(Earth Island Institute)
Market for Dolphin and Whale Meat Collapsing Due To Increased Awareness About Mercury Contamination
The mass slaughter of dolphins in Taiji, Japan, as depicted in The Cove documentary, is declining. Earth Island's Cove Monitors – volunteers who observe and record the dolphin hunts during the entire 5-month season from September through the end of February – estimate that fewer than 800 dolphins were killed this past season. In the 2010-2011 hunt season, 1,190 dolphins were slaughtered for food. Japanese supporters tell us the market for dolphin and whale meat is collapsing due to IMMP's educational efforts about high levels of mercury in dolphin meat.
Photo by Arpad Ikuma
Fewer than 800 dolphins were killed at the Cove in Taiji this past season.
In March, Ric O'Barry, director of IMMP's Dolphin Project, joined local grassroots groups in Germany and Switzerland to protest dolphins in captivity. Switzerland's parliament has banned import of any live dolphins and has only one dolphin park left. Germany has two.
O'Barry also told German reporters that tuna caught by killing dolphins is being sold in Germany's EDEKA supermarkets and should be boycotted. Brusfoods, a tuna broker in the Netherlands, is marketing tuna from a Colombian company that chases and nets dolphins in order to catch tuna swimming with them. Ironically, the tuna is being promoted as more "sustainable" and "environmental" than Dolphin Safe tuna. The same broker is attempting to import tuna from several Pacific Island nations into Europe under the company name Pacifical. This company has so far refused to sign an IMMP Dolphin Safe policy or allow Earth Island tuna monitors to verify the tuna is caught without harm to dolphins.
Follow Ric O'Barry's work to protect dolphins around the world and find out how you can help: savejapandolphins.org.
1 comments:
This article reminds me of a documentary "Peru: Dolphins in Danger". In Peru the fishermen sell the meat as “Chancho Marino” (“sea-pig”) on the local markets. This documentary is on dolphins, and the humans who fight for their survival.
To watch this documentary please visit - http://www.cultureunplugged.com/play/6672
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