Star of dolphin-hunting film ordered deported from Japan [View all]

Source: Associated Press

Star of dolphin-hunting film ordered deported from Japan

Yuri Kageyama, Associated Press

Updated 1:45 am, Friday, January 22, 2016


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In this Sept. 16, 2015 photo released by DolphinProject.com, Ric O'Barry poses at a cove in Taiji, Wakayama prefecture, western Japan. Japan has ordered the deportation of the star of the Oscar-winning documentary "The Cove," about a dolphin-killing village in Japan. O'Barry was detained upon arrival Monday, Jan. 18, 2016 at Tokyo's Narita international airport. Japanese authorities decided Friday, Jan. 22 to turn down his appeal to get into the country, according to his son. (DolphinProject.com via AP)

Photo: AP
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TOKYO (AP) — Japan has ordered the deportation of Ric O'Barry, the star of the Oscar-winning documentary "The Cove," about a Japanese village that hunts dolphins. But he has refused to leave, insisting he came as a tourist to look at dolphins.

O'Barry, the former dolphin trainer for the "Flipper" TV series, was detained upon arrival Monday at Tokyo's Narita international airport.

Japanese authorities decided Friday to turn down his appeal to enter the country, according to his son, Lincoln O'Barry. His son and lawyer say immigration officials accuse O'Barry of lying during questioning and of having ties to anti-whaling group Sea Shepherd, both of which O'Barry denies.

. . .

O'Barry heads the Dolphin Project, which aims to protect dolphins worldwide. He regularly visits Taiji, the fishing village portrayed in "The Cove," which won the 2009 Academy Award for best documentary. In the film, dolphins get herded into a cove and speared to death, turning the waters red with blood.

Read more: http://www.chron.com/news/world/article/Star-of-dolphin-killing-film-ordered-deported-6776195.php