The Cove Response

           We truly are funny creatures, we seem to be the only ones that wouldn’t take advantage of our intelligence and slaughter any animal lower on the food chain for food. The Japanese fisherman that kill these dolphins every year are only doing their job to provide for their family and who’s to say that this isn’t their tradition in that part of Japan. You can’t exactly say that it isn’t that part of Japans culture, he didn’t go into any detail about if it actually is their culture he decided to go to Tokyo, which I am pretty sure is not the same thing as Taiji, Japan. It’s comparing apples to oranges as far as culture goes. To be fair though these mammals are one of the smarter species of animals on the planet.

            Dolphins are smarter creatures than your average cow or fish that we usually eat on a day to day basis, but does that mean that we can’t kill some to provide some food if needed. These dolphins are killed in the most gruesome way I have seen; of course I have never been to a slaughterhouse before either. I believe the people in Taiji should take measures to kill these animals at least humanely and hopefully in less numbers. I believe that as the dominant species on this planet we have some choice in whether we can kill animals or not. We need to try and make it in a way so that the animal is used fully and not wasted. It is the same principal that should apply to every animal that is killed for our use, kill it as quickly as possible and don’t waste anything. After seeing this movie I can go back now and think about SeaWorld and my view on it.

            I have in fact been to Sea World approximately 4 to 5 times in my lifetime 4 times to the one in California and once to the one in Florida. Looking back at it now I still don’t feel to sympathetic to those dolphins and all those animals that are kept in captivity. They are treated humanely I believe they are one of the better places that dolphins can be in captivity. They receive attention every day and are loved on by hundreds of people; perhaps this may not be what is good for them or what they do want, but it is the best life they are going to get for there circumstances. I have also seen dolphins down in Mexico near Cancun and I can say that they don’t nearly have as good of facilities as SeaWorld when it comes to taking care of dolphins. It is just a horseshoe pier with netting hanging down to keep them in; it doesn’t exactly sound too cozy.

            Humans are the dominant species on this planet and we have a natural right to some things, but we also have an obligation to do things responsibly. Do we have the right to stab dolphins repeatedly till they flop around to death and turn the water blood red, I believe not. We do however have the responsibility to supply food and survive, but to do it in a humane and honorable manner.