Mayor Sagen

     Ric O'Berry recently traveled to Taiji, Japan with the high hopes of making progress with Mayor Sagen to stop the killing of free dolphins and the selling of toxic meat.  O'Berry was hoping to end the slaughter, and find an alternative job for the Taiji dolphin fishermen so they could continue working and making money for themselves and for their families.  However, Mayor Sagen has taken back his world.  He originally promised to allow the Japanese and international media representatives the right to inform the Japanese people about the dolphin slaughter.  Recently, he has enforced severe restrictions that has taken away the Japanese and international media right to expose the information.

     Mayor Sagen has also stopped the showing of "The Cove" in Japanese theaters.  He has done everything in his power to prevent the people of Japan from learning about what goes on in The Cove.  Many people living in Japan have no knowledge that The Cove is even a real thing because the town of Taiji, Japan comes across as a dolphin loving place.  It has been discovered that Sagen has met with representatives that prevent the showing of the movie "The Cove" by threatening movie theaters and distributors.  These very same people also are working to get rid of the freedom of speech in Japan.
     Ric O'Berry was very disheartened by Mayor Sagen's actions and made the decision to leave the conference and go back to Taiji, Japan and continue his fight to free the dolphins were the atrocities are taking place.  O'Berry has made it clear that he is not partaking in the boycott of Japan because he thinks its counterproductive and will only set back the progress they have made.  He hopes to continue fighting to free the dolphins and educating the Japanese about the poison in the meat that they often consume.