Richard O’Barry believes the dolphin he trained for the 60’s TV show
Flipper, chose to die rather than take one more breath in captivity. Richard has since made it his goal to protect these intelligent, self-aware creatures from capture and slaughter.
In Taiji, Japan, fishermen hunt and catch dolphins for food and to sell to marinas. Richard and a group of activists filmed the slaughter, the way in which dolphins are hunted and killed, and the politics involved.
The Japanese want to blame the decrease in fish on consumption by whales and dolphins. A crew of fishermen who slaughtered the dolphins was asked if they would be willing to leave their boat parked at the dock for a payment equal to what they would earn that day. They said, “It’s not about the money. It’s pest control.”
Researchers predict a total collapse of fish stock in 40 years due to current fishing practices, but the Japanese feel that if they kill enough whales and dolphins, there will be more fish for them to catch.
We learned a lot watching this film. From the laws to the politics involved, it’s clear that the Japanese government doesn’t want its people to know the truth. This film does an excellent job exposing it.
The ending is moving, more so than any documentary of this nature we have ever seen. While there is still much to be done, there is enough good news to keep us from feeling hopeless.
For an interview with Richard, see
The Cove’s Richard O’Barry on Secret Dolphin Slaughter — and Flipper’s Suicide
The Cove is available on DVD.
