To: Japanese Ministry of Health (Department of Food Safety)

Started by: Claudia Peters

Keep raising our voices for the Taiji dolphins !!! A new pod of dolphins caught and killed in the coves of Taiji yesterday (oct 28th 2009) These dolphins are slaughtered for their meat,but also to use as furtilizers,dog/catfood."Spared" dolphins of these hunts are shipped to marine parks all over the world.High levels of mercury is present in dolphin/whale meat,why still kill them for consumption and why do they still feed their children with the poisened meat?

Please copy, paste and email or print, mail/fax the following letter to the Japanese Minister of Health:

PETITION TO WARN THE JAPANESE PEOPLE OF

MERCURY DANGER

To:
Policy Planning and Communication Division
The Department of Food Safety Bureau
The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare
Tokyo, Japan

E-Mail: syokucommunication@mhlw.go.jp  
Fax: +81-3-3503-7965
Copy the following letter and send as email to above emailadress

Dear Minister of Health:

There is worldwide concern that mercury accumulated in the human body may pose a serious health risk, especially to pregnant women and children.

As you know, dolphin meat from drive hunts in Taiji, Wakayama prefecture, proved to be highly contaminated with toxic chemicals such as mercury, methyl mercury and PCBs. Repeated chemical analyses have shown that the level of mercury in dolphin meat is much higher than the maximum allowable level set by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare of Japan.

We understand that the role of the Department of Food Safety Bureau is to promote food safety, thereby ensuring the health of the Japanese people. We urgently request the following:

1. Prohibit the sale of dolphin meat that contains mercury exceeding the maximum allowable level set by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (MHLW). The sale of food items with toxic agricultural chemicals exceeding the maximum allowable level set by MHLW is already prohibited as a result of the "Positive-list System," which was adopted in 2006. Since mercury is as harmful to the human body as toxic agricultural chemicals, the "Positive-list System" should also apply to mercury.

2. Until the above request is put into effect, consumers must be warned of the dangers associated with consuming mercury contaminated dolphin meat, in much the same way they are being warned of the health risks associated with smoking cigarettes: Every store that sells dolphin meat must be obligated to post a prominent warning label on each meat package, stating as follows: "This food item possibly contains mercury exceeding the maximum allowable level set by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare. Mercury accumulated in the human body may harm your health."

Sincerely,

(Your Name & Country)