Tigerlily4 comments

Posted in: Japan happy as export ban on Atlantic bluefin tuna rejected See in context

Try to spend less time demonising certain countries and more time proposing constructive solutions which involve working with all parties involved.

We can learn by reflecting upon that which has gone before. This is not demonisation. The Canadians refused to acknowledge they had decimated cod until it was too late and it seems unlikely the species will ever recover. Many feel the Japanese - who by their own admission led and rallied overturn of a ban on BFT fishing and exports - are following the same path. The Japanese eat 85% of BFT caught, will not support a ban on fishing for it nor suspension of its import/export. It is laughable to suggest there could still be room for compromise.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Posted in: Japan happy as export ban on Atlantic bluefin tuna rejected See in context

Indeed, most of us do DenDon. Unfortunately, Japan appears to live only for the day.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Posted in: Japan happy as export ban on Atlantic bluefin tuna rejected See in context

that makes it all the more galling that Canada actually supported Japan in blocking this ban

Yes it does Unaq and is quite ironic. That should be the last country allowed to vote! Canada steadfastly refused to believe they were completely fishing out and decimating cod....until they did. Sadly, the numbers never recovered and clearly never will now.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Posted in: Japan happy as export ban on Atlantic bluefin tuna rejected See in context

Instead of whinging about the Japanese all the time people need to face the reality and look at the actual source of the problem - if they are seriously hoping for solutions to be found.

Wondering if you ever actually read the articles you comment on Davidattokyo. To wit:

"Japan won over scores of poorer nations with a campaign that played on fears that a ban would devastate their economies. Tokyo also raised doubts that such a radical move was scientifically sound."

It would seem Japan IS the source of the problem.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Posted in: Japan leading charge against bluefin ban See in context

In a few years time, the Japanese will be asking 'What happened to all the fish?'

And it will be everyone's fault that there's none left but their own foolishness.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Posted in: Japan leading charge against bluefin ban See in context

But who does a ban on exports really work for?

Not the Japanese.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Posted in: Japan leading charge against bluefin ban See in context

Except for the damage caused to the marine environment by the loss of the tuna population, I would be happy to let japan have its way with the tuna....see the total commercial extinction in a few years, and have japan totally without their favorite fish.

Me too!

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Posted in: 'The Cove' wins Oscar for Best Documentary See in context

KobeKid: Thank you for the information. I'll check it out.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Posted in: 'The Cove' wins Oscar for Best Documentary See in context

haoushokuhaki: If you read my earlier posts you would know I have taken the trouble to research this matter and also watched some of the many distressing videos on YouTube of people from Minimata with mercury poisoning. Of course, I entirely agree with you: the people of Taiji who are regularly eating toxic dolphin meat are clearly ingesting less mercury (in the short term) than those in Minimata - but no mercury at all would surely be preferable? Because no recent toxicity tests have been carried out within the general population of Taiji, who knows when the effects of long term, low level mercury poisoning migh become apparent. This is a culumative process. The human body has no way of eliminating the toxin and, once ingested, it is with you for life.

What bothers the makers of The Cove and it's fans is local officials (and presumably the Govt) know about the toxicity of the meat, have stopped it from being served to school children for lunch but have been less than forthcoming with information to anyone else. I believe KobeKid did comment on the fact that he had to spend a great deal of time searching through Govt websites to find their recommendation that pregnant women should also avoid dolphin meat. Also, as Nessie remarked previously, it looks like everyone else knows a lot more about this health threat than the Japanese public.

Yes, of course I agree the hunts are barbaric and inhumane and have said so many times. However, so long as there is demand for dolphin meat, both locally to Taiji as well as for export to China, I cannot see them ending. If anything changes, it must be brought about by the Japanese people. This will be extremely inconvenient for whomever it is reaping the profits from selling dolphins at US$500 per carcass to China and I'm sure will be met with a great deal of resistance.

I began this conversation under the impression that many people in Japan ate dolphin meat but now gather this may be quite untrue - apart from that which is mis-labelled and mis-sold as whale meat. The Cove raises this point. I hope you can eventually watch it.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Posted in: 'The Cove' wins Oscar for Best Documentary See in context

haoushokuhaki: With respect, you are completely avoiding the obvious. If the seas surrounding Japan are now clean and fish are unaffected please explain how the Taiji dolphins' meat becomes laced with mercury and other toxins.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Posted in: 'The Cove' wins Oscar for Best Documentary See in context

haoushokuhaki: I'll have to return to this a little later but, meanwhile, how do you think the Taiji dolphins' meat is becoming poisoned? They swim in seas and eat fish which contain mercury - and are therefore poisoned in exactly the same way as the people of Minimata, albeit to a lesser degree.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Posted in: 'The Cove' wins Oscar for Best Documentary See in context

haoushokuhaki: I have never said people are dying every day from mercury poisoning - but actually, I just discovered they still are in Minimata. I think it would be niaive to dismiss the possibility of the same thing happening in Taiji. Who will support all these sick people? The Japanese taxpayer I think.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Posted in: 'The Cove' wins Oscar for Best Documentary See in context

haoushokuhaki: Have you forgotten similar scenario to Taiji happened in Minimata with lead poisoning? Thousands of dolphins are being slaughtered every year in Taiji. I have not seen one person in this forum say they eat dolphin meat - some say they had no idea it was still being eaten and have never seen it on sale in supermarkets. The people of Taiji could not possibly eat all the meat so I wonder what happens to it?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Posted in: 'The Cove' wins Oscar for Best Documentary See in context

haoushokuhaki: With respect, this is a discussion about The Cove and Taiji and its by-product - toxic dolphin meat (the subject of the film). Of course I'm not going to eat it, neither am I going to split hairs with you : there's no need because a scientific analysis has already been carried out, the results of which are posted above. If mercury in the meat was 100 times Japan's permitted levels in 2005, it might be double or triple or more than that now. To attempt to say we're making "something out of nothing" is quite untrue. Or do you know more about toxicity than scientists and your own Government?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Posted in: 'The Cove' wins Oscar for Best Documentary See in context

Haoushokuhaki: But we're talking here about slaughtering dolphins specifically to harvest toxic meat that is not fit for consumption - by anything. There is quite a difference between that and the slaughter of livestock or culling pests.

What particularly bothers me (and the makers of The Cove) is the Japanese people don't appear to have been informed by the authorities that no-one should be eating this meat - never mind exporting it - as Nessie says above. Look I know some of you will have seen this before but I will post again:

National Geographic: "In the end, it might be Japanese consumers who stop the Taiji hunt. Activists, scientists, and the Japanese press have documented high levels of mercury contamination in Japan's dolphins. The Cove features Oregon State University marine biologist Scott Baker, a past National Geographic Society grantee who tested Japanese striped dolphin meat and reported in 2005 it had nearly a hundred times the amount of mercury permitted by Japanese regulations."

And this was the result in 2005!

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Posted in: 'The Cove' wins Oscar for Best Documentary See in context

Nessie: Thanks for your reply. It is, in fact, documented that Taiji dolphin meat is exported to China - $500 per dolphin carcass.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Posted in: 'The Cove' wins Oscar for Best Documentary See in context

Sorry - took me so long to post, I'm way out of synch!

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Posted in: 'The Cove' wins Oscar for Best Documentary See in context

King: Steve is right. Only the last 5 - 10 minutes of the film shows scenes of dolphin slaughter. The remainder of the film is taken up with intervews of Japanese and other officials about the toxicity of the meat, the testing of the meat and scientific/health discussions and the remainder explains how the film was made.

I think you will be pleasantly surprised to find it contains no "Japan bashing".

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Posted in: 'The Cove' wins Oscar for Best Documentary See in context

Nessie: I meant to comment on your post too. If Japanese people are largely unaware that dolphin is still being eaten in Japan, presumably the Taiji meat must mostly be eaten in Taiji or exported?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Posted in: 'The Cove' wins Oscar for Best Documentary See in context

MrUSA: Well, I think foreign exports of dolphin meat will probably have to stop and also that it will end up being banned for eating in Japan. However, I guess if people still want to kill the odd dolphin to eat despite the risks, like drinking and smoking, you'll never be able to stop them doing it. It's pretty foolish though if you watch some of the videos of Minimata on YouTube - and of course it doesn't only affect humans - animals can be affected. The Taiji dolphin meat wouldn't even be suitable for livestock or pet food. I'm really worried for the people of Taiji! I think someone should arrange for them to be tested. Don't forget, it's not just mercury. There are many toxins in this dolphin meat.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Posted in: 'The Cove' wins Oscar for Best Documentary See in context

MrUSA: Are you not familiar with Minimata disease - which was brought about by mercury poisoning? I've just been watching videos of terrible suffering on You Tube. I understand Japanese authorities recently ordered dolphin meat from Taiji no longer be given to school-children for lunch and that pregnant women have also been advised not to eat it. I also understand a great deal of dolphin meat from Taiji is sold on to China and elsewhere in Japan. How would you feel to be eating toxic meat imported from China, with no idea it was poisonous?

And who will pay medical expenses and care for the Japanese people who do eventually fall ill if they continue to eat it?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Posted in: 'The Cove' wins Oscar for Best Documentary See in context

Ichya: I totally get what you're saying but also you have to remember there are plenty of Japanese in forums advocating violence to foreigners who turn up in Taiji and sending armed military to AAT during the next whaling season. I agree all of this on both sides is inflammatory and unproductive and, actually, I think we all know that.

However, on the other hand, it is true the dolphins in Taiji are slaughtered in what is perceived by outsiders as inhumane and unacceptable in this day and age and the Japanese do eat whale and dolphin meat. Yes, Faroe does this too and there are as many groups campaigning against that as there are Taiji. This is not a Japan bashing mission.

But the slaughter is actually secondary to the fact that Japanese dolphin meat contains seriously high levels of toxins. Until this was exposed by the people who made The Cove, school children in Taiji were eating it every day for lunch. This has now been stopped - by the Japanese authorities - so isn't that one positive change these campaigners have brought about?

I repeat my earlier post: National Geographic: "In the end, it might be Japanese consumers who stop the Taiji hunt. Activists, scientists, and the Japanese press have documented high levels of mercury contamination in Japan's dolphins. The Cove features Oregon State University marine biologist Scott Baker, a past National Geographic Society grantee who tested Japanese striped dolphin meat and reported in 2005 it had nearly a hundred times the amount of mercury permitted by Japanese regulations."

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Posted in: 'The Cove' wins Oscar for Best Documentary See in context

MrUSA: Dolphin meat contains extremely high levels of toxins. Why would the hunts carry on if the meat can't be eaten? This makes little sense.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Posted in: Anger and defiance in Taiji after 'Cove' wins Oscar See in context

National Geographic: "In the end, it might be Japanese consumers who stop the Taiji hunt. Activists, scientists, and the Japanese press have documented high levels of mercury contamination in Japan's dolphins. The Cove features Oregon State University marine biologist Scott Baker, a past National Geographic Society grantee who tested Japanese striped dolphin meat and reported in 2005 it had nearly a hundred times the amount of mercury permitted by Japanese regulations."

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Posted in: 'The Cove' wins Oscar for Best Documentary See in context

KingRat: That's an honest and honourable comment and I much respect it. However, my concern is much of the dolphin meat from Taiji is sold to China at around $500 per dolphin. In your opinion, do you think there's any chance of the slaughter stopping while there's a profitable demand for the - albeit - toxic meat?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Posted in: 'The Cove' wins Oscar for Best Documentary See in context

National Geographic: "In the end, it might be Japanese consumers who stop the Taiji hunt. Activists, scientists, and the Japanese press have documented high levels of mercury contamination in Japan's dolphins. The Cove features Oregon State University marine biologist Scott Baker, a past National Geographic Society grantee who tested Japanese striped dolphin meat and reported in 2005 it had nearly a hundred times the amount of mercury permitted by Japanese regulations."

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Posted in: 'The Cove' wins Oscar for Best Documentary See in context

MrUSA: And, by the way, this is a discussion about a documentary - ie. a film recording things that actually happened. Why would I need to present you with facts and evidence? The film speaks for itself.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Posted in: 'The Cove' wins Oscar for Best Documentary See in context

MrUSA: If you had actually seen this film - which I strongly doubt - then you would be aware, as is everyone who has seen it that high, steel, locked barriers are present in Taiji cove. In fact, there is a video on YouTube made by a Japanese director in 2007 in which the same barriers are also clearly displayed, along with many photographs of them online. Also photos of signs put up by the slaughtermen telling people to keep away and that photography is forbidden.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Posted in: 'The Cove' wins Oscar for Best Documentary See in context

Woman: In fact, Japanese officials agreed to and do appear in the film many times. The Director previously made films for National Geographic. I suggest you watch the film. You can find the other information on the web, although I'd choose English or American newspapers rather than Japanese.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Posted in: 'The Cove' wins Oscar for Best Documentary See in context

I have a copy of the film, there are photos and videos on the web - some made by Japanese film-makers - clearly showing locked barriers and slaughtermen harrassing and screaming at people to keep away from Taiji's cove.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Recent Comments

Popular

Articles, Offers & Useful Resources

A mix of what's trending on our other sites


©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.