Save the Dolphins in Japan Waters

September 11, 2009
Save the Dolphins..................ACTION ALERT.................................
by Arn Specter, Phila. (Twitter and OpEd news)

We have a chance to save many Dolphins in the waters of Japan (see article below)
by Kyoko Hasegawa .
Through the vigorous efforts of activists in recent years from the Oceanic Preservation Society,
and Save Japan Dolphins Dir. Ric O'Barry, other groups,
Japan now has softened its plans for their annual kill of thousands of Dolphins. (see Statement below)
by Gina Papabeis. A vigorous effort NOW will give us a good chance to keep the Dolphins
safe from harm, at this time.
There are two courses of action suggested.
1) link onto Takepart and send letters
2) contact the Japanese Ambassador; phone, emial, or mail, fax (below)

Too, the article and statement below will give much background information as well as the websites:
OP Society , SaveJapanDolphins and contact Gina Papabelis,
Oceanic Preservation Society, 303-444-2454, gina@opsociety.org.
Thanks for your able help. Please pass this on to others.
arn specter, phila. (Twitter and Op Ed News )
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1) Send letters to President Obama, Vice-Pres. Biden and the Japanese Ambassador,
Ichiro Fujisaki in Washington, DC.

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2) Here is information on how you can hep put pressure on the Japanese fishermen in Taiji:
Please send a message to the Japanese Embassy, asking to stop the dolphin drive hunt and prohibit the sale of mercury-contaminated dolphin meat:

Embassy of Japan in Washington D.C.

Ambassador Ichiro Fujisaki

2520 Massachusetts Ave., N.W.

Washington D.C. 20008-2869

Tel: (202) 238-6700, Fax: 202-328-2187

Hours: M-F 9:00-12:30 and 2:00-5:30

E-mail the Japanese Ambassador in D.C.:

Japanese Emabsssy in the US,

Write to other Japanese Embassies and Consulates around the world. Here’s a list of all of them.

Gina Papabeis
OPS Team Coordinator
Oceanic Preservation Society
office: (303) 444-2454

The Cove Movie
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Oceanic Preservation Society
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

‘The Cove’ Puts Pressure on Taiji Fishermen, Dolphins To Be Released

BOULDER, Colorado (September 10, 2009) – Fishermen in Taiji, Japan will be releasing captured dolphins this week in response to international outcry following the award-winning film “The Cove.” Some of the dolphins captured during the annual round up will be sold to aquariums, and while the rest are typically slaughtered in secret, the fishermen will be releasing them because of recent criticism.

An anonymous Taiji fisheries official said that it’s not clear whether the town will stop killing dolphins permanently. Taiji residents see the dolphin hunt as a tradition that is no different than killing other animals for food. However, the dolphins that are killed and sold as food, often as mislabeled whale meat, contain toxic levels of mercury and are potentially poisoning Japanese consumers.

“The Cove” which won the Best Documentary Audience Award at this year’s Sundance Film Festival and over a dozen international film festival awards, exposes the Taiji dolphin slaughter and its consequences for Japanese public health. Louie Psihoyos, Director of the film, says, “The Cove is proof that one passionate person can make a difference and that together a few like-minded people can change the world. If the news is indeed true then this is a big victory for dolphins and the Japanese people.” Psihoyos has written to Japanese Ambassador Ichiro Fujisaki asking him to confirm the status of the dolphin drives.

News of the suspension of the dolphin killings comes after immense public support and calls to end the practice from a number of celebrities, including Hayden Panettiere, Isabel Lucas, Ben Stiller, Zooey Deschanel, and Yoko Ono. Russell Simmons has also embraced the film by hosting a special screening of “The Cove” last night in New York to raise awareness.

The fishermen in Taiji captured about 100 bottlenose dolphins and 50 pilot whales on Wednesday, with plans to sell some of their catch to aquariums for up to $150,000 per animal. While Psihoyos is pleased with the decision to release the unsold dolphins, the news is a mixed success.

“I’m thrilled that these dolphins won’t be killed, resulting in less mercury-tainted meat on the market in Japan,” Psihoyos said, “but the ideal scenario would be one where wild dolphins are not captured at all. When wild intelligent and sentient animals are captured and forced to tricks for our casual amusement – it says more about our intelligence than theirs."

Contact:

Gina Papabeis, Oceanic Preservation Society
303-444-2454, gina@opsociety.org,
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Japanese town starts dolphin hunt under global spotlight
AFP/HO/File – This file shows Japanese fishermen riding a boat loaded with slaughtered dolphins at a blood-covered …waterway.
by Kyoko Hasegawa – Fri Sep 11, 2009

TAIJI, Japan (AFP) – To animal rights activists it's a cruel and bloody slaughter; for Japanese it's a long tradition: this week fishermen in a picturesque coastal town embarked on their annual dolphin hunt.

Every year, crews in motorboats here have rounded up about 2,000 of the sea mammals, banged metal poles to herd them into a small, rocky cove and killed them with harpoons, sparing a few dozen for sale to marine aquariums.

But this year the small southwestern town of Taiji was shunted into the global spotlight with the release of the hard-hitting US-made eco-documentary "The Cove".

In the film, years in the making, a team of underwater cameramen, free divers and other experts used hidden cameras and other technical devices to covertly capture the hunt in graphic detail.

The film shows angry confrontations between residents and the lead activist, Ric O'Barry, who in the 1960s trained dolphins for the US hit television show "Flipper" but now argues the animals should be free to roam the oceans. Read more.

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