Hayden Panettiere Gets Chilly Reception on Trip to Save Dolphins

By PopEater / Wire Services Posted Mar 26th 2010 06:21AM

Hayden Panettiere and her boyfriend, world champion boxer Wladimir Klitschko, received a rough reception Friday in the Japanese fishing village of Taiji, where they called for an end to its annual dolphin hunt. The 'Heroes' star said she would "love to be a spokesperson" for the town if it abandons the hunt. Her visit to Taiji comes just weeks after 'The Cove,' a gory depiction of Taiji's dolphin slaughter, won the Oscar for best documentary.

The celebrity couple arrived in the morning with a small group of environmental activists. Panettiere tried to meet the mayor and representatives from the local fisheries union, but she and Jeff Pantukhoff, an anti-whaling activist from the U.S., were blocked at the door of the town hall.

"We are trying to peacefully come up with better ideas as to how to generate income and utilize the nature here," Panettiere told reporters. "We've been to Taiji before and it's a beautiful place with beautiful wildlife."

If Taiji were to quit killing dolphins, "I'd love to be a spokesperson or to help generate tourism," she said.

Fishermen in the village on the rocky coast of southwest Japan consider the hunt a proud legacy. But it has long been targeted by hardcore environmentalists and animal lovers, and the Oscar has given the opposition more mainstream attention.

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Hit the Town With Hayden

U.S. actress Hayden Panettiere, right, and her boyfriend, world champion boxer Wladimir Klitschko, lie on white cloths spread on a cove beach in the shape of a dolphin for their protest performance in Taiji in Wakayama Prefecture, southwestern Japan, Friday, March 26, 2010. "Heroes" star Panettiere and Klitschko received a chilly reception Friday in the Japanese fishing village, where they called for an end to its annual dolphin hunt. (AP Photo/Koji Sasahara)

Hayden Panettiere Snapshots

U.S. actress Hayden Panettiere, center top, and her boyfriend, world champion boxer Wladimir Klitschko, lie together on one of the pectoral fins of a dolphin drawn by members of oceanic research and protection group The Whaleman Foundation with white cloths for their protest performance on a cove beach in Taiji in Wakayama Prefecture, southwestern Japan, Friday, March 26, 2010. "Heroes" star Panettiere and Klitschko received a chilly reception Friday in the Japanese fishing village, where they called for an end to its annual dolphin hunt. Letters on square cloths read: "Respect," left, and "Good health." (AP Photo/Koji Sasahara)

Hayden Panettiere Snapshots

U.S. actress Hayden Panettiere, left, and her boyfriend, world champion boxer Wladimir Klitschko. chat on a beach as they visit a cove in Taiji in Wakayama Prefecture, southwestern Japan, Friday, March 26, 2010. "Heroes" star Panettiere and Klitschko received a chilly reception Friday in the Japanese fishing village, where they called for an end to its annual dolphin hunt. (AP Photo/Koji Sasahara)

Hayden Panettiere Snapshots

U.S. actress Hayden Panettiere, right, speaks to the media as she visits a cove in Taiji, Wakayama prefecture, southwestern Japan, Friday, March 26, 2010. "Heroes" star Hayden Panettiere and her boyfriend, not shown, received a chilly reception Friday in the Japanese fishing village, where they called for an end to its annual dolphin hunt. (AP Photo/Koji Sasahara)

Hayden Panettiere Snapshots

U.S. actress Hayden Panettiere, center, stands in front of a local fisheries union's building in Taiji, Wakayama prefecture, southwestern Japan, Friday, March 26, 2010. "Heroes" star Hayden Panettiere and Pantukhoff visited the quiet Japanese fishing town of Taiji on Friday to call for an end to its annual dolphin hunt, but received a chilly reception. (AP Photo/Koji Sasahara)

Hayden Panettiere Snapshots

U.S. actress Hayden Panettiere, center right, along with Jeff Pantukhoff, anti-whaling activist from the U.S., center left, talks with the official of Taiji town hall where they were denied a meeting with the mayor, in Taiji, Wakayama prefecture, southwestern Japan, Friday, March 26, 2010. "Heroes" star Hayden Panettiere and Pantukhoff visited the quiet Japanese fishing town of Taiji on Friday to call for an end to its annual dolphin hunt, but received a chilly reception. (AP Photo/Koji Sasahara)

Hayden Panettiere Snapshots

U.S. actress Hayden Panettiere, left, talks to the media after being denied a meeting with the mayor at the town hall in Taiji, Wakayama prefecture, southwestern Japan. Friday, March 26, 2010. "Heroes" star Hayden Panettiere visited the quiet Japanese fishing town of Taiji on Friday to call for an end to its annual dolphin hunt, but received a chilly reception. (AP Photo/Koji Sasahara)

Hayden Panettiere Snapshots

U.S. actress Hayden Panettiere, center, and Jeff Pantukhoff, anti-whaling activist from the U.S., right, leave the town hall where they were denied a meeting with the mayor, in Taiji, Wakayama prefecture, southwestern Japan, Friday, March 26, 2010. "Heroes" star Hayden Panettiere and Pantukhoff visited the quiet Japanese fishing town of Taiji on Friday to call for an end to its annual dolphin hunt, but received a chilly reception. (AP Photo/Koji Sasahara)

Hayden Panettiere Snapshots

U.S. actress Hayden Panettiere, center, and Jeff Pantukhoff, anti-whaling activist from the U.S., left, arrive at the town hall to meet with the mayor, in Taiji, Wakayama prefecture, west of Japan. Friday, March 26, 2010. "Heroes" star Hayden Panettiere, accompanied by her boyfriend and world champion boxer Wladimir Klitschko, visited the quiet Japanese fishing town of Taiji on Friday to call for an end to its annual dolphin hunt, but received a chilly reception. (AP Photo/Koji Sasahara)

Hayden Panettiere Snapshots

LOS ANGELES, CA - MARCH 09: Hayden Panettiere attends a game between the Toronto Raptors and the Los Angeles Lakers at Staples Center on March 9, 2010 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Noel Vasquez/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Hayden Panettiere

Hayden Panettiere Snapshots

Panettiere, followed by a crowd of media throughout the day, later walked through a large hole in a barrier along a path leading to the famous cove depicted in the movie. The cove was strewn with nets used to trap the dolphins, as well as firewood and debris left by the hunters.

Panettiere posed for photographs as she walked along the small pebbly beach for several minutes, but then two town officials ran up and after a tense exchange everyone left. A fisherman pulled up several minutes later in a truck and boarded up the hole.

"We just wanted to have a very peaceful and relaxed conversation," Panettiere said.

Panettiere, who plays an indestructible cheerleader on the hit U.S. TV series 'Heroes,' is also the spokeswoman for the 'Save the Whales Again!' campaign, which wants to halt Taiji's dolphin hunt. The campaign cites studies that show dolphin meat contains dangerously high levels of mercury and is unsafe to eat, and says killing the animals is cruel and unnecessary.

The 20-year-old actress also protested the Taiji hunt in 2007, when, along with five other surfers, she paddled out into the cove where the hunt takes place in a peaceful protest that was broken up by fisherman. Scenes from that encounter are briefly shown in 'The Cove.'

The Japanese government allows about 19,000 dolphins to be killed each year. Taiji hunts about 2,000 dolphins every year for meat -- less than other places -- but is singled out in part because of its "oikomi" method of herding and killing them near the shore. Some are captured and sold to aquariums and dolphin shows at water parks.

Residents once welcomed foreign visitors, but in recent years have grown weary of what they feel are one-sided portrayals and grisly snapshots shown out of context. Overzealous protesters and photographers are occasionally approached and scolded by rough-and-tumble locals looking to defend their town's reputation.

As the group arrived, a truck of right-wing nationalists blasted slogans, saying Japan should not be singled out for whaling and dolphin hunts because Westerners "are killing cows." They also demanded President Barack Obama apologize for the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

There were no clashes between the environmentalists and the townspeople.

Klitschko, the six-foot, five inch heavyweight boxing champion, who just last week recorded his 48th knockout in defending his WBO and IBF belts, towered over everyone as he quietly took in the day's events.

"It's not about being aggressive and violent," he said.

Before the group left, John Quigley, an "aerial artist" who creates large works of art that can be viewed from the sky, made a giant outline of a dolphin on the sand.

Tags: hayden panettiere

Comments

(67)

Friday 26 March

By cashman5453

Highest Rank Vote down Vote up Report this

Frivilous hollywood chicks with a cause are very funny.

Sunday 28 March

By getreal13

Hey everybody, look at me, I'm gonna save the dolphins. I'm a good person. WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! Now wonder people are so cynical these days.

By Ralph DeMattia

Vote down Vote up Report this

Yeah, especially the stupid ones. My big charity is getting New Porsches to overidulged Yuppie larvae. At least Im KNOW I'm wasting my time.

By pooh-la

Obama should appologize for Nagasaki and Hiroshima?!?! Right after the Japanese appologize to Korea, China, the Phlippines, Malasia, etc. for rape, torture and genocide!!!!!!!

By Wendy

Low Ranked Vote down Vote up Report this

It's not frivolous, and you're an idiot for saying so. The dolphins are animals and deserve to live like us humans. She's high profile and using her fame for a good cause. How would you like it if murder was legalized and your life was snuffed out? Probably wouldn't like it one bit!!!

By FECES

Lowest Rank Vote down Vote up Report this

Anyone know where I can get some Dolphin "unsafe" Tuna?

By Cappy Lills Kid

you name gives everybody a good idea of what goes on in your brain.

NOW -- Why do you want to murder Flipper?

By libsridiots

High Rank Vote down Vote up Report this

Murder is legalized, it's called abortion.

By J.J.

Feces,
Your full of yourself!

By snowmassey

I see, so once you have made a movie, cut an album, or appeared
ov TV you have no right to an opinion and need to shut up.
Okay, I agree. Let's start with palin, limbaugh, beck,
rove, cheney, all tea-baggers etc.

By KW

Don't forget Obama!

By obammy

YOU NEED TO LEAVE MY COUNTRY NOW!!!GET OUT AND NEVER RETURN!!

By mike 49

Let's start with palin, limbaugh, beck,
rove, cheney, all tea-baggers and snowmassey

By Celeste

I agree with you! Just thinking abot Palin turns my stomach. She is an unintelligent nobody riding on her fifteen minutes of fame. She is so caustic that I can't watch her or listen to her and I surely wouldn't want to be within a million miles of her. Unfortunately I can't do anything about that...........

By patmck1

The right wing nationalist thing is a little out of place. The author never refers to the environmental activists as left wing. That seems to be a trend nowadays. I guess a little objectivity would be too much to ask for.

By Kimberly

snowmassey-Let's start with you.....

By vernacrichardson

YOU ARE AND IDIOT.I ON THE OTHER HAND I AM THAT AND MORE. A STRONG WOMAN. I THINK FOR MYSELF , I KNOW HOW TO FOLLOW BUT MOST TIME I LEAD BECAUSE I KNOW WHERE I AM GOING. I AM TRUE TO MYSELF AND I KNOW WHEN A BIGOT WHEN I SEE ONE AND YOU ARE ONE.

By mr.sutton

Nope Kimbo you first,besides Palin is a TOOL!!!!!!!!!!! BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

By rarekat9

NICE TO SEE A YOUNG STAR WITH A CAUSE, NOT JUST ANOTHER BIMBO,

By Andy

Uh, yeah, bimbo ! And Japan would have to arrest her if she were the spokesperson because she wouldn't be able to say anything without using f..k as every other word like she did at the MTV awards.

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