A while back, when I saw “The Cove,” I wondered whether or not the filmmakers would be able to attain their stated goal – to end the annual dolphin slaughter in Taiji, Japan. Well, there have been a couple reasons over the last few days to think that maybe there is such thing as “The Cove” Effect – and keep in mind that the film hasn’t even been released in Japan yet.
First, Broome, Australia is suspending its sister city program with Taiji, Japan. Knowing how Australians feel about Japan and sea mammal conservation, I find it sort of hilarious that Taiji even had a sister city in Australia. I can just imagine the person who runs Broome’s sister city program – “They do fucking WHAT?!?”
Secondly, and more importantly, Ric O’Barry got to Taiji on September 1 – the first day of dolphin killing season – and found the killing cove empty of both dolphin killers and dolphins, but FULL or reporters.
In a post on his blog called “September 1, 2009: A Good Day for Dolphins,” O’Barry says:
Today is September 1st, the first day of the dolphin slaughter season in Japan. But when I arrived today by bus from Kansai Airport with media representatives from all over the world, the notorious Cove from the movie was empty. There were no dolphin killers in sight.
Good for him. We’ll have to see if “The Cove” Effect has real staying power, or if the Japanese will be up to their old tricks next year, or next month, or even next week when the big media retreats. Although, O’Barry does point out that these are Japanese media who have NEVER bothered to cover Taiji at all in the past.
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