PROFESSIONAL LUNCHEON
Ric O'Barry
Marine Mammal Specialist, Earth Island Institute

The speech and Q & A will be in English.

Dolphin activist Ric O'Barry, who starred in the Oscar-winning 2009 documentary "The Cove," will be returning to the Club to talk about his new series, "Blood Dolphins," that premiered on Discovery Channel's Animal Planet on September 3. "Blood Dolphins" follows O'Barry, accompanied by his son, filmmaker and fellow activist Lincoln, as they travel worldwide to stop dolphin slaughter.

The first of the series, "Return to Taiji," is a follow-up to "The Cove," documented in the town of Taiji, Wakayama Prefecture. O'Barry and his son return to the killing cove for the first time since the film's release. Unlike previous visits, where O'Barry often operated undercover, this is a public mission and the pair are surrounded by a troupe of Japanese journalists interested in learning more about their activities and dolphins. The mission is to stop the hunt by wielding the power of international outrage and opinion.

In the series' next two parts, Ric and Lincoln travel to the Solomon Islands, in the South Pacific. In recent years, the Solomon Islands has emerged as a major crossroads in the blood trade in wild dolphins. Legal dolphin dealing there has sparked a gold rush among poverty stricken indigenous tribes who have hunted dolphins for centuries and who use dolphin teeth as a form of currency. With the help of the most prominent dolphin dealer in the islands, they hope to shut down the captive trade.

O'Barry's return last week to Taiji was timed to coincide with the town's annual dolphin slaughter. At an event last Wednesday in Tokyo, organized by the nonprofit Earth Island Institute, O'Barry stressed that he will use peaceful methods to stop the slaughter.

The Earth Island Institute, where O'Barry is a Marine Mammal Specialist, has helped organize "Blood Dolphins" and campaigns by O'Barry as director of SaveJapanDolphins.org. O'Barry is also the founder and director of The Dolphin Project, established on Earth Day in 1970. During these many years, the group has been dedicated to "abolishing the billion dollar dolphin slave trade."

MENU
Sandwich: Grilled Eggplant, Zucchini, Roast Red Pepper, Mozzarella, Rocket, Pesto on Campagne & Salad
Hot plate: Jerk-Spiced Chicken with Red Beans & Rice, Roast Onion, Baked Tomato, Spinach, Pineapple Salsa, Seasonal Salad

Ric O'Barry Marine Mammal Specialist, Earth Island Institute