Japan mayor protests The Cove's Oscar win

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Japan mayor protests The Cove's Oscar

win

Published:

3:26AM Tuesday March 09, 2010

Source: Reuters

At a glance...

Mayor says

hunt is legal, want respect for tradition

Co-author

says Oscar to shed light on hunts in Japan

 

The mayor

of a Japanese town which conducts an annual dolphin hunt has protested against

the Academy Award given to The Cove, a documentary film about the grisly

slaughter.

The film, which picked up an Oscar for best

documentary feature in addition to a series of other awards, follows a group of

activists who struggle with Japanese police and fishermen to gain access to a

secluded cove in Taiji, southern Japan, where dolphins are hunted.

It features shocking footage of the slaughter.

" I think it is regrettable that the film

presents as fact material that is not backed up by scientific proof, "

Taiji mayor Kazutaka Sangen said in a faxed statement. He emphasised that the

hunt was legal in Japan and urged respect for the tradition.

" There are a variety of customs relating

to food, within this country and abroad, " he said.

" An attitude of mutual respect is

necessary, based on understanding of the years-old traditions arising from

these customs and the circumstances surrounding them. "

The film, directed by former National

Geographic photographer Louie Psihoyos and featuring a former dolphin trainer

from the Flipper television series, is little known in Japan, where the

government says the hunting of dolphins and whales is an important cultural

tradition.

Hans Peter

Roth, co-author of the book version of the film, said the Oscar would help shed

light on the subject in Japan, but lamented that the hunts may not stop in the

near future.

" I strongly believe that this

international upsurge really puts quite a bit of pressure on this town, "

he told Reuters from the area where much of the The Cove was filmed.

" And I am afraid they are not going to

stop the dolphin hunt within the next few years, regarding it being lucrative

to sell live dolphins to dolphin areas. "

A Japanese distributor said last week a

slightly modified version of The Cove was set for release in major cities

across Japan from May or June this year.

The faces of the fishermen will be blurred out

and the distributor will add a note saying that there is disagreement about

mercury levels in dolphin meat, which is sold as food and served for lunch at

schools in the area.

Many in Japan said the film was exaggerated.

" Of course I feel pity for the dolphins

but it's also true that from ancient times mankind has been living by eating

animals and plants, " said Masaaki Kibe, a 24-year-old college student.

" But I also agree that such a probe is

also necessary so it's very difficult to give a firm opinion. "

http://tvnz.co.nz/world-news/japan-mayor-protests-cove-s-oscar-win-3398895