have just returned from Taiji. I have seen the killings. This time, the dolphins have left them lose, too much international pressure. Accontenati have to slaughter a score of "gondolas kujira" (pilot whales), pilot whales as they call here, a bit 'of a pair of bottlenose dolphins and killer whales marine. So a bunch of "pigs of the sea", as the Japanese call the dolphins.
Li Hatagiri have gathered in the bay, visible from the highway and then, at dawn the next day, they killed them. All but killer whale, which appears to have passed the selection and is already en route to who knows what the aquarium, said the Bahamas. One of these whales can bear fruit, the fishermen, up to 150 000 €. Here's the real reason for continuing this cruel, unnecessary slaughter.
In Tokyo, I finally met Rick O'Barry, the "father" Flipper. Now almost settan'anni and goes around the world to "save" the dolphins. Here in Japan consider it an "eco-terrorism", like those of Greenpeace, but he is careful not to violate the law.
the Japanese authorities are, in fact, violate the law. By signs and barbed wire to block any access route to the "den", the bay of the slaughter. They do it illegally, because all that side of the coast is national park, public-owned property and no one can arbittrariamente close to the public. But the authorities are well aware of this and in fact when we went there we did not bat an eye when we climbed over the railing, not without being first bow, in style, in front of the prohibitions. The form must be respected, no?
Compared to the last time I went I was there, a dozen years ago, the situation has changed a lot. Oramai la mattanza è diventata uno sporco affare, la tradizione culturale non c'entra più nulla. La carne di delfino, che pochi in realtà mangiano, è sparita dagli scaffali ed è ammucchiata, senza etichetta, in un paio di depositi nascosti. Qualcuno sospetta che venga poi spacciata per carne di balena, che costa molto ddi più. Io sono riuscito a procurarmene un pacchetto (mandando un mio amico giapponese a comprarla) e ora penso di portarla ad esaminare. Primo per vedere che carne è, secondo per vedere se davvero, come giudicano gli ambientalisti, contiene alti dosi di mercurio.
Il servizio che ho realizzato, grazie soprattutto alle bellissime foto di Rob, un fotografo agile e coraggioso (si è arrampicato, at night, on a cliff overlooking the bay, hunted by a pair of angry fishermen) was released today in Italy, the Espresso.
I also did a service on Sky but I do not know if it is already visible on the homepage.
Tonight preview of THE COVE, the film produced by Rick O'Barry mogul thanks to the generosity of Jim Clark, the owner of Netscape and, indirectly, to You Tube. Thanks to a fantastic budget (5 million U.S. dollars) and sophisticated equipment (thermal cameras and mounted on board helicopters radioccomandati) have, for the first time, revealed the secret of "drops cursed": THE COVE! Here's the trailer
Domani forse torno a Taiji, stavolta per aiutare gli amici della Ocean Preservation Society a realizzare un'appendice sul pericolo mercurio. Hanno visto che mi so muovere "in zona" e mi hanno "arruolato" per il week end. Mi pagano pure per cui ho deciso di andarci...
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