and the natural habitat does not have to be destroyed and turned into agricultural land.

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It is mostly the Anglo Saxon countries which are hell bent on stopping people who hunt whales. According to the World Counsil of Whalers, an umbrella organization for whaling people throughout the world.

Care to give me a list of all countries in the IWC who oppose whaling? You can mark the Anglo Saxon countries with a 1, and the others with a 2, and we'll get the counts and percentages.

I*t is time to bring down the curtain on yet another dark chapter in the history of Anglo-Saxon cultural imperialism.

Haa, yes, the dark chapter of "Preventing complete extinction of endangered species". VERY dark! Much darker than the chapter "Let's eat everything until everything is gone", by the Japanese.

The anti-whaling lobby is fighting tooth and nail to ensure the whaling ban is never lifted, regardless of the status of stocks.

The status of the stocks as reported by the commercial whalers, I am sure you mean?

And with no conservation arguments left to support their position, they now resort to tenuous ethical arguments for exempting whales from any consumptive use.

You must be a very selective reader if you have not found a single "conservation argument" in this discussion...

Faced with environmental challenges and yet respectful of cultural differences, the world community has thankfully embraced the principle of sustainable use as embodied in Agenda 21. We have agreed that the use of renewable natural resources is acceptable provided rates of usage are within the resources' capacity for renewal.

... which is where the Japanese whaling clearly fails. A small detail you happened to miss?

Yet the West's cultural imperialists would have whales exempted from the sustainable use principle - an exemption that would, quite simply, place them above and apart from the animal kingdom to which they obviously belong.*

Together with the Homo Japanicus, who is exempted from all international regulations because "it is his culture" to eat things into extinction.

Native Americans, Inuits in Canada

There you have it. Who is hunting whales? People who are still living the way they were 100s of years ago. These people are a completely different case from the Japanese.

USA, Greenland, Danes, Icelandics, Norwegians, Indonesians, people in the Caribbean have been hunting whales for ever.

I did not ask "who has been whaling". I asked who IS whaling now. Japan, along with the other industrialized nations that are still whaling, are getting criticism. I think it is only normal.

The truth of the matter is people across the world have have been hunting whales for ever including Japan.

Again, I asked who is whaling NOW. I know many countries have whaled in the past. In that way, in fact it might in fact be much more MY culture to whale, than it is for a Japanese person. Yet, I have changed my ways for the better. The Japanese have not.

People who hunt whales have a unified voice. They find the anti whaling stance to be extremely arrogant, rude and culture imperialistic.

As arrogant as telling the entire world you are whaling for "research" while everyone knows it is just to eat whale meat? As arrogant as blowing this "culture" argument completely out of proportion? Hey, whaling was a pretty minor habit in Japan until about 100 years ago, you know? Who is being arrogant?

Source please. If you are pretty sure there is a documentary on the North Atlantic Right Whale, care to hare a link?

Google for "documentary" and "North Atlantic Right Whale", there are several thousands of hits. Tell me if none of them contain a link to a documentary about these animals.

Japan is not hunting whales that are endangered. Thats the point.

You are very badly misinformed. Even Japan admits it is hunting endangered species. If this is your point, I believe we should not pay too much attention to anything you wrote...

If the growth rate of whales is larger than the whales being hunted then the hunt is sustainable.

Very well said: "If".

All in all, not much of what you are saying makes any sense.

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The World Council of Whalers (WCW) calls itself 'an international non-governmental organization founded in 1997 to provide a forum for whaling peoples around the world'. It's a collection of people who kill whales.

The quote that continues in shitamachipride's post, however, is taken from the website of the High North Alliance which is a collection of people who kill whales and seals.

Neither organisation can be considered even remotely free of bias.

To go off on a tangent for a moment, the WCW site has a page of whale recipes. At the top of the list is 'Seashepherd's Pie' supposedly from Taiji. The recipe contains such traditional Japanese ingredients as tinned tomatoes, baked beans, button mushrooms and cheddar cheese and it's suggested that it be accompanied by British beer. It makes me think maybe the whole website is a spoof.

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It is mostly the Anglo Saxon countries which are hell bent on stopping people who hunt whales.

News flash: There are no Anglo-Sexon countries.

Welcome to the 21st century, Shitamachipride.

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KobeKid: For your information, these Taiji dolphin killings are barbaric and inhumane. Period. For more information about it, check out this website:

http://www.wspa.org.uk/latestnews/2009/Japans-secret-dolphin-slaughter-exposed.aspx

It mentions the movie "The Cove" and the brutality going on with the dolphin slaughters. It details how motorised boats are used to corner the dolphins and then are harpooned and left to slowly bleed to death. It also mentions how dolphin parks around the world will pay up to 100,000 pounds to use them in their shows. Nowhere in it does it mention about the threat of mercury poisoning. Yes, mercury poisoning is a possibility if you eat it. But you know why they don't mention it as a terrible danger to the world? Because most people have common sense and will stay away from eating it in the first place. Yet, you and other JT posters will continue to feed the frenzy and make the "mercury poisoning" threat the main issue, rather than the brutality involved. In my opinion, more focus should be on the brutality, NOT the so-called "everybody's going to die from food poisoning so we should panic" reason. It only makes people more scared of eating anything and everything that comes from the sea. That is my point.

Oh, and here is another good link about what is being done about cruelty to dolphins:

http://www.wspa-usa.org/pages/309crueltyfreedolphinactivities.cfm

WSPA is a well known group that is leading the fight in the protection of animals; all animals, and not just dolphins. I agree with what they say in that we should "hit them where it hurts" and stop going to dolphin shows and report any kind of dolphin show or program you see, whether it be in a shopping mall, zoo, etc. As for eating dolphin meat, that's a foregone conclusion. The majority has never and will never eat it anyway. You are not going to convince the people of Taiji to stop eating dolphin meat, but you can convince everyone else that supporting programs that promote cruelty to dolphins is wrong. IMO showing the brutality makes me sicker to the stomach, than hearing that the meat is laced with mercury.

But hey, if you are so scared of getting mercury poisoning, fine. Stop eating any seafood. Stop eating anything. Danger lurks everywhere, but to let fear rule your life is wrong, IMHO.

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NOT the so-called "everybody's going to die from food poisoning so we should panic" reason. It only makes people more scared of eating anything and everything that comes from the sea. That is my point.

see the movie haou and then you can make a much finer point...

“I thought about how to approach people of importance to protect the oceans and the dolphins, which prompted me to decide to make this documentary. At that time, though I understood what Ric had described about the place and his complaint, we decided to visit Taiji-cho ourselves because I wanted to find out the reasons and stories behind why people in Taiji were persisting in these dolphin drives. In the beginning, we planned to have the script present both Ric’s side of the story and the fishermen’s side of the story to compare them. However, the people in Taiji refused to provide us with their half. “Cinema is a powerful weapon. I simply wanted to start a debate by showing the film and offering close-up coverage of the dolphin hunting problems – such as the fact that dolphin meat is polluted with mercury and unsafe for human consumption."

“On the other hand, I also wanted to help the fishermen in Taiji. My feeling was that the fishermen in fact do not wish to see the dolphins suffering. I have a son who was also a fisherman, but he could not continue fishing any longer. The reason he gave it up was because of concerns that the big fish at the top of the food chain may contain excessive levels of mercury. Like my son, the fishermen in Taiji will have to find other work eventually. That was why I wanted to help them.”

from an interview with Louis Psihoyos by Shunkan Kinyobi http://suigin-iranai.jp/en/archives/639

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see the movie haou and then you can make a much finer point...

Kobekid: I have. It is appalling and disgusting. I can't believe that you don't think that these hunts are brutal and savage. You should be ashamed of yourself. The way these fishermen go about stabbing indiscriminately is unnecessary to these intelligent animals.

In my opinion, I feel that these hunts should be stopped on the brutality of it. Yet, after reading several posts above, I have come to realize that just stopping these hunts won't solve everything. In order to survive, an industry in Taiji must be developed; one that would sustain their lives. If spending money to solve this problem is needed, then so be it. It would be wrong of us to ask them to stop, without having an alternative for them provided.

Like my son, the fishermen in Taiji will have to find other work eventually.

Good point. Any suggestions? Are you willing to help them out with setting up an alternative business or industry?

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ahhh how about swimming with wild dolphin tours?

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Taiji should keep hunting pilot whales for food, and Americans can keep stuffing themselves with fast food. By the time, mercury has an impact on the people in Taiji, Amerians would have had a couple of cancer operations and died of a heart attack.

I think the people in Taiji are doing just fine, a better way to help the people there is by simply leaving them alone and stop ramming your culture down their throats.

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ahhh how about swimming with wild dolphin tours?

Do you by chance have any Flipper posters hanging on your wall? A dolphin shrine at home?

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shitmachipride; You realise that someone who support sthe film would not want Flipper posters on their wall? If you had watched the film you would kn ow that.

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shitamachipride, I notice you have very little counter arguments to what posters here are saying.

Taiji should keep hunting pilot whales for food, and Americans can keep stuffing themselves with fast food. By the time, mercury has an impact on the people in Taiji, Amerians would have had a couple of cancer operations and died of a heart attack.

Have you seen that CM laterly saying 1 in 2 Japanese get cancer? Have you seen any statistics on people living in Taiji? Or is the Japanese government hiding those from the public as well?

I think the people in Taiji are doing just fine, a better way to help the people there is by simply leaving them alone and stop ramming your culture down their throats.

Would that be the Japanese tradition of not eating animals? How come this tradition is not so important to you, compared to the "tradition" of killing animals in an unecessarily cruel way?

A dolphin shrine at home?

Ah yes, because you can do anything in Japan as long as you put a cheap plastic shrine on your wall and ring the bell once a day. Ridiculous.

This film is an unbalanced cultural imperialistic propaganda movie with contempt for whale eaters.

First of all, you have not seen the movie. Period. Secondly, the movie i snot about whales, but about dolphins.

I find these people to be hypocritical as they probably eat meat and wear sneakers made of cows, they have a highly arrogant ethnocentric view point.

These arguments teach us that you have absolutely no idea why this movie was made. By the way, can you tell me what the sneakers Japanese wear are made of? Can you tell me whehter Japanese eat beef more, or less, than whale or dolphin?

While they might be cute animals for some, people need to respect that they are just a mobile source of proteins for others.

A mobile source that needs to be killed in a brutal way, hidden from the eyes of the public. Hey, even the hunters seem to realize they are doing something that is not right, otherwize they wouldn't be hiding it like they do.

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