It is Not Food

Japanese dolphin meat is toxic. It is not food.

It contains extremely high mercury and methylmercury levels. In fact, levels in dolphins were higher than some of the mercury-tainted seafood tested during the tragic Minamata mercury-pollution disaster of the 1950s.

Dolphins are not fit for human consumption and certainly should not be given to school children. It is simply "toxic waste."

This was the conclusion of two Taiji city assemblymen in 2007 who had toxicology tests done on the dolphin meat sold in local markets. It was also the conclusion of the filmmakers of The Cove that had independent tests conducted.

Nevertheless, dolphins near Taiji, Japan are still rounded up annually and killed to be used in school lunches and local restaurants.

Starting July 31st, The Cove, the award-winning documentary on the Taiji dolphin slaughter, will be shown in commercial movie theaters throughout the United States and Canada. The Arts section of the Sunday July 19th New York Times featured an extensive article on the making of the film. It highlighted the need for a "clandestine operations coordinator" in the film team. As the Times reported:

some of the filming was done at night, with the crew in camouflage and face paint and using military-style thermal cameras to film the fishermen and police officers who were trying to keep them away from the cove. Part of that material has ended up in the film, as has footage shot from unmanned aerial drones and a blimp equipped with a remote-controlled camera.

The newly nominated (6/25/09) U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) is David Killion. He is currently the chief legislative adviser to House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Howard Berman (D-CA) on international organizations and the environment. His confirmation hearing is Tuesday, July 28th. Last summer, Mr. Killion as an official representative of Chairman Berman, visited Taiji.

The official movie site complete with the trailer and city openings is HERE.