James Cameron, who went vegan a decade ago, has sparked controversy after attending a “dolphin show” as part of the Avatar: The Way of Water publicity tour.
The director was promoting the new film in Tokyo, Japan, alongside stars Jon Landau, Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña, Sigourney Weaver, and Stephen Lang.
As part of the press conference, they all watched an Avatar-themed show at a marine park. Cameron introduced the proceedings, saying “Welcome to Pandora” (referring to the fictional world the movies are set in).
The show featured a number of dolphins performing “tricks,” and one appearing to dance with a trainer. After applauding the show, Cameron seemed to claim that the dolphins themselves agreed to be in it.
He said: “I love these animals, I love their intelligence. I love their sociability, their ability to connect with us and to interact with us and learn from us. And I’m sure everybody asked their permission to be in the show.”
Backlash
Animal rights organization PETA has criticized the director’s decision to attend the show. Speaking to Plant Based News (PBN), PETA US Senior Vice President Lisa Lange said: “James Cameron waited 13 years for the development of the right technology to bring the underwater world of Pandora to life. So why on Earth didn’t he pause for just five minutes to consider whether he should have allowed himself to be seen as endorsing the cruelty of marine parks?
“Confining far-ranging dolphins to concrete tanks and using them as surfboards – riding on their faces in circus-style shows – is something the villains of Avatar would do. PETA urges him to reject such animal misery outright and encourages everyone to shun these cruel parks.”
Activist Bailey Mason (@warriorforanimals) also slammed the filmmaker. Mason told PBN: “James Cameron, as a high profile environmentalist, should never associate himself with the captivity of dolphins. Dolphin shows are cruel, not conservation.”
Is James Cameron vegan?
The video may come as a shock to the vegan community, as the director has long been an outspoken advocate for animals.
He even worked on 2009 animal rights film The Cove, which explores the Taiji dolphin hunt in Japan. Many of the dolphins captured in this hunt are sold to marine parks like the one he attended.
Cameron was also an executive producer of the 2018 Netflix film The Game Changers, which looked at the health benefits of a vegan diet.
Cameron first adopted a plant-based diet in 2012. He recently announced that he now refers to himself as a “futurevore,” rather than vegan, in reference to his belief that it’s the diet of the future.
Animals are exploited for entertainment in dolphin shows, meaning attending them isn’t considered compatible with a vegan lifestyle.