'The Cove' should be more bewildering to watch in its cultural context than for the subject matter it deals with. For me, the questionable approach of this film outweighs its ecological importance.
The exposition of the film presents environmentalist Ric O'Barry. As dolphin trainer for the 'Flipper' TV series, he felt responsible for what he calls the 'captivity industry' based on the desire to be close to dolphins which was inspired by the series. His emotional involvement makes perfect sense when he describes how the original 'Flipper' committed suicide. His focus on Taiji also makes sense as the town is explained to be the largest supplier of dolphins for maritime parks, which also means that it is here where dolphins are herded for slaughter.
In Taiji, the film starts to feel difficult. Japanese interviewees only speak awkward English which sounds automatically evasive. One would think that with a project like this there would be a translator involved. The Americans are being followed around by local people who try to provoke them into violent action so that they can have them arrested. I think it's not exactly hard to understand this defensive behavior when strangers in a rural community are so obviously up to something. O'Barry asks about missing activities of Japanese outlets of environmental organizations like Greenpeace but there are no representatives, just 'Whale Wars' host and Sea Shepherd CEO Paul Watson, i.e. yet another American.
There is some theorizing on why the Japanese government allows or encourages the trading and slaughter of dolphins to happen. It is claimed that mercury-tainted dolphin meat is being sold off cheap in supermarkets under different labels. This is linked to the Minamata-Disease scandal of the 60s, stating that the government would try anything to hush up any similar case. While it certainly true that Japan's government exerts a lot of pressure on the media, Japanese journalism is a competitive industry as elsewhere, sensationalist and driven enough to grab an opportunity to expose a scandal.
The quantity in question (23'000 annual catch of dolphins at a selling price of $500 each means a commerce of 11.5$ million) isn't enough to build up lobbying power. It is therefore suggested that the government support for an uneconomic industry like whaling is a remnant of nationalistic pride of imperial times; Japan tries to hold on to this one point to show that it is tired to have Western countries telling it what to do. I wonder why no local sources are interviewed for this film to back up these claims. We have a Japanese nutritionist proving mercury content, some pedestrians in Tokyo saying they never heard about dolphin meat for sale, and two town council members of Taiji, but that's it; maybe 30 seconds of footage.
Also, the subjects of whaling and dolphin drive hunting are actually quite different. It's suggested that dolphins are becoming an endangered species, which is true for China, India and South America, but not in the Pacific or the Sea of Japan. That means the dolphin drive hunt is as of yet legal - one may wonder and contest why, but I find it rather irritating that the film constantly alludes to illegal actions when this is not the case. The scandal is actually just THAT. The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) or Regional Fisheries Managements Organisations would be bodies to talk to about this, but certainly not the International Whaling Commission, as their chart does not include dolphins, which is actually mentioned in the film. Interesting fact on the side: Red Tuna (used for maguro sushi) is de facto on the verge of extinction, with the EU being a main exporter and Japan being the principal buyer. Any legislation to prevent that extinction will most likely come too late.
It's important to act against the decimation of sea mammals and help preserving them. It's a serious problem, but not exclusively Japanese. It would have been much better to point this out. Why show the slaughter footage to a government official to film his face in shock? Why not hire an exhibition spot in Japan, show it to the people and catch their response? The intrusive approach chosen here makes it very easy for political bodies in Japan to evade criticism. Since this reasoning is actually not so hard to come by, it makes me wonder whether the real issues at hand in 'The Cove' may not be a means of expression for Western supremacy thinking - an argument frequently used by emerging countries (China, for instance) to avoid being 'pinned down' by ecological law-making. 'The Cove' can certainly be interpreted this way, and may therefore do more harm than good in the long run by intensifying secrecy, obstinacy and distrust.
The exposition of the film presents environmentalist Ric O'Barry. As dolphin trainer for the 'Flipper' TV series, he felt responsible for what he calls the 'captivity industry' based on the desire to be close to dolphins which was inspired by the series. His emotional involvement makes perfect sense when he describes how the original 'Flipper' committed suicide. His focus on Taiji also makes sense as the town is explained to be the largest supplier of dolphins for maritime parks, which also means that it is here where dolphins are herded for slaughter.
In Taiji, the film starts to feel difficult. Japanese interviewees only speak awkward English which sounds automatically evasive. One would think that with a project like this there would be a translator involved. The Americans are being followed around by local people who try to provoke them into violent action so that they can have them arrested. I think it's not exactly hard to understand this defensive behavior when strangers in a rural community are so obviously up to something. O'Barry asks about missing activities of Japanese outlets of environmental organizations like Greenpeace but there are no representatives, just 'Whale Wars' host and Sea Shepherd CEO Paul Watson, i.e. yet another American.
There is some theorizing on why the Japanese government allows or encourages the trading and slaughter of dolphins to happen. It is claimed that mercury-tainted dolphin meat is being sold off cheap in supermarkets under different labels. This is linked to the Minamata-Disease scandal of the 60s, stating that the government would try anything to hush up any similar case. While it certainly true that Japan's government exerts a lot of pressure on the media, Japanese journalism is a competitive industry as elsewhere, sensationalist and driven enough to grab an opportunity to expose a scandal.
The quantity in question (23'000 annual catch of dolphins at a selling price of $500 each means a commerce of 11.5$ million) isn't enough to build up lobbying power. It is therefore suggested that the government support for an uneconomic industry like whaling is a remnant of nationalistic pride of imperial times; Japan tries to hold on to this one point to show that it is tired to have Western countries telling it what to do. I wonder why no local sources are interviewed for this film to back up these claims. We have a Japanese nutritionist proving mercury content, some pedestrians in Tokyo saying they never heard about dolphin meat for sale, and two town council members of Taiji, but that's it; maybe 30 seconds of footage.
Also, the subjects of whaling and dolphin drive hunting are actually quite different. It's suggested that dolphins are becoming an endangered species, which is true for China, India and South America, but not in the Pacific or the Sea of Japan. That means the dolphin drive hunt is as of yet legal - one may wonder and contest why, but I find it rather irritating that the film constantly alludes to illegal actions when this is not the case. The scandal is actually just THAT. The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) or Regional Fisheries Managements Organisations would be bodies to talk to about this, but certainly not the International Whaling Commission, as their chart does not include dolphins, which is actually mentioned in the film. Interesting fact on the side: Red Tuna (used for maguro sushi) is de facto on the verge of extinction, with the EU being a main exporter and Japan being the principal buyer. Any legislation to prevent that extinction will most likely come too late.
It's important to act against the decimation of sea mammals and help preserving them. It's a serious problem, but not exclusively Japanese. It would have been much better to point this out. Why show the slaughter footage to a government official to film his face in shock? Why not hire an exhibition spot in Japan, show it to the people and catch their response? The intrusive approach chosen here makes it very easy for political bodies in Japan to evade criticism. Since this reasoning is actually not so hard to come by, it makes me wonder whether the real issues at hand in 'The Cove' may not be a means of expression for Western supremacy thinking - an argument frequently used by emerging countries (China, for instance) to avoid being 'pinned down' by ecological law-making. 'The Cove' can certainly be interpreted this way, and may therefore do more harm than good in the long run by intensifying secrecy, obstinacy and distrust.