High on a Hill

The Cove, a docudrama about the secret slaughter of dolphins

Sep 7, 2009 15:33

For a long time in the small town of Taiji, Japan, the residents have enjoyed the presence of dolphins. This is the place where dolphins are caught and sold to aquatic theme parks around the world. But in Taiji, dolphins that had been caught are not sold but are intead "shepherded" to a secret cove for slaughter. In this award-winning documentary, Ric O' Barry, former dolphin trainer for the movie Flipper, flies to Taiji to uncover what really happens in The Cove.

Now, I don't think slaughtering dolphins for meat is as bad as slaughtering sharks just for their fins. I am not a vegan and I do think meat is to be eaten. However, it seems that dolphin meat is high in mercury and unfit for human consumption, and that it is disguised as whale meat in the Japanese market.

According to Science Daily, over-consumption of mercury can damage the central nervous system, endocrine system, kidneys and other organs, and adversely affects the mouth, gums and teeth. Exposure over long periods of time can result in brain damage and death. Mercury is particularly toxic to fetuses, and infants and women who have been exposed to mercury in pregnancy have sometimes given birth to children with serious birth defects.

Do the Japanese care about that, though? Over here, a lot of people know about the high levels of mercury in shark's fin but consume it heartily anyway. Kudos to the makers of The Cove for helping us make decisions beyond mechanically following traditions.

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