The Cove and fishing.

[DJKillaQueen]

I watched a documentary called 'The Cove' last night. It was heartbreaking, about the Japanese culling of dolphins in just one cove. The most alarming point the film made was that if nothing major is done to curb fishing overall (so that stocks can regenerate), there'll be nothing left to fish within 40 years. Billions of years of evolution will be gone.

It seems part of the problem for dolphins is that although they are technically part of the porpoise family which is a sub species of whale, the IWC (international whaling commission) doesn't recognise that, so the Japanese since the ban on whaling switched to dolphin instead, killing 23,000 in this one cove every year alone. And the Japanses are also now paying smaller countries to join the IWC and lobby with them for the abolition of the ban on whaling (effectively a bribe) too.

The thing that really needs culling it seems, is humans. There's just too many of us and mostly we are wasteful. The planet can not keep up.

[Ladymuck]

DJKillaQueen Wrote:

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>...and mostly we

> are wasteful.

...and greedy, and have little regard for depleting natural resources and for the environment for future generations.

I saw that film at the Ritzy last year (or was it this year?)...the various shots of the scarlet blood-stained beach were quite stomach churning.

Edits due to sleep deprivation:-S

[DJKillaQueen]

I tend to think that surely it would be possible to farm enough fish whilst the oceans recover. The Japanese though have a diet extremely high in fish - but I can't understand why whale or dolphin are so neceassry as part of that diet given all the varieties of fish out there.

One point the documentary did make was that the biggest lure of dolphin fishing is for the provision of dolphins to sea life centres...so that seems to be the main reason for fishing them.....killing the rest for food is just a sideline. So next time anyone goes to see a dolphin show - think about how many dolpins ended up as food so that you could watch that one dolphin do tricks.....it's thousands.

[Ladymuck]

DJKillaQueen Wrote:

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> I tend to think that surely it would be possible

> to farm enough fish whilst the oceans recover.

But farming fish creates its own set of problems for the environment.

There is a great deal of waste in fishing...e.g. where fishermen aim to catch one type of fish but end up catching a host of other (good) stuff only to then throw the unwanted catch (now dead) back into the sea.

[jj_mike12]

Yes..all you have said was right..

[elloriac]

And most farmed fish are fed wild fish as food!

[huncamunca]

The slaughter of Cetaceans is regrettable but in the marine big scheme of things, pretty much an irrelevance.The impact of their total removal would be emotional, but would have negligible effect on the Biomass of the areas they inhabit

The Japanese still hunt for political reasons - the prefectures that have the whaling fleets carry a big clout & no one will push through a decision that will impact on them. We can't really bleat about this though - We have the same situation in the UK, especially around the Scots' ports, despite overwhelming evidence to suggest we are likely past the tipping point for white fish.

The Japanese have warehouses full of whale meat that no one, 'cept the oldies, eat any more. Cods aren't cuddly or have cartoons made about them, but have a far greater importance to marine health than the whales do. Incidentaly, the West was responsible for the decimation of the whale population if the first instance, so we ought not to point fingers.

The Japanese - arguably correct to a degree - think that their hunting activities are singled out because of cultural differences with the liberal West. Maybe not racism, but the lazy demonisation and belittling of an entire people isn't usually a good start to getting things sorted out.- and this isn't too far from the current opinion of many

Whilst every middle class gap year Brit would sell his sole to get a few months on the Sea Shepherd to pad out his moribund CV, it is a diversion. Whilst smug Guardian readers support the likes of the Sea Shepherds, much the movement stinks of hypocracy, pomposity and self aggrandisement.

Whilst we worry about the slaughter of a few whales - and make no mistake they are not in any imminent danger of extinction - The European fleets vacuum these waters of every living thing they can find. Wider afield, industrial fleets pay a few bribes and strip the inshore waters of Africa in a similar fashion. This is the real issue but doesn't have a USP that Disney can harness to its profit, so goes unnoticed.

We all know about the Grand Banks Cod extermination but we forget that there used to be a Tuna season off Yorkshire until relatively recently. When was the last time you were offered a British caught Tuna ?

Vewing an emotional doc about Cetacean slaught isn't pleasant, but it's lazy and emotive. Have a look at "The end of the line" if you want to be truly appalled. In fact you can probabaly rent it at the soon to be no more Rental shop on LL. whilst on the way to Moxons for your Swordfish steaks with your weekend Guardian tucked under your arm.

[Ladymuck]

Saw End of The Line too...and yes, was appalled.

[DJKillaQueen]

Me too....and the message is clear....too many people fishing too few resources...............

[Ladymuck]

The End of The Line is showing tonight/tomorrow morning at: 4.05 Channel 4.