As a foreigner living in Japan for over two years now, I’ve always had the impression that Japanese people in general have a great sense of responsibility for the preservation of the environment. Having said that, I’ve always tried to adhere to guidelines concerning garbage disposal or even make small attempts to lessen my energy consumption at home.
Even PM Hatoyama's speech at the UN summit in New York yesterday has intensified Japan’s pledge to reducing its emissions by 25 percent by 2020. Pretty convincing, huh?
Now, does this concern for the environment not include compassion for the one of the most intelligent animals on earth—dolphins? Did you know that according to the Fisheries Research Agency over 13,000 dolphins (about 99 percent are slaughtered for food!) were caught in Japan in 2007? In the same year, Hollywood actress Hayden Panettiere (from the TV series HEROES) was involved in a confrontation with Japanese fishermen in an attempt to stop them from hunting dolphins. But to no avail Hayden together with other surfers from Australia and the U.S. were forced to return to the beach.
Besides posing threat to your heath because of the relatively high levels of mercury in them, eating dolphin meat should be banned in Japan to prevent their decline or worse their extinction. If only all Japanese are aware of how brutally these dolphins are being killed time and time again, I’m pretty sure they will refuse eating them. And hopefully, as a result, Japanese fishermen will stop hunting them.
No to dolphin and whale hunting in Japan!
Source:The Japan Times (click on the title)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dolphin_drive_hunting
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-Pfk0XFSfQ&feature=related
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20090923f1.html
