"the flag is soaked in bullshit and lies, and the decrement of a million dead" -Struggle
So as some may know already, I've left for Japan to help put an end to the largest slaughter of cetaceans in the world. Carisa, Marley and myself left Vancouver, BC in the early morning hours of March 8th and caught our flight to Osaka, Japan (with a layover in Beijing, China). It was an exhausting 15 hour journey, filled with questionably vegan plane food and by far the most disgusting airplane bathroom I've ever had the opportunity to use. If I had scanned the room with a black light I would probably have been blinded by the fluorescence, just to give you a mental picture.
We landed in Osaka on the 9th, and immediately located the car rental building (rent-a-cah, if you will). Unfortunately they didn't have any Prius' at the airport location, so we rented a car to drive out to another and exchanged for one. Having to drive all the way across Japan would be a lot more affordable in a hybrid car. Drove about 9 hours the first night, slept in the rental car at a rest stop in the Japanese Alps in some freezing cold weather, and finished up the drive to take us to Otsuchi, Japan.
A couple weeks ago the hunting boats in Taiji were docked and put away for the rest of the season. The reasons are unknown to us, but I assume that the constant Sea Shepherd presence played a role in it ending early this season. So now our plans have changed, and we've driven over 1,000km to Iwate and a small coastal town called Otsuchi to document the largest Dall Porpoise slaughter in the world. Around 7,000 Porpoises are slaughtered here annually, and we won't be satisfied until that number is reduced to ZERO. As of this moment, the dolphins in Taiji seem to be safe, so now our focus will be put here.
We leave in a few hours to visit the killing dock and meet the molesters for the first time face to face. Not really sure what to expect at this point… so far the fisherman have shown some aggression towards other SSCS members, and our friends Scott, Tarah, and Bryan have already been followed around this area extensively by the police. As of now they don't know where we are staying, but assuredly when they figure it out we'll have another set of problems to tackle. I feel an impending doom, and an unspeakable horror waiting around the corner for me today; but I am confident I will act accordingly and take it as it comes.
Thank you all SO MUCH for your help in fundraising. I regrettably have to announce though that we do NOT have enough funds to stay in Iwate for the full 3 weeks like we had planned. This trip is and will be much more expensive because we've had to adapt to a new situation. If you could donate anything at all it would be much appreciated, visit our blog to donate by paypal or credit card:
http://thecoveguardians.blogspot.com
It's about $65 a night in the hotel we are currently in, and we are unsure if there are cheaper alternatives. We've been living off of cheap food from the grocery store, and cutting corners as much as we can. Every dollar we receive literally translates to more time documenting the slaughter, and helping put an end to this grotesque and despicable business.
For those who have no voice*,
Mike XVX
*or at least one that's recognized by humyns
