For months and months, we've been encouraging you to sign petitions, watch documentaries, send tweets and raise awareness overall about the annual Japanese dolphin slaughter. The first official day of the 2009 slaughter season was yesterday, so how did we fare?
Ric O'Barry, dolphin trainer and star of The Cove, vowed to be in Taiji on the opening day of the dolphin slaughter. What did he find? "No dolphins and no dolphin killers." The image below shows a photo of the bay this year compared to last year.
Another interesting addition to the unusually peaceful habitat were the flocks of reporters who arrived to cover the slaughter (or lack thereof.) These are the same Japanese reporters who for years have refused to cover the story! Good news all around, so far.
What is O'Barry's hope for the rest of the season?
- "Yes, today was a good day for dolphins," he said on the SaveJapanDolphins blog. "Tomorrow, I will take journalists with me around town to show them Taiji. Tomorrow, too, I predict will be a good day for dolphins. Every day that we are here and the fishermen KNOW we are here, will likely mean no boats going out to round up dolphins for the killing Cove."
No question, we still have a ways to go before this issue will completely be laid to rest and one of those things we look back saying "remember when?" with a grimace on our faces. However small it may be, this is still a very significant step forward in our fight to put a stop to commercial whaling.
Please continue to show your support by getting sponsored by The Cove on SocialVibe's Facebook app and by choosing The Whaleman Foundation as your Cause.
via ecorazzi
