I couldn't find a video or anything of the television program you watched, maybe it's not up yet. So I searched around and complied a small bit, not
quite sure if it is relevant to the story shown on 60 minutes.
I haven't seen the movie myself, but it does look like something I'll be checking out. Possibly another ATS member who has see it can give their
opinion on it. Here's the trailer.
Youtube
The Cove (offcial site)
But in a remote, glistening cove, surrounded by barbed wire and “Keep Out” signs, lies a dark reality. It is here, under cover of night,
that the fishermen of Taiji, driven by a multi-billion dollar dolphin entertainment industry and an underhanded market for mercury-tainted dolphin
meat, engage in an unseen hunt.
(Quote comes from
synopsis from the The Cove site)
savejapanesedolphins.org
It has to do with pest control. As shocking as it sounds, some Japanese government officials view dolphins as pests to be eradicated in huge numbers.
During a meeting at Taiji City Hall, the fishermen of Taiji admitted this to us. "We don’t kill the dolphins primarily for their meat. We kill them
as a form of pest control," they told us. In other words, killing the competition is their way of preserving the ocean’s fish for themselves.
(Quoted from the savejapanesedolphins
Get Educated section)
Killing dolphins as pest control so that you'll be able to have a monopoly on the fish of the sea? That's pretty insane. I couldn't really find
anything regarding any Japanese officials stating that they are indeed killing dolphins as a form of pest control.
The site also has a good amount of information about how you can get involved by writing letters to Obama and other representatives locally and to
representatives in Japan. I found the movie through this site. It has a decent amount of information for those interested.
I believe that the Japanese whalers, by international law are allowed only to harvest a certain quota amount a year for 'scientific research'. After
'research' is complete, they are obligated by law to utilize what's left of the whale. It's pretty much harvesting the ocean for profit done in
the guise of research. I'm loosely paraphrasing from what I remember seeing and reading about whaling, so it may differ when it comes to harvesting
dolphins.
As long as there is demand for something, there will be a business or people willing to do something for profit. Money trumps morals and common sense
for many people, sadly.
[edit on 10/11/2009 by Forest]
