Just to prove I'm specifically picking on Canada... Here's a link to a story about the annual Japanese Dolphin Hunt. The dolphin hunt runs from September through April and results in the slaughter of thousands of dolphins annually. Thirteen fishing boats force the dolphins into a shallow cove in Taiji, where a number of them are selected to be sold into "swim with the dolphin" programs or to aquariums. The others are slaughtered and sold as food. However, most (if not all) dolphin meat has toxic levels of mercury, and is therefore inedible.
Here are some facts which might just relieve you of your sushi cravings permanently. They cured us:
- 70% of the human race relies on seafood as a major source of protein.
- Pollution of our seafood is now the greatest public health threat that humanity has ever faced.
- Mercury bio-accumulates in the food chain. Top ocean predators like sea mammals and tuna have high levels of mercury in their meat. These range from 5 to 3500 times the amount of mercury allowed by Japanese law. 0.3 parts per million (ppm) is the published safe limit. The highest concentrations of mercury are found in the animals’ organs.
- Mercury is a neurotoxin and is particularly damaging to fetuses and small children.
- All tuna, including canned is potentially harmful.
- High-grade sushi is the worst source of mercury and other pollutants. Since the best cuts of the meat are from the bigger, fattier fish, more pollutants have bio-accumulated in the meat.
source: Oceanic Preservation Society
In order to bring all of the above information to the attention of the public, the Oceanic Preservation Society has clandestinely filmed the Taiji Dolphin Hunt and created a documentary, entitled The Rising. This film is slated to be released this summer.
As I continue to read more about how we are poisoning ourselves and our planet, and as I read more about how badly we treat our fellow inhabitants of the planet, I am very happy to proclaim I am a vegan.
– If you haven’t signed our petition to Oprah asking her to do a piece on factory farming, please consider doing so. We can all work together to make a difference.