the cove

The Cove is an Oscar-winning documentary that depicts in painful detail the horrors of dolphin fishing in Taiji, Japan. From the outside, the town seems to be devoted to the majestic creatures swimming off it's shores. Statues are erected, boats designed to look like dolphins cruise the shore, and a whale museum is the pinnacle of the town. But the small fishing village has a big secret. Every year from September to March, fishermen motivated by the multi-million dollar dolphin trading industry gather in this cove for the hunt. Slaughter, or perhaps massacre. I don't know which word is stronger.

Do not mistake my words as those of a hardcore animal activist. I am far from it. As a carnivore, I can't imagine life without meat. Even if the only fish I eat is tuna in a can.

I can only describe what wen't on in the cove as evil, pure and simple. As men, we've learnt enough about dolphins to know that they are probably the smartest creatures on earth. One only need common sense to know that they can communicate with each other and just like us they know pain. Watching them being gored to death whilst the young are made to listen to the agonising calls of their parents is horrifying.

There's a quote in the film that says, "If you're not an activist, you're an inactivist." I guess, it's easy and convenient for people like me to make strong pronouncements condemning acts of barbarity like this. After all, talk words are cheap. But I hope through this blog, I can spread the word and will eventually reach someone like Richard O'Barry, a former dolphin trainer who has since recanted and become the mammal's strongest ally.

To all the men and women who were involved in the making of this film, congratulations for a powerful, compelling and an absolute brilliant documentary and thank you for bringing this to our attention. I hope more people will see this film and become involved in your advocacy.