The Cove Page #7

in other words, if you leave the boats

tied up at the dock,

we'll pay you the same amount of money

you would have made

killing dolphins in Taiji.

They got back to us and said

"It's not about money.

It's about pest control."

Pest control.

In other words,

they're being told by the government

that the dolphin are

eating too much fish in the ocean.

This is not attempt

just to incriminate whales as a bad guy.

However, we cannot ignore

the fishing effort has been decreasing.

It's seriously hard to take that

PowerPoint demonstration seriously.

I have to tell you

that there is very strong evidence

that whales are consuming

huge quantities of fish

that are also the target of fisheries.

The Government of Brazil

wants to put on record

that to us it certainly amounts

to what only can be described

as biological nonsense.

It is clear that the fisheries

of the world are on decline,

and the obvious culprit is people,

and we don't want to acknowledge that.

We look at the ocean

as a source of infinite quality seafood,

and I think we're learning

some hard lessons

that this isn't true.

We're pulling the fish

out of the ocean at such a rate

and eroding and diminishing

our marine ecosystems

so bad that the whole

thing could collapse.

seven out of ten people,

rely as their principal

protein on seafood.

If we lose access to fish in the sea,

we will be causing

the biggest public health problem

human beings have ever faced.

The Japanese literally control

the world marketplace in fish.

They have buyers in every

major port in the world.

They're catching their fish

from an ever-depleting supply,

and I think they have a real fear

that they will run out of food.

What more logical thing could they do

than catch whales to replace them?

International Whaling Commission

is essentially killing

coastal small-type

whaling communities like Taiji.

This body should seriously consider

the proposal that is before us.

Dominica would like to compliment

the Japanese delegation.

We strongly support the proposal.

Antigua and Barbuda

supports this declaration in its entirety.

Do we have any concern, any sympathy

for the plight of the people of Japan?

This is an opportunity to help Japan.

We could help the Japanese cause

and the people of Taiji.

We therefore urge this IWC to grant...

...their basic request

for them to engage in whaling.

And therefore, St. Kitts and Nevis

support this proposal.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

In my opinion, this has

been sufficient enough time

to allow for the replenishment

of species... of certain species...

which were in decline

and some others which were

nearing extinction.

There are several facets in the interests

out of Antigua in whaling.

First of all, the government

is presently interested

in the whaling commission

because the Japanese government's

paying them to be interested.

The Japanese government

and their agencies

go to small bankrupt nations

and offer them financial support,

offer them whatever it takes,

firstly to get them to join the IWC

and then, when they get here,

to vote for Japan.

This is how whaling

in the 21st century works.

What kind of whales

pass through Antigua?

We have...

I think the Commissioner might be...

I think there's

some humpback whales...

- Yes.

...that pass through Antigua.

I'm not sure of the details

of the whales that pass

through Antigua

at this point in time,

but there are whales

that pass through our waters

from time to time.

I have seen only...

My only interaction with whales

are what I see on television.

It is so transparent to even the least

perspicacious onlooker

that they have prostituted themselves

for a few yen.

The Japanese government

pays our fees, our annual fees,

for participation in the International

Whaling Commission.

It has nothing to do with nutrition.

It simply has to do with the fact

that "You voted for us,

"so let's give you something

that you people can see

"that it was worth your while

to sell your vote to us...

fisheries complexes."

Interestingly,

the fisheries complexes built by Japan

have already gone into disuse

because it has nothing to do with fishing.

One neighbor got the goodies,

and every other neighbor

wants a part of the goodies.

Every island

in the Eastern Caribbean...

St. Kitts, Antigua,

St. Vincent., St. Lucia,

Grenada, Dominica...

we all have the same goodies.

In Dominica, we have a $22 million

fisheries complex

which is used for the local merchants

to store imported chicken.

It's very sad to see the beautiful

islands in the Caribbean

becoming neon-lit whorehouses

for the Japanese.

It really runs counter to logic

why the Japanese continue

to keep this dying

whaling business going,

especially when you get the facts

about the levels of mercury

and other contaminants

in the meat.

I visited Japan earlier this year,

and I discovered that there

was another peculiar reason

for the Japanese position

at the IWC.

This has not got to do

with economics.

it hasn't even got to do with politics.

It really has to do with the...

the remnants

of a traditional notion of empire.

They had had enough of the West

telling them what to do

and how to do it and when to do it.

"Well, you're not going to make us

stop killing whales."

There's some kind of misplaced

nationalistic pride at work.

It's an industry that is

massively subsidized

by Japanese taxpayers,

and when you have those sorts

of subsidies in place,

you invite corruption.

In order to perpetuate

this cultural argument,

the Taiji dolphin hunters

started giving

the dolphin meat away free

to the school system.

They're getting this

in a form of propaganda.

They're not being told

that the free lunchmeat

that their children are getting

are contaminated

with high levels of mercury.

Are you aware

of the Mayor of Taiji's plan

to distribute dolphin meat

throughout Japan

to Japanese children?

I think you...

correctly misunderstood.

Did I?

You perfectly misunderstood.

Two city council members

came out on record.

They risked their...

if not their lives,

their livelihood to speak out.

There's a saying in Japan

that says the nail that sticks out

must be pounded down,

and so it's a real problem

just to stand up

and be counted in Japan.

There's no environmental movement

working actively on this issue

that has any kind

of power at all in that country.

We are dumping in the environment

all kinds of chemicals

like mercury, cadmium, lead.

We have the obligation...

We have a moral authority

to do something about it.

In a few years,

we may look back

and wonder what we did,

allowing more and more tons

of meat to be consumed.

We have a moral obligation,

and let it not be said

that you didn't know about it.

You know about it.

To me, you're either an activist

or an inactivist,

and I wanted to be active.

I wanted to stop this.

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