Our Finned Friends

I can honestly say I was not deeply moved by The Cove. It’s not that I particularly agree with the mass slaughter of our underwater allies, but unnecessary mass killings like this are happening all over the world with different creatures. However, in no way is it right to inhumanely kill an animal. Especially if that animal is toxic, and it’s intent is to be sold as different higher quality meat for human consumption. This is not only deceiving, but the Japanese are ultimately killing themselves, for what, money?

            These fishing companies are no different from bigwig cigarette corporations. They are only trying to make a buck and put food on the table like any other person in this twisted world. The only difference is that consumers of tobacco know what they are getting themselves into, while the consumers of dolphins for the most part, have no idea they are eating mercury dolphin. Nor do they know that their dolphins are far passed the safe human mercury consumption limit. Who knows, maybe the Japanese think they are getting some sort of superpowers from eating radioactive contaminated meat.

            I found it pretty funny and Ironic that the Japanese spokesman guy ended up having mercury poisoning, after being such a strong advocate for dolphin fishing, I almost rotfl’d, kidding. But this does bring to light that most of these Japanese advocates weren’t even aware of the horrible long term effects they could be causing to themselves, their children, and every other fish consumer. There is a large majority of Japanese people that are already suffering from the effects of radioactive contaminants from their reactors, and the atom bomb of course, but they really aren’t making it better for themselves by passing off toxic meat to their children.

            I can agree that the killing of any animal should be regulated, but in no way should it be ended.  Animals killing other animals are what keeps the world in balance.  A smart man did once bring about the topic of survival of the fittest. The Japanese however, have a tendency of taking things to the extreme. Killing 23,000 dolphins a year is too much, especially if they aren’t even safe to eat.

            Rick O’berry did a fantastic job with the making of this film. He’s a lot like the filmmaker Jason Russel, except O’berry can keep his clothes on in public. On another note, Rick only brought about the negative, shocking information about dolphin killings, which is the meat and potatoes for an effective rhetoric. He obviously caught the Japanese Fisheries Agency with their pants down, and was able to use his findings to swing the public’s opinion of what goes on in the fish processing industry. The International Whaling Commission was clearly being manipulated by the Japanese Fisheries Agency. It was just fantastic how O’berry showed the IWC how Taiji was being served as a horrifying microcosm of massive ecological crimes.

-Scott