Opposition to Blackbeard`s Cay Dolphin Facility

27th May, 2013
The Hon. V. Alfred Gray MP
Minister of Agriculture, Marine Resources and Local Government
Levy Building
PO Box N3028
East Bay Street
Nassau, The Bahamas
Dear Honourable Alfred Gray,
OPPOSITION TO NEW DOLPHIN FACILITIES
We, the undersigned, write to express our unequivocal objection to the Blackbeards Cay
Marine Mammal facility and to any future marine mammal facilities being created in the Bahamas.
Our objection is based upon the premise that captive marine mammal facilities are out dated,
inhumane, and anti conservationist in practice.
We seek governmental support in preventing any future dolphin facilities in The Bahamas and
would urge you to consider the facts laid out in this document.
We have recently become aware that approval has been granted by the National Economic
Council for a marine mammal facility to be built at Blackbeard’s Cay. We have also been
informed that preliminary approval has been granted for a similar facility in the Eastern end of
Grand Bahama. Neither facility was made public, nor was any public consultation invited. We
feel very strongly as a group of citizens and concerned international individuals and
conservationist groups, that this is wrong for The Bahamas, and wrong for the international
health of dolphin populations worldwide.
As you know there are currently three dolphin facilities in The Bahamas: Dolphin Encounters
with 18 dolphins; Atlantis Dolphin Cay with 30 plus dolphins and Unexso in Freeport with 11
dolphins. Despite the claims that these facilities are providing an educational outlet to promote
conservation issues, the scientific evidence does not support these claims and we would
suggest that these facilities are more about perpetuating a multi-million dollar industry
benefitting from inefficient legislative control in The Bahamas.
Why is this wrong? Consider the following facts based upon scientific study:
a.
dolphins face a six-fold increase in mortality risk in the first month after capture
from the wild (Small and DeMaster 1995).
b.
captive dolphins experience an atrophy of their wild behaviour as they are
unable to perform those natural behaviours in captivity ie. Travelling up to 40 or
50 miles per day, diving to 30 feet in depths, utilizing their sonar abilities; feeding
underwater on live fish; choosing social interactions with other wild dolphins.
reEarth – PO Box N302 – Nassau – The Bahamas. Tel: 242 362 2724. E: [email protected]
All of these factors force us to realize the inhumane practice of keeping dolphins
in captivity.(J. Mann et al: The University of Chicago Press 2000: Cetacean
Societies: Field Studies of Dolphins and Whales).
c.
according to research conducted by NOAA, the capture of wild cetaceans,
regardless of methodology, is undeniably stressful on the animal itself. (NOAA
Fisheries 2002 and Curry 1999)
d.
dolphins are very sensitive to sound, as their hearing is far more sensitive than
humans. They rely on sound to navigate, forage and communicate. Tanks can be
noisy from pumps and show music, or sea pens are often near to noisy tourist
attractions or boat engines. Research suggests that noisy environments can
increase stress in cetaceans (Wright et al 2007). It is inhumane to force them to
bear this hardship with no way to remove themselves. They have no choice in
this, they are forced for the sake of the ‘show’ to be there.
e.
dolphins have complex societies based upon ‘fission/fussure’ behaviours with
complex models of reciprocity to bond a pod together (Connor, R.C., R. Wells,
J. Mann, and A. Read. 2000, The bottlenose dolphin: social relationships in a
fission-fusion society). Individuals play key roles in their groups (David Lussseau
and Newman 2004; Williams and Lusseau 2006). Capturing wild dolphins, or
orcas (the largest dolphin species) for marine parks damages the cohesiveness of
the group by removing individuals with specific roles therefore leaving a void in
that role in the group that is left behind.
f.
the capture of wild dolphins is adverse to conservationist practice as the
“removal of live cetaceans from the wild, for captive display and /or research, is
equivalent to incidental or deliberate killing, as the animal brought into captivity
(or killed during capture operations) is no longer available to maintain
populations.” (Conservation Action Plan for the World’s Cetaceans, the
IUCN/SSC Cetacean Specialist Group. 2002-2010)
g.
Research has shown that dolphins are self-aware and possess the capacity for
self-recognition, a cognitive trait shared only by great apes including
humans. (Reiss and Marino 2001). This ability marks the beginning of a
developmental process of achieving increasingly abstract psychological levels of
self-awareness, including introspection and mental state attribution. Their
cognitive ability has been likened to that of a human toddler making their
enclosure in dolphinariums a serious ethical debate.
h.
Dolphins are capable of extremely complex dialogue that is capable of diplomacy
and uni-directionality – this means that dolphins have the ability to deliver a
message to another dolphin within a crowd, and that particular dolphin knows
that it is being spoken to. We have no idea how the captive environment or
captive breeding programs are affecting this complex linguistic ability (Díaz
López B. & Shirai, J.A.B., 2009).
i.
A UK study by Susanna Curtin and Keith Wilkes found the experience of
visitors to dolphin swim facilities resulted in “Post-purchase dissonance focused
reEarth – PO Box N302 – Nassau – The Bahamas. Tel: 242 362 2724. E: [email protected]
on concerns with the size of enclosures and about captivity, too many tricks,
limited interpretation and unfulfilled expectations of a quality interaction”
(Curtin & Wilkes 2007).
Why are we led to believe that direct contact with dolphins is the only meaningful way we can
learn about them? This concept belies the importance of book based learning which is used in
most schools, universities and colleges – are we to believe that book based learning is somehow
not sufficient and that the inhumane treatment of animals is acceptable in order for our children
to have direct interaction with them? This is teaching our children the wrong message based
upon a total disrespect for another species on our planet.
One may ask what the rest of the world is doing about this issue. Dophinariums, aquariums,
swim programs and even dolphin assisted therapies have become a part of our tourism product
and surely are now too hard to remove, aren’t they?
This is apparently not the case. Many countries around the world have already put laws in place
to prohibit the taking, holding, importing and exporting of dolphins as follows:
All of the following countries have instated bans on imports and/or exports:
1. Cyprus (imports prohibited)
2. Hungary (imports prohibited)
3. India (imports prohibited)
4. Chile (prohibits the import and export of dolphins for public display)
5. Costa Rica (imports and exports prohibited)
6. Argentina (imports from the Russian Federation prohibited)
7. Mexico (trade in wild-caught animals prohibited)
8. Solomon Islands (exports prohibited January 2013)
9. Brazil (ban on imports and exports)
10. Canada (administrative policy banning the capture of beluga whales for export)
All of the following countries have put bans on the live capture of cetaceans in their waters:
1. Mexico
2. Costa Rica
3. Argentina
4. Nicaragua
5. Australia
6. China (including Taiwan and Hong Kong)
7. Laos (live captures of Mekong Irrawaddy dolphins are prohibited)
8. Chile (capture of dolphins for public display is prohibited) Malaysia
9. The Philippines
10. Singapore
11. Thailand
12. Canada (banned Beluga capture)
13. India
The following countries no longer allow dolphinariums but may still allow existing dolphins to be
maintained in captive states until they are phased out:
1. UK (strong legislative control have resulted in no further facilities since 1991)
2. Switzerland
3. Australia
reEarth – PO Box N302 – Nassau – The Bahamas. Tel: 242 362 2724. E: [email protected]
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
Chile
Hungary
Costa Rica
Cyprus
Croatia
Slovenia
Iceland
Norway
New Zealand
India
Just recently India instated a total ban on the public display of cetaceans in a landmark ruling that
is far advanced compared to most of the 1st world. The Indian Ministry of the Environment and
Forests stated in its preamble to the ban:
“Whereas cetaceans in general are highly intelligent and sensitive, and various scientists who have
researched dolphin behavior have suggested that their unusually high intelligence, as compared to other
animals, means that dolphin should be seen as “non-human persons” and as such should have their own
specific rights and [that it] is morally unacceptable to keep them captive for entertainment purpose.
Whereas cetaceans in general do not survive well in captivity, [and] confinement in captivity can
seriously compromise the welfare and survival of all types of cetaceans by altering their behaviour and
causing extreme distress.”
(http://www.kimmela.org/india-bans-dolphinariums/ - 24th May, 2013)
Closer to home the Netherlands Antilles has capped its public display licenses at two; one in
Curaçao and one that has been proposed for St. Maarten. Also, the Antiguan government took
the bold step of not issuing a dolphin facility license in 2005 after public cries of this being an
inhumane treatment of mammals.
In New Zealand, the death of “Kelly” in 2009, the only remaining captive dolphin, heralded the
closure of that country’s one and only captive facility. There will be no more in that nation.
Furthermore, some countries have implemented strict legislation for the keeping of cetaceans in
captivity. Among these are Brazil and the United Kingdom, which has not had a dolphinarium or
aquarium facility since 1993.
Carnival Cruise Lines in the United Kingdom have also stopped promoting swim-with-dolphin
facilities. They state in their report “Carnival UK Sustainability report 2010”:
“...in order to maintain its commitment to the environment Carnival UK has elected not to
operate tours which involve interaction with captive dolphins”
As the Carnival Cruise trade is such a large component of the venture at Blackbeards Cay we
wonder whether the continued support of this dolphin facility is something that is long lasting,
and ‘sustainable’ given that Carnival are already pulling out of such ventures elsewhere.
Currently in The Bahamas the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) 2005 regulates the
captive dolphin industry and makes provision for the keeping of wild caught and imported
dolphins in facilities deemed fit by the Minister and the Marine Mammal Inspector. It concerns us
that the act allows this activity under the premise of ‘education’ and ‘preservation’ yet there is
no further disclosure on what measures should be taken for the facilities to be ‘educational’ or
reEarth – PO Box N302 – Nassau – The Bahamas. Tel: 242 362 2724. E: [email protected]
‘preservationist’. Who is reviewing the degree to which these institutions are ‘educational’ or
‘preservationist’ and what markers are they using in order to gauge this? We would certainly
argue that educating the public about a wild animal, whilst containing that wild animal and
severely curtailing its wild instincts, behaviours and biology, is not educational at all and is in fact
misinformation.
It also concerns us that no provision is made for the public viewing of annual medicals, mortality
reports, birth and import records or any of the reviews of facilities by the Government Marine
Mammal Inspectors. We have to wonder if there is something to hide?
It is interesting to consider the timing of the passing of the MMPA and the possible ramifications
of its mandate. It certainly seems more than coincidental that the door was left open to the
importation of dolphins at a time when Sol Kerzner was attempting to import 40 wild dolphins
from the Solomon Islands for his Atlantis Dolphin Cay venture. The cruel treatment and
slaughter of wild dolphins in the Solomon Islands has long since been documented and they are
under severe scrutiny internationally for this. The news of Kerzner’s potential purchase from
the Solomon Islands was met with an international outcry and, keen to avert any negative
publicity, Kerzner quickly redirected his purchase, to dolphins that were said to be rescued
from hurricane Katrina – these dolphins obviously offered a humane public story where the
capture of wild dolphins in the Solomon Islands did not.
To this day the legislation and regulations in The Bahamas do little more than they did 20 years
ago to prevent the inhumane petting pool business, protect marine mammals from ocean noise
pollution, or insist that marine mammals be contained in enclosures that at least resemble their
natural environments both in terms of substrate, and size.
If we consider Bahamian regulations that state that a satisfactory size pen for four dolphins
would hold 65,000 gallons of water and be 9 feet in depth, we can assume that the dimensions
of such a pen would be around 20 x 30 feet. A dolphin would have to circle this pen 2000 times
in order to replicate the same distances it would swim in the wild. 2000 times around the same
pen, and the same environment. We find this to be especially inhumane where their enclosures
are concrete tanks that bare no resemblance to their natural environment.
We are not interested in more restrictive legislation that protects an industry that is outdated
and not supported in any conceivable logical or scientific way, but rather its complete and utter
eradication.
As an alternate to this industry we would encourage regulated wild dolphin viewing programs
that educate the public on cetaceans in their wild environments. These type programs would, in
an ideal world, be highly supervised to ensure that the environment of cetaceans is not
overloaded with sound disturbances and the effects of it become counter productive.
We would point to the very lucrative Dolphin/Whale observation programs in Japan, St Lucia,
New York (US), Hermanus (SA) and even the wild dolphin live aboard operators that visit the
Bahamas from Florida, and ask you to promote similar. A very quick search for “swim with wild
dolphins in The Bahamas” on Google returns no less than 15 US based company’s offering
interactions with wild dolphins in our waters. Currently there are no regulations in place to
control this offshore industry as it benefits from our flora and fauna.
The “Observation” industry, under strict control, has the ability to benefit from a skill set that is
already inherent in the Bahamian population and which exemplifies their heritage. Boat captains,
reEarth – PO Box N302 – Nassau – The Bahamas. Tel: 242 362 2724. E: [email protected]
fishermen, and dive instructors all with the local marine knowledge could create tours of
interest for tourists that herald our natural environment and, instead of profits from current
unsustainable and unethical captive dolphin industries going offshore, would ensure that these
profits support our own people, here in The Bahamas.
In conclusion we appeal to you to enact legislation that:
•
•
•
•
•
•
immediately work under professional consultation to develop legislation that would
regulate the ‘observation industry’
prohibits the opening of any additional marine mammal facility in The Bahamas
prohibits, in totality, any live marine mammal captures in our waters
prohibits all marine mammal facility breeding programs going forward
prohibits any future imports or exports of marine mammals to The Bahamas
looks to a tiered closure of all marine mammal facilities in The Bahamas with a plan to
house retired dolphins in a sanctuary funded by the very industry that has benefitted
from their captivity for decades
We, the undersigned, appeal to the Minister responsible for Marine Mammal issues in The
Bahamas to put an end to the captivity of this species and deny approval for the Blackbeards Cay
and Grand Bahama Marine Mammal entertainment zoos.
Yours Sincerely,
Sam Duncombe
Director
reEarth
Sonya Alvino
Communication Director
reEarth
Cc. The Rt. Hon. Mr Perry Christie, Prime Minister
The Hon. Kenred Dorsett, Minister of the Environment
Michael Braynen, Director of Fisheries
The Hon. Obie Wilchcombe Minister of Tourism Leader of the FNM and Member of Parliament for Killarney, Hubert Minnis Leader of the DNA, Branville McCartney
reEarth – PO Box N302 – Nassau – The Bahamas. Tel: 242 362 2724. E: [email protected]
Signatories:
Kim Aranha
Director
Bahamas Humane Society
PO Box N242
Nassau, The Bahamas
Tel: 242 323 5138
Email: [email protected]
www.bahamashumanesociety.com
Joseph Darville
Chairman, Board of Directors,
Humane Society of Grand Bahama
PO Box F-41008
Freeport, Grand Bahama
The Bahamas
Tel: 242 373 4948; cell: 242 727 0212
Email: [email protected]
www.hs-gb.org
Gail Woon
EARTHCARE
PO Box F40064
Freeport, Grand Bahama,
The Bahamas
Tel: 242 374 4945, 242 727 0797
Email: [email protected]
www.eco-index.org/ong/earthcare-bseng.html
Nikita Shiel-Rolle
Young Marine Explorers
PO Box CB13179
Nassau, The Bahamas
Tel: 242 468 5371
Email: [email protected]
www.ymebahamas.org
Shaun Ingraham Director
One Eleuthera Eleuthera, The Bahamas
Tel: 242-334-463
Email: [email protected]
oneeleuthera.org/
Peter Douglas
Executive Director
Andros Conservancy and Trust Fresh Creek
PO Box 23338
Andros, The Bahamas
Tel: 242 368 2882
Email: [email protected]
www.ancat.net
BREEF
PO Box N7776
Nassau, The Bahamas
Tel: 242 327 9000
Email: [email protected]
www.breef.org
Troy Albury
President
Save Guana Cay
Guana Cay, Abaco
The Bahamas
Tel: 242 365 5178
Email: [email protected]
Ric O’Barry
Campaign Director
Dolphin Project
2150 Allston Way, Suite 460
Berkeley, CA, 94704-1375
USA
Tel: (510) 859-9100
Email: [email protected]
www.dolphinproject.org
Noami A. Rose, Ph.D.
Senior Scientist, HIS-Wildlife
Humane Society International Wildlife
700 Professional Drive
Gaithersburg, MD 20879
USA
Tel: 301 258 3048
Email: [email protected]
www.hsi.org
reEarth – PO Box N302 – Nassau – The Bahamas. Tel: 242 362 2724. E: [email protected]
William W. Rossiter
President
Cetacean Society International
65 Redding Road-0953
Georgetown, CT 06829-0953
USA
Tel: 203 770 8615
Email: [email protected]
www.csiwhalesalive.org
Taffy Williams
NY Whale and Dolphin Action League
PO Box 273
Yonkers, NY 10707
USA
Tel: 914-793-9186
Fax: 914-395-0017
Email: [email protected]
www.ny4whales.org
Courtney Vail
Caribbean Programme Manager
Whales & Dolphin Conservation
Brookfield House
38 St Paul Street
Chippenham
Wiltshire SN15 1LJ
United Kingdom
Tel: +44 (0)1249 449500
Email: [email protected]
whales.org
Shari Tarantino
President of The Board
Orca Conservancy
PO Box 19497
Seattle, WA 98109
USA
Email: [email protected]
Orcaconservancy.org
Sakae Hemmi
Elsa Nature Conservancy, Japan
Box2, Tsukuba Gakuen Post Office
Tsukuba 305-8691
Japan
Email: [email protected]
http://en.elsaenc.net
Mark Berman
Associate Director,
International Marine Mammal Project
Earth Island Institute
2150 Allston Way, Suite 460
Berkeley, CA 94704 USA
Tel: 1-510-859-9146
Email: [email protected]
www.earthisland.com
Julie Woodyer
Campaigns Director
Zoocheck Canada Inc.
788 ½ O’Connor Dr.
Toronto, ON M4B 2S6
Canada
Tel: 416-285-1744
Email: [email protected]
www.zoocheck.com
Robin Mankey
California Director
California Gray Whale Coalition
Palo Alto, CA
Tel: 650-322-4729
Email: [email protected]
Peter Hamilton
Lifeforce Founding Director
PO Box 3117
Vancouver BC V6B 3X6
Canada
Tel: (604)649-5258
Email: [email protected]
www.lifeforcefoundation.org
Annelise Sorg
President
No Whales In Captivity
461-1755 Robson Street
Vancouver, BC V6G 3B7
Canada
Tel (604) 736-9514
Email: [email protected]
www.nowhalesincaptivity.com
reEarth – PO Box N302 – Nassau – The Bahamas. Tel: 242 362 2724. E: [email protected]
Howard Garrett
Orca Network
485 Laqbella Vista Way Freeland WA 98249 USA
Tel (360) 331-33543
Email: [email protected]
www.orcanetwork.org
Stan Minasian
Animal Fund
336 Bon Air Center
Suite 155
Greenbrae, CA 94904
USA
Email: [email protected]
Margaux Dodds
Director
Marine Connection
PO Box 2404 LondonW2 3WG
United Kingdom
Tel +44 (0)7931 366352
Email: [email protected]
www.marineconnection.org
Peter Wallerstein
President,
Marine Animal Rescue
214 Main Street #392
El Segundo, CA 90245
USA
Tel: 1 (310) 455-2729
Email: [email protected]
www.whalerescueteam.org
Ellen Kohn
Enlightened Animals
566 S. Meadow Vista Drive
Evergreen,
Colorado 80439
USA
Tel: (303) 670-1023
Email: [email protected]
www.enlightenedanimals.com
Jennifer Berengueras
Project Coordinator
Foundation for Adoption, Sponsorship and
Defense of Animals FAADA
Barcelona, Spain
Tel: 902 222 341
Email: [email protected]
www.faada.org
Nora Sinkankas
Founder / Director
Captive Dolphin Awareness Foundation
3132 N Lakeview Manor Drive,
Bethany, OK 73008
USA
Tel: (405) 787-3237
Email: [email protected]
Homero Aridjis
President
Grupo de los Cien
Sierra Jiutepec 155-B
Col. Lomas Barrilaco
Mexico D.F. 11010
Mexico
Email: [email protected]
Martha Watkins Gilkes
ABITPC
Antigua Barbuda Independent Tourism
Promotion Corporation
PO Box W1924
Antigua, West Indies
Email: [email protected]
Stefanie Hawks-Johnson
Executive Director
Marine Mammal Connection Society
Tel: 206 459 1398
Email: [email protected]
www.marinemammalconnection.org
Yvon Godefroid Director
Dauphins Libres 399 Avenue Rogier 1030 Brussels
Tel: +32 0473 28 22
Email: [email protected]
reEarth – PO Box N302 – Nassau – The Bahamas. Tel: 242 362 2724. E: [email protected]
Susan Milward
Executive Director
Animal Welfare Institute
900 Pennsylvania Ave;, SE
Washington, DC 20003
USA
Tel: 202 337 2332
Email: [email protected]
www.awionline.org
Dr. Paul Spong Neuroscientist / Cetologist &
Helena Symonds
OrcaLab/Pacific Orca Society,
P.O. Box 510, Alert Bay, B.C.
Canada V0N 1A0
Email: [email protected]
http://www.orcalab.org
Ilaria Ferri
Scientific director
Ente Nazionale Protezione Animali
Via A. Regolo 27
00192 Rome
Italy
Email: [email protected]
www.enpa.it
Sue Arnold
CEO
Australians for Animals Inc.
PO Box 414,
Brunswick Heads, NSW 2483
Australia
Tel: +61 2 6680 3674
Email: [email protected]
www.australiansforanimals.org.au
Hardy Jones
BlueVoice
Sunfish Drive
St. Augustine,
FL 32080
USA
Email: [email protected]
www.bluevoice.org
Emma Clifford
Founder and Director,
Animal Balance
PO Box 8454
Bend OR 97709
USA
Email: [email protected]
www.animalbalance.org
Tricia Holford
Co-ordinator, Rescue Programme
Born Free Foundation
3 Grove House
Foundry Lane,
Horsham, RH13 SPL
United Kingdom
Email: [email protected]
www.bornfree.org.uk
Alexis Lewis
President
Fins and Fluke
613 W. Hickory St., #2
Denton, Texas 76201
USA
Email: [email protected]
http://www.finsandfluke.org
reEarth – PO Box N302 – Nassau – The Bahamas. Tel: 242 362 2724. E: [email protected]