The Cove Review: Documentary of Taiji's Secret

Looking for an informative but interesting flick?  Sundance winner The Cove offers summer entertainment plus lots of suspense – while informing the public about a “secret” that’s purely disturbing.

Every year in Taiji, Japan, 23,000 dolphins are slaughtered in a cove for their meat.  Former dolphin trainer Ric O’Barry is at the forefront of uncovering Taiji’s hunt to the public. But is this practice a cultural difference, or just plain wrong?  Here’s a trailer:

So what’s the environmental/ethical impact? The film argues these points:

• Dolphins are extremely intelligent.  They’ve saved humans on numerous occasions.
• Dolphin’s don’t belong in captivity
• Approximately 1% of the Japanese eat dolphin meat – but the majority do not know this even occurs (Often it’s mislabeled as whale meat)
• The recommended amount of mercury in seafood in Japan is 0.4 ppm (parts per million).  Dolphin meat has 2000 ppm, making it extremely toxic for consumption
• We’re overfishing the sea & therefore, throwing off the ecosystem

Like  Eye of the Whale, this film addresses many other ethical questions during the process of uncovering this scandal.  Aside from the climate change issue, there’s plenty of reasons you should be thinking about every purchase and tossing what’s no longer used.

As an animal lover, I was pretty upset after seeing the flick . But while there are some tough scenes to see, I definitely recommend watching it.

These slaughterings begin September 1st each year. Want to do something? Visit the Cove’s website for more information.

Posted by Julie

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Julie Hancher is the co-founder and Executive Director of Green Philly, an independent media organization making sustainability accessible, affordable and actionable. Since launching Green Philly in 2008, she has grown it from a passion project into a leading voice for local climate storytelling, pairing impactful journalism with community events and experiences. Julie is a frequent speaker on climate, media innovation and the future of local journalism, and is the creator of SustainPHL and EcoFair. Outside of Green Philly, you can find her hiking, biking, traveling, or exploring Philadelphia. View all posts by Julie Hancher