How Minamata May Save Flipper

For centuries fishermen from a small fishing village in Japan have annually corralled thousands of dolphins in a tiny cove and then slaughtered them for meat and fertilizer. For decades environmental and animal activists have protested the slaughters and have attempted to bring public awareness to this unnecessary ritual in an effort to have it stopped, thus far unsuccessfully. But now a threat to the Japanese even stronger than global public opinion may put an end to the senseless killing.

Back in the 1950s and 60s there was a terrible environmental disaster in Japan. A disaster so horrendous that thousands of Japanese people were killed or crippled and many families are still fighting over restitution. The disaster was the mercury poisoning of Minamata Bay caused by dumping vast amounts of industrial waste into the waters near that southern fishing village.

Well recent tests on the meat from the dolphin slaughters has shown very high levels of mercury and may ultimately put an end to the ritual. No one in Japan wants another Minamata, apparently they can live with the senseless killing of dolphins as long as it doesn't jeopardize their food supply with a known toxin. So, their fear of poisoning themselves may end the killing of the dolphins. If only they were smart enough to do something about poisoning the dolphins so our marvelous mammalian brothers and sisters of the sea could live toxin-free too. Oh, and try to find a better source of food and fertilizer.