On behalf of Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, American TV actress Persia White and singer/songwriter Saul Williams will be holding a media conference at the office of the Minister of Health, Labour, and Welfare. Accompanying White and Williams will be Sea Shepherd activists Allison Lance and Danielle Thompson.  White, the star of the hit TV series Girlfriends, is also a Sea Shepherd Director.

Sea Shepherd is calling the media conference to deliver petitions to the Japanese Minister of Health, Yoichi Masuzoe, and appeal to him to stop the poisoning of rural school children in Japan who are fed mercury-contaminated dolphin meat via their school lunch programs.

Every year, more than 20,000 dolphins are brutally slaughtered on Japanese beaches. More than 400,000 dolphins have been killed over the last few decades. The meat is toxic and not fit for human consumption. Despite this, the killing of dolphins is increasing and the Mayor of Taiji, Japan is constructing a special slaughter house for dolphins.

White, Williams, Lance, and Thompson have travelled from the other side of the world to deliver an urgent message: STOP THE KILLING OF DOLPHINS and STOP POISONING JAPANESE SCHOOL CHILDREN.  STOP THE TOXIC SCHOOL LUNCH PROGRAMS.

"How can this annual massacre of dolphins continue year after year, and how can the government support the feeding of toxic dolphin meat to children?" asked Lance. "The answer is that the Japanese people are not being informed by the government or the media. We believe that once the Japanese people become aware of the brutality on the beaches and crimes against school children, they will demand that this horrific scandal be brought to an end."

Lance added, "At this very moment, dolphins are being speared, stabbed, slashed, and clubbed on Japanese beaches, and innocent children are consuming poison every day for lunch. In the name of humanity, we beseech the government of Japan to intervene to stop this horror."

The Press Conference will take place at 2:00 pm on October 5, 2007

Location: The offices of Makota Tanaka
Assistant Director, Inspection and Safety Dvision
Ministryof Health, Labour, and Welfare
1-2-2 Kasumigaseki Chiyoda-ku
Tokyo 100-8916 JAPAN
Email: www-admin@mhlw.go.jp