The star of the Oscar-winning documentary "The Cove" about the town of Taiji's dolphin hunt said Monday in Tokyo that activists trying to stop the killing might need to back off and allow the Japanese people to tackle the issue themselves.

"The Cove" highlighted the story of a handful of fishermen from the town in Wakayama Prefecture who annually herd dolphins into a cove and stab them to death, turning the waters red with blood. The film led to international condemnation of the hunt that begins each September, but the people of Taiji have defended the killing as their tradition and a livelihood that will continue.

This year's hunt has drawn activists from around the world, and they are monitoring the situation. No dolphins have been killed so far this year, but a Taiji fishing official said several dolphins that have been captured will be sold off to aquariums and the rest set free.