A haunting example

Recently I watched The Cove, a 2009 documentary that sheds light on the annual slaughter of 2,300 dolphins in Taiji, Wakayama Japan. The dolphins feed a growing consumer demand for seafood in Japan, especially for whale meat (dolphin meat is often marketed falsely as whale meat, which has a higher market value). This industry exists both from a lack of governmental regulation but also from a lack of consumer awareness. The film emphasizes that most Japanese citizens outside of Taiji have never heard of these dolphin killings.

I think this deserves our attention because it affirms the importance of being a thoughtful consumer. To systematically change a food industry that does not value human or planetary health, we need to demand more transparency and better alternatives. The foundation of this process is the small choices we make at the store - what eggs to buy, what produce. When we as individuals create a demand for sustainable and local foodstuffs, industries will be forced to follow suit. This begins with knowledge and awareness.

I inquired with CleanFish about the feed that the Loch Duart Salmon eats (see earlier post). They said that Loch Duart leveraged the high demand for their Salmon to change feed suppliers standards. This story is promising to me. I hope something similar will happen as a result of The Cove. Check it out.