Dolphin Project Back in Taiji

Dolphin Hunts to Begin again in Notorious Cove

Ric O’Barry’s Dolphin Project returns to the notorious Cove – made infamous by the Academy Award-winning documentary The Cove – for the beginning of the six month-long dolphin-slaughter season on Sept. 1st 2012.

“Our Dolphin Project Team and I are returning to Taiji once again to oppose the killing of dolphins and to warn the people of Japan about the dangers of eating mercury-contaminated dolphin meat,” states Ric O’Barry, Director of Earth Island Institute’s Dolphin Project.  “The hunts must end, and the people of Japan will be the ones to end the hunts.”

"We have made some progress; the number of dolphins being killed in Taiji has gone down for the past four years of our Save Japan Dolphins Campaign," noted O'Barry.  "The Japanese people, being warned about mercury and other contaminants in dolphin and whale meat, are buying less and less of it."

http://savejapandolphins.org/blog/post/our-campaign-dolphin-kill-declines

Beginning at 11 AM on September 1st, representatives from 5 continents will arrive at the Cove in Taiji, Japan, to conduct a series of events to mark the new dolphin slaughter season and to tell the world what is happening in Taiji:

• Participants will form a circle for a moment of silence for the souls of the dolphins that have been killed in the past and will be killed in the coming season.  Taiji receives permits to kill almost 2,100 dolphins each year in the most horrible ways imaginable.  The prayer will also honor the victims of the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami, as well as those who lost their lives in Taiji/Wakamaya Prefecture during the August 2012 typhoon.  The Dolphin Project had team members on the ground during both tragedies and are deeply saddened by the loss of life and turmoil.

• Russ Ligtas of the Philippines will perform an ancient Japanese Butoh dance in honor of the dolphins.  Russ is an expert in this form of dance. http://savejapandolphins.org/blog/post/dolphin-deaths-a-cultural-affair

• Up and coming singer/song-writer/guitar artist Arielle will perform songs she has written about the dolphins.

• Participants will line the street in front of the Cove with signs in Japanese warning the Japanese people that “Dolphin Meat is Poisoned by Mercury.”  Heavy metal pollution of dolphin and whale meat makes it dangerous for anyone to eat.

 

The dolphin hunts are scheduled to begin on Sept. 1st.  Ric O’Barry’s Dolphin Project will be fielding volunteer Cove Monitors for the entire season again.  You can follow our Cove Monitors on our blogs.

Watch our Ustream Channel for live updates from Taiji:

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/savejapandolphins

#Tweet4dolphins for updates from our team in Japan.

For Japanese, https://twitter.com/IrukaProject

 

Photo of Ric O’Barry in Taiji by Leah Lemieux www.RekindlingTheWaters.com.