Japanese fishing village hits back at allegations from Oscar winner 'The Cove'

Documentary "The Cove"’s Oscar win last night is raising hackles in the fishing town of Taiji, where the documentary was shot.

"The Cove", which won an Academy Award for best documentary feature, includes footage of dolphins being slaughtered at Taiji, south Japan. Some 2,000 dolphins are killed annually for their meat off the town's coast.

The villagers’ aversion to foreign press meant that many of the film’s memorable sequences had to be shot furtively, such as a serene underwater scene that slowly becomes tainted by spreading blood. Filmmaker Louie Psihoyos also pointed out in the movie that the dolphins' meat contained high levels of the toxic methyl mercury, known to cause neurological damage to the human body.

“Our hope is the Japanese people will see this film and decide themselves whether animals should be used for meat and for entertainment," Psihoyos said at the Oscars after receiving the award, according to the Associated Press.

The film’s allegations and its Oscar win received a severe backlash from Taiji residents, who said the film was full of lies and grossly misrepresented the local culture.

"Dolphin and whale hunting in Taiji is not an illegal act, (is) in compliance with the Fisheries Act and under Wakayama Prefecture's approval,” said Taiji officials to The Japan Times.

“We regret the movie expresses false things that are not based on scientific evidence as if they were true,” a statement issued by the town read.

"There are different food traditions within Japan and around the world… It is important to respect and understand regional food cultures, which are based on traditions with long histories," said the statement.

"The Cove" will be shown in Japan’s theatres from June 20 to 30. The Japanese version will include a note at the beginning falsifying the film’s toxic claims, and blur the faces of the fishermen, the BBC reported.