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The Dolphin Genocide

Project Text: The Proposal
The Dolphin Genocide
Ivan J. Martinez
The University of Texas at El Paso















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The Dolphin Genocide

Abstract
This paper will dissect the delicacy known as dolphin meat and its effects on humans. As well as,
whether dolphins should be consumed and treated in such a manner. In addition to looking at the
ethics of killing dolphins based on the dolphins intelligence to show their comprehensive nature
and humanize them to make a case against the slaughter of dolphins. With a further analysis of
mercury within dolphin meat and their organs and their harmful effects towards humans in
various amounts. Showing evidence of similar cases with other animals and multiple regions that
consume dolphin meat/organs.
Rationale
The project I am doing is on the consumption of dolphin meat. The reason I am doing this
project is because I had previously watched a documentary on the subject and how those who
fish it go about doing so. The purpose of this project is to reveal the horrid slaughter of dolphins
in order to get their meat, as well as the negative side-affects that comes from eating dolphin
meat. This project will inform those who do not know of this market of the truth behind it and
the brutality toward dolphins. While also shining light upon the human harm aspect. This as a
whole will fit into other bigger matters such as mercury poison although only touching a light
base for only the dolphin and animal welfare. Some of the research questions I have are where
dolphin hunting is taking place, what effects eating dolphin meat has on the human body, and
whether dolphins should be hunted in the first place due to their intelligence level. An argument I
plan to make is that dolphins should not be hunted and should be on almost equal ground with
humans. My inspiration comes from the documentary I watched when I was in high school
which showed the injustice and cruelty being done to the dolphins. I was also inspired by the fact
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The Dolphin Genocide

that people are being poisoned with mercury because of this delicacy and the fact that it is not
right to do so.
Tentative Bibliography
Sources that I anticipate to use include the New York Times, Arguments Against Dolphin
Slaughter article. This article is about The Cove documentary and its author discussing how
its relevancy and key points of the documentary. The website dolphinproject.org which was
made by the creator of the Cove and the documentary The Cove. These two sources are about
Japans, among other countries, mass slaughter of dolphins. The website provides information on
injustices done on dolphins from which I can gain a footing and research further. In The Cove
it focuses on a cove in japan where mass slaughter of dolphins take place as well as how the
consumption of dolphin meat can give you mercury poison. Shops in Japan are selling mercury-
riddled dolphin flesh as whale meat by Coghlan, Andy. This article is about shops in japan
selling whale meat when it is really dolphin meat with levels of mercury above legal limit.
Mercury and selenium concentrations in the internal organs of toothed whales and dolphins
marketed for human consumption in Japan by Endo, Haraguchi, and Sakata. This article is
about contamination of mercury in organs within dolphins for human consumption.
Questions and Comments
The only question I have is, if using the documentary The Cove and related sources to it is
allowed and a good source? Other than that I am confident the Writing Center will help me.