In Defense of Animals (IDA), an international animal protection organization along with a network of concerned Japanese scientists, activists and animal protection organizations as part of the Suigin Iranai (“No More Mercury Poisoning”) Campaign, point out significant fundamental flaws in the NIMD conclusions presented to the public. First, infants and young children were not adequately tested for neural development disorders, learning disabilities or IQ impairments. Second, the NIMD researchers ignored recent, widely reported studies by Faroe Island researchers (http://www.pbs.org/frontlineworld/stories/faroe605/interview_weihe.html) who found harmful impairments to children’s memory, language, visual-spatial abilities, and reaction times from consuming mercury-contaminated cetaceans (dolphins, porpoises and whales). The NIMD study included no such testing.

“Since many adult humans in the Taiji region are 50 to 100 times more mercury-toxic than banned fish, the risk to fetuses, infants and toddlers is inexcusable. It is unconscionable that the Japanese government states everything is fine and residents need not be concerned.” said Dr. Anand Ramanathan, executive director of IDA. “This government permits the horrific slaughter of entire pods of dolphins, porpoises and whales, and then encourages their citizens to eat the contaminated flesh. They should immediately ban the consumption of cetacean meat.” he added.

Denmark’s Faroe Islanders have eaten pilot whales for the 300 years. Government doctors now aggressively push for a total ban on eating these animals due to their increasing mercury and PCB toxicity. One of their recent advisory letters stated:

“The growing scientific documentation has … given rise to the anticipation that the time was approaching when it would be appropriate to recommend against human consumption of pilot whale meat and blubber. From the latest research results … the conclusion from a human health perspective must be as follows: It is recommended that Pilot Whale is no longer used for human consumption.”

In Defense of Animals, who has been a founding member of the Save Japan Dolphin Campaign upon which The Cove movie is based, demands that Japan protect the lives of their own people and ban the hunting of and consumption of cetaceans immediately.

For more information, visit: www.idausa.org.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 11, 2010

Contact:  Anand Ramanathan, Executive Director, (508) 364-6802, anand@idausa.org

San Rafael, Calif. (March 8, 2010) – In Defense of Animals (IDA) is praising the Best Documentary Academy Award choice of The Cove, hailing the Oscar recognition as a major victory for dolphins. The film is based on the Save Japan Dolphins Coalition (SJD) campaign to stop the slaughter and consumption of dolphins in Japan, and to prevent their capture and imprisonment in captivity.

The global spotlight on The Cove should reinforce pressure for Japan’s new Minister of State for Consumer Affairs and Food Safety, Ms. Mizuho Fukushima, to publicize the calamitous health risks, including mercury poisoning, associated with eating dolphin meat. This is especially true for residents in Taiji, the small fishing village where The Cove was filmed. University of Hokkaido Professor Tetsuya Endo concluded in a recent study that Taiji residents have 10 times higher mercury levels than other Japanese citizens.

The Japanese government seems unable to respond to charges that it has allowed and continues to allow the poisoning of both Japanese citizens and foreign visitors who eat contaminated dolphin meat. Equally important, noted IDA President Dr. Elliot M. Katz, a veterinarian, “The Japanese government can no longer cover up the barbaric dolphin slaughter with routine media blackouts on the issue. They simply have no answer to the filmed dolphin massacres other than they are lawful activities.”

“IDA congratulates the crew of The Cove, including Director Louis Psihoyos, Executive Producer Jim Clark, Producer Fisher Stevens, and the Oceanic Preservation Society,” added Dr. Katz. “And of course activist and former Flipper trainer Ric O’Barry, perhaps the best friend dolphins could have. The global spotlight on The Cove will bring the necessary pressure in Japan to ban the sale of dolphin meat without delay.”

The Save Japan Dolphins Coalition is working to expand the number of Japanese citizens who can see The Cove, which is scheduled for release in Japan later this year. Only about 600 of Japan’s 127 million people have seen the film, and those who did see The Cove expressed outrage in Japanese and U.S. media.

In Defense of Animals is a founding member of the Save Japan Dolphins Coalition, which also includes Animal Welfare Institute, Campaign Whale of the UK, Earth Island Institute, Elsa Nature Conservancy of Japan and OceanCare of Switzerland.

For more information, please visit www.idausa.org.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contacts:
Dr. Elliot M. Katz, 415.448.0048, ext. 225
Melissa Gonzalez, 707.981.7701, Melissa@idausa.org