> If you watched the Oscars, you saw me and Director Louie Psihoyos accept > the Best Documentary awarded by the Academy. Wow, what an incredible moment! > > Without your support, this would never have happened. So, even though I > wasn't able to thank you all at the podium, I thank you all now. > > But this has never been about winning awards. Our job is to end the > slaughter and stop the poisoning. And now our work in Japan begins anew. > We must focus like a laser on getting The Cove and our message to the > Japanese people. > > But there are threats on the horizon. Officials in Japan are threatening > repercussions against university and community groups that dare to show > The Cove. Dolphin-killing fishermen's unions are threatening lawsuits > against theaters that show the film. There are even some signs that I > could face arrest in Japan, even though I've broken no laws whatsoever. > > We wont give in to this pressure. Instead, I am making plans to spend > months in Japan with our Save Japan Dolphins Team. I want to be wherever > we can find an audience. Our message will particularly resonate with > young people, to whom we need to reach out with the dangers of > mercury-contaminated dolphin meat and the slaughter of dolphins they > love as much as we do. > > If you can help me, it will make a world of difference. > > The Oscar telecast is the most-watched TV show in Japan! And they, and > more than a billion other viewers, saw The Cove movie win! > > But now I also need your help in sending a clear message to Japan's > Minister of State for Consumer Affairs and Food Safety, that the sale of > mercury-laden dolphin meat must end now: Sign and send the petition at: > thepetitionsite.com/4/ban-the-sale-of-dolphin-meat. > > We need help in promoting the Japanese version of The Cove in the next > weeks before The Cove opens at Japanese theaters. We need help for > travel, video promotion, website outreach, legal defense, and screening > The Cove outside of theaters in libraries, universities, and town halls > in Japan. > > Japan has 126 million people; only 600 have seen The Cove so far. Those > who saw it were shocked and dismayed that this slaughter was happening > in their country. We need to enlist their help and the help of millions > of their fellow citizens to stop the Japanese government from issuing > 23,000 permits annually to slaughter dolphins. We need to seize on the > momentum now to pursue an end to the slaughter, once and for all! > > Will you help us get the truth out? > > Thank you for your generous support of our efforts! > > Ric O'Barry > Campaign Director > Save Japan Dolphins Campaign > > P.S. The Save Japan Dolphins Campaign and Earth Island Institute do not > get any funds from The Cove movie sales. (Those funds go to the OPS, > which made the film, and their investors to reimburse them for their > considerable costs in making The Cove.) > > P.P.S. If you think there is any possibility that you might be able to > come over to Taiji on September 1st to celebrate the beauty of Taiji and > let them know that the killing of dolphins shouldn't start again, please > note that on the comment field on the donation form. > > Save Japan Dolphins Coalition: Earth Island Institute, Animal Welfare > Institute, Elsa Nature Conservancy of Japan, In Defense of Animals, > Campaign Whale of the UK, and OceanCare of Switzerland > www.SaveJapanDolphins.org > This message was sent by: Earth Island, 2150 Allston Way, Suite 460, > Berkeley, CA 94704-1302 >