Since my Blog was to update people with my future trip to Taiji Japan, I thought I should let you know what I know about what is going on there since the March 11, 2011 earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan and the nuclear crisis that is happening at the Fukushima nuclear plant.
I have been following the news reports and I know that there is a crisis going on there and it does not seem to be getting better. Since the beginning of April the workers at the Nuclear plant have been pumping more then 3 million gallons of the less contaminated water that officials say is up to 500 times the legal limit for radiation straight into the Pacific Ocean. I cant see how that could be a good thing for the people of Japan and definitely not for the marine life...
Environmental group Greenpeace warned marine life radiation levels are 50 times higher than official limits in the ocean off Japan's stricken Fukushima nuclear plant. Despite what the authorities are claiming, radioactive hazards are not decreasing through dilution or dispersion of materials, but the radioactivity is instead accumulating in marine life. Most fish and shellfish sampled by Greenpeace were found to contain levels of radioactivity above legal limits for food contamination. This is just one of the multiple, chronic sources of radiation exposure to people living in the greater Fukushima area.
With already knowing that whale and dolphin meat is contaminated with mercury, and now possibly with radiation you would think the "fisherman" in Japan would not be going out to hunt for whales or dolphins, however that does not seem to be the case.
In May Scott West with Sea Shepherd and Brain Barnes with Save Japan Dolphin returned to Taiji and found that the evil little town was up to there usual dirty little secret. When returning to "The Cove" Scott and Brian found a pod of about 50 Pilot whales netted off into the killing cove the day before the other half of the pod were slaughtered.
