Animal Ethics

I really liked the approach of reading Life of Pi during our animal ethics topic.  I absolutely loved the book.  At the end of the book when the investigators are asking Pi about his experience and they don't believe him about the algae island and the meerkats, I felt that this really related to society's view on nature.  If we can't see it, hear it, touch it, smell it, or taste it, then it can't exist, so we can't be harming it.  It reminded me that humans are destroying habitats of species that we don't even know exist yet.  This is not a good animal ethic to have.  Rather than relying on tangible proof that a species exists, humanity needs to realize that there are still undiscovered treasures in nature that should not be destroyed. 

In relation to that, we need people like Rick O’ Berry from The Cove.  He helped humanity discover injustices to a species that is more relatable and very tangible.  Like the investigators in Life of Pi, I was ignorant of the on goings in Japan.  How was I to know that dolphins were being killed for their toxic meat?  They were brutally killed and the fishermen seemed to think nothing of it.  It made me wonder how they could kill so easily.  Were these men in a dire circumstance, such as being very poor and needing to feed starving children?  While I see that they are doing something wrong, I also wonder if the video is somehow biased, it just seems to sad to be true.  It seem that the fishermen were excessively violent; there are kinder ways to do the job that would reduce the awful suffering.  Even if these men are in dire circumstances, can they not find a less brutal job?  I just feel that animal species should be respected and protected, whether or not humanity can see them suffer.