From: Ric O'Barry
Sent: Monday, November 08, 2010
Subject:
Exposing the Dolphin Killers
Our Save Japan Dolphins team and I raced
back to Japan this past week when it was announced that the Mayor of Taiji
was finally willing to engage in a productive dialogue with us about dolphin
killing. We hoped it represented a new beginning, but the Mayor and the
radical nationalist group organizing the meeting had other plans.
They only let in media sympathetic to town officials and banned major news
outlets like the AP, Fuji TV and Tokyo TV. Reporters had to submit questions
ahead of time and we were not allowed to videotape the proceedings.
Questions were censored.
After all our hard work of the past years to
get the truth out, I just couldn't allow this to stand.
I announced
that I would not participate in this sham and invited media to join me on
the beach of the Cove to have a free dialogue open to all questions and all
press. Chaos ensued and outraged officials began screaming at us. But more
than half of the media in attendance came with me. It was almost a media
riot as reporters followed me out to the Cove.
Once there I was able
to:
-- unroll the banner representing signatures of 2 million people
around the world who oppose the killing and capture of dolphins.
-- point
out that Japan's own government institute reports that the mortality rate
for Taiji and nearby Koazagawa, where dolphin meat is also consumed, is over
50% higher than the rate for similarly-sized villages throughout Japan; and
-- outline why the largest killing of dolphins in the world, and the sale of
live dolphins to theme parks must come to an end.
Angry that their
sham news conference had been exposed, the conference
"organizer"
actually followed me in a nationalist truck blaring death threats over his
megaphone.
It was a hectic and dangerous day, but it was crucial that
we were there to stand up for dolphins.
We had to have a police
escort to the train station for our trip to Tokyo. Yet I continue to believe
there is a bright future for Taiji without the killing of dolphins, and that
the people of Japan must be made aware of the truth..
Thank you for
standing by the dolphins and us.
Best,
Ric O'Barry
2150 Allston
Way, Suite 460, Berkeley, CA 94704-1375 tel: 510.859.9100 |
fax:
510.859.9091
