The Cove

The Cove is a documentary about an activist, Ric O’ Barry,with a group of volunteer and friends from Oceanic Preservation Society (OPS) travelling to Taiji, Japan to try to uncover the truth behind how those dolphins are treated when they were caught by the fishing crew and also various interviews with the assistant chief of the whaling division at Japan's Fisheries Agency, Hideki Moronuki and some video footage of Dominica from the International Whaling Commission (IWC). In the beginning of the documentary, O’Barry states that Taiji is a little town with big secret. In a glance across Taiji, one may think that it’s a dolphin paradise but actually, it’s a living hell for the dolphins. Taiji is the largest supplier of dolphins to marine parks, dolphinarium and aquariums around the world. The dolphin drive period is around September to March. When IWC banned whaling, though it reduced the number of whaling activities, it brought negative effects to the dolphins. Within a year, the killing of dolphins and porpoises were tripled. And the movie also stated that 23k of dolphin and porpoises slaughters every year was not acknowledge, which significantly was due to the media cover-up. Ric O’ Barry went around Tokyo interviewing passer-bys if they were aware of the massive number of unacknowledged killing of dolphins and porpoises. All who were interviewed were unaware of it nor do they consume dolphin meat. Tetsuya Endō, the associate professor of the Health Sciences University of Hokkaido stated that the supposed “whale meat” which the crew brought to him for research from the market was in fact dolphin meat. And shockingly, dolphin meat are not safe for consumption, for dolphin meat contain large amount of mercury. The acceptable amount of mercury intake is 0.04ppm whereas dolphin meat consists of 2000ppm (50k times more!) Japanese fishermen view dolphin- killing as pest control as since 2003, Japan has cited scientific data blaming decline in global fisheries on dolphins and whales. They think that dolphins and whales are “overeating”their fishes, therefore a need to reduce their population. The activists went through extreme measures to grab footages from the prohibited zones in Taiji which showed the cruel and brutal way of how those dolphins were killed ;that contradicts what Moronuki said about the method of killing those dolphins have been improved over the years to shorten their suffering, which as what the footages show was not true. And Moronuki himself became speechless when they showed him the video of the killings in action and also seemed angered by them barging into forbidden zones to steal footages of that sort.

I have a very contradicting point of view. I think that the dolphin-killing is wrong. Many who were interviewed declared that they don’t consume dolphin meat, so why do the fishermen in Taiji kill all those dolphins which were not selected by dolphin trainers? Why do they not release them backin the wild? What was shown from the video footage about the killing was no worse than like a killing spree with no purpose I can think of. The methods to kill them are inhumane as well, spearing them continuously until the dolphins “gave up”, using a sickle-like thing to pierce into their body to hook them up onto the boat when they’re dead. It is scientifically proven that dolphins have self-awareness which makes the killing even more inhumane. Moreover, dolphins have been known to save human lives. What morality is left when people kill their life saviours? Not only that, we are bringing harm to ourselves as well; when disguised as food, dolphin and whale meat contain high amount of mercury,not safe for consumption and may cause mercury poisoning. However, in another perspective, I think that dolphin- killing may not be that unforgiving. As what the fishermen stated that killing dolphins and porpoises are like pest controls as they are overeating our fish supplies.It is therefore important to reduce the number of them to ensure we have sufficient fish supplies as well; keeping a balance in a sense. But I still think that it is inhumane to kill the dolphins the way people in Taiji do. For the people in Taiji, it is their “culture” and the way they live. It is their main source of income; selling living dolphins to aquariums can cost up to $150k and dead ones for $600. Japan proved that there is a declining number of fisheries, but Ric O’Barry failed to provide the exact number of decline of dolphins worldwide to an extent that needs concern. I think way to solve the problem of these killing in the name of "pests control", fishermen can set-up more fisheries out in the sea to commercially rear the fish we consume. This helps to increase the fish population so as to have enough fish in the wild for both fishermen and the whales and dolphins. Secondly, by rearing them in the wild, fishes adapt better and maintain their "nutritional value" (as what some says fishes in the wild taste better than those commercially raised in hatcheries.)

Ric O’Barry, once a dolphin trainer who spent 10 years building up his career and the dolphin show industry, used his own hands to catch the 5 dolphins in Flipper, ends up spending the rest of his life trying to tear it down. I do feel for him as he is trying very hard to amend for his mistakes, but with tourism becoming every countries’ important source of income, I don’t think tearing the industry down completely is going to happen,at least not any time sooner.

 Picture from: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWTDDGbF_c1C7emjhvg_GydekLroVNkRA8xNpE9bb30yZYTNVZZ97jHQnQQeyozzKfj63vNlMepQ7vJwX3ZtHm5GSVfLEhVRfHL3-klud82KZ_LPePwCrQF5sCKaGyprB5AaG2SwH1QFg/s400/Cove+Blood+Karen+Tom+12-09.jpg

South Park: Whale Whores

The Whale Whores is an animation made by South Park about the Japanese' whaling and dolphin-killing activities (in a much more comical and exaggerated way.) The animation showed a group of armed Japanese charging into aquariums and dolphinariums, killing every single dolphins and whales as well as those out in the sea. The protagonist of the animation, Stan, is upset and infuriated about this issue and asked his dad “why did they do that?” and his dad replied that the Japanese don’t really like Dolphins very much; not as much as “normal” people do. Stan decided to stand up against the actions of the Japanese and wanted help from his friends. However, Kyle was reluctant, stating that “they’ve been doing it for a long time, and it’s not like we are able to change how an entire country thinks. I don’t like it, but it’s just the way they are.” Cartmen and Kenny simply don’t care about the plight of those sea mammals claiming that they don't give two shits about stupid-ass whales. Stan was angered by their lack of concern saying, “you know, when all the whales and dolphins in the world are gone, people are gonna wish that at some point they’d taken a little time to care just a little god damn bit!” Butters then told Stan about the Whale Wars where there are people like him who would do something for those whales and dolphins. Stan eventually volunteered to be one of the activists and replaced Capt. Paul Watson into leading the activists to protect the whales and dolphins more effectively. Paul Watson was portrayed as a liar who would do anything to increase the ratings. In the end, Cartmen and Kenny joined the crews in Whale Wars under false pretence that they care for the animals, which in fact, they were only after the fame. In the end, Stan and his friends found out that the reason for the Japanese to slaughter all the whales and dolphins was because they piloted Enola Gay to bomb Hiroshima (which is not true.) Stan knowing that it’s a fake decided to give the Japanese the “real” photo of the killers- the chicken and cow. And the ending scene was the Japanese charging into farms to kill chickens and cows and Stan’s dad thanking him for making the Japanese “normal” like them.

After watching the animation, it is clear to me that Stan is the main protagonist, wanting to be an activist, to want to do something to stop whaling and dolphin- killing. The Japanese as obviously depicted as the antagonists, trying to avenge for the bombing of Hiroshima. Kyle and Butters are in the neutral position where though they are concern about the issue, but aren’t willing to stand up against the Japanese, merely letting things be just the way it is. On the contrary, Cartmen and Kenny couldn’t care less about what the Japanese are doing nor are they concern about the whaling and dolphin- killing.

I myself think that I’m standing in the position of in between Cartmen, Kenny and Kyle, Butters. Though I care, but don’t think I’ll go to such extremes as being an activist. Moreover, other than whaling and dolphin-killing, I think there are many other more serious issues to brood over than this; such as the economic crisis in Europe and terrorism. It is also not only the whales and dolphins are endangering soon, animals such as the white tigers and panda are even on the verge to extinction. Compared to these whaling and dolphin- killing activities (obviously not due to them bombing Hiroshima), sports hunting is a much greater issue to be concerned of as people hunt for leisure purposes. But I’m still thankful to those activists as in a way or another, their efforts do make a difference regardless a huge or a small one. It does indirectly help to slow down the rate of endangering these animals which might give the animals enough time to reproduce some offsprings.

Another issue, in the last scene, Stan’s dad mentioned that the Japanese who are now killing chicken and cows instead are “normal” like them. But in such context, how do you clearly define normal? Just because we kill chickens and cows instead of whales and dolphins means we’re normal? It depends on individual’s perception on how to perceive as being normal. Maybe to the Japanese in the animation, Stan and others are the abnormal ones for not killing whales and dolphins. I think that they are all the same, as they all kill animals, regardless of whether is it cows, chickens, whales or dolphins. In addition, cows and chickens are commercially reared and raised as food for our consumption, thus is not seen as a cruel act to kill them. So does it mean that if we commercially raise the whales and dolphins, it would not seen as being cruel to kill them? I think that Japanese being one of the largest exporters in the seafood industries kill whales and dolphins because there’s a demand for it, especially when their cuisine comprises highly of seafood products.

Picture from: http://foodandfoodiesinjapan.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/tumblr_ks9w8wqjco1qz53a0o1_5001.jpg

Why study Geography?

Geography is the science that studies the lands, the features, the inhabitants, and the phenomena of the Earth.

The above statement was what I found when I typed "Geography" in the Google search engine. I have never seen Geography as part of science. I have always viewed Geography as a subject by itself. I have not been studying Geography for quite some years and it certainly isn't a subject I enjoy, nor do I score well for it.

The lecturer, Mr. Ken asked us in class today "Why study Geography?" My subconscious quickly responded: "Because it is compulsory." and not only me, other classmates voiced that out as a reply as well. But then again, why is it compulsory? I couldn't think of any good reasons for I don't have any good feelings for Geography anyway; to me Geography is just a study about the Earth. Thus, I answered "to know why the Earth is structured that way." Again, Mr. Ken asked why, and I thought the reason was simply so that architects are able to build infrastructures safely and suitable for us to live, work and play in. But, Mr. Ken gave us some examples of anomaly weathers, architectually unsound buildings, the massive floodings in Orchard Road that has never happened in the past as examples that engineers nowadays aren't taking into account why Earth is structured that way.

To think of it, the number of natural disasters occurring around the world has increased in recent years and I think that is because human population is ever rising and land space is declining to build more land to fit more people. We only think of solutions to exploit more land for use for human activities and living, but did not take into consideration of how our actions are affecting the Earth. Hence, I feel that the need to study Geography is because we need to know the physical features of the Earth and to what extent can we "reconstruct" it for human purposes and where is the "threshold" we should stop these activities and start to conserve and bring its natural features back, as well as having a win-win situation whereby we can find methods to build more infrastructures while not harming the Earth at the same time. We need to compromise between developments and the Earth's natural resources. Living in "peace" with other living organisms on Earth by not altering how the Circle of Life and food chains should be. Geography also allows me to know better about where I live and my surroundings. How nature shapes out special landscapes such as the Lovers' Island in Adriatic.

References

Heart-shaped island highlighted by Google Earth becomes hit with lovers . (2009, February 11). Telegraph. Retrieved June 27, 2012, from http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/4588838/Heart-shaped-island-highlighted-by-Google-Earth-becomes-hit-with-lovers.html