Japanese Dolphin Massacre
Just to prove I'm specifically picking on Canada... Here's a link to a story about the annual Japanese Dolphin Hunt. The dolphin hunt runs from September through April and results in the slaughter of thousands of dolphins annually. Thirteen fishing boats force the dolphins into a shallow cove in Taiji, where a number of them are selected to be sold into "swim with the dolphin" programs or to aquariums. The others are slaughtered and sold as food. However, most (if not all) dolphin meat has toxic levels of mercury, and is therefore inedible.
Here are some facts which might just relieve you of your sushi cravings permanently. They cured us:
- 70% of the human race relies on seafood as a major source of protein.
- Pollution of our seafood is now the greatest public health threat that humanity has ever faced.
- Mercury bio-accumulates in the food chain. Top ocean predators like sea mammals and tuna have high levels of mercury in their meat. These range from 5 to 3500 times the amount of mercury allowed by Japanese law. 0.3 parts per million (ppm) is the published safe limit. The highest concentrations of mercury are found in the animals’ organs.
- Mercury is a neurotoxin and is particularly damaging to fetuses and small children.
- All tuna, including canned is potentially harmful.
- High-grade sushi is the worst source of mercury and other pollutants. Since the best cuts of the meat are from the bigger, fattier fish, more pollutants have bio-accumulated in the meat.
source: Oceanic Preservation Society
In order to bring all of the above information to the attention of the public, the Oceanic Preservation Society has clandestinely filmed the Taiji Dolphin Hunt and created a documentary, entitled The Rising. This film is slated to be released this summer.
As I continue to read more about how we are poisoning ourselves and our planet, and as I read more about how badly we treat our fellow inhabitants of the planet, I am very happy to proclaim I am a vegan.
– If you haven’t signed our petition to Oprah asking her to do a piece on factory farming, please consider doing so. We can all work together to make a difference.
Related Information:
There are three moral harms occurring simultaneously:
The poisoning of the dolphins due to our environmental degradation, the exploitation of the dolphins for human entertainment, and our murder of dolphins for human consumption.
All this while it is fairly uncontroversial that dolphins are a “higher species” of animals. The production of a vegan world looks increasingly difficult sometimes.
I enjoy _vegan_ sushi but not ever any kind of raw fish dish such as sashimi. See here for the distinction: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sushi BUT never mind all these distinctions, you use the term most correctly as it is used over here in North America and indeed we should be put off fish – raw or otherwise – forever if we are not veg*ns already. As for picking on Canada – oh go on – please – pick away. Something’s got to wake our ******* government up!!!
Thank you for an important post! Keep it up!!
Huge hugs and I’m so glad I’ve found your blog!
Hi Alex,
It’s shocking isn’t it? But hopefully, things will change. I’m optimistic because it feels like there is a shift in public thinking. Vegetarianism is, if not commonplace, then certainly more respected than it was 25 years ago. In another 25 years, maybe veganism will be more mainstream.
Hi River,
Yes, I know there’s vegan sushi… but as you mentioned, here in N.America, sushi encompasses all that and sashimi too. BTW, I used to prefer sashimi because I always thought there was too much rice in sushi.
As for picking on Canada…. Your government? Have you noticed what’s been going on here lately? We deserve a little bit of a wake up call too! Glad you’re enjoying the blog!