Japan’s dark secret

The Cove is a 2009 American documentary film that describes the annual killing of dolphins in a National Park at Taiji, Wakayama, in Japan from an anti–dolphin-hunting campaigner’s point of view.

The film highlights that the number of dolphins killed in the Taiji dolphin hunting drive is several times greater than the number of whales killed in the Antarctic, and reports that 23,000 dolphins and porpoises are killed in Japan every year in the country’s whaling industry.

The migrating dolphins are herded into a hidden cove where they are netted and killed by means of spears and knives over the side of small fishing boats.

I was horrified and angry with Japan after watching the movie. The country I once thought was amazing. This is probably one of the the darkest side of Japan, after World War Two.

The whole reason why they started killing dolphins was because they were banned from commercial whaling by the International Whaling Commission (IWC) in 1986.

You may be wondering why the IWC  isn’t stopping Japan from killing the dolphins. That is because, they can’t.

Here’s why. Japan, who is a member of the IWC, claims every year in the annual IWC meeting that they are killing dolphins because dolphins are ‘destroying’ their marine life.

And their ridiculous theory is supported by several countries. All of whom are third world countries and depend on, who else, Japan for aid.

The problem with Japan, is that the whaling industry is supported by the government and opposition parties. The government even goes to the extent of covering up the whole dolphin-killing stories, so that people as far as Tokyo, don’t even know about it.

The government has also introduced dolphin and whale meat to the compulsory lunches of school going children. But failing to mention that those meat contains mercury.

But it is wonderful to note that the documentary won the U.S. Audience Award at the 25th annual Sundance Film Festival in January 2009 and on March 7, 2010 The Cove won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Film at the 82nd Academy Awards.

Upon the film winning the Oscar, the town mayor of Taiji and the chief of Taiji Fishery Union said “The hunt is performed legally and properly with the permission of Wakayama Prefecture. It is regrettable that the film won the Oscar as it describes some scientifically ungrounded issues as if they were facts. The dietary culture varies and it is important to respect each other with the understanding of the tradition and situations of each local community.”

If Japan wants to live in denial, we can’t do anything. But please watch the film, and if after watching, you are as horrified as I was, and you want to make an effort in helping to raise awareness, go to this website.

If dogs are Man’s best friend, then the intelligent dolphins are our confidants.