NewsWhore
09-18-2006, 06:10 PM
Simon Guerrero writes again in Diario Libre on Saturday, 16 September, about the plight of the dolphins kept at the Manati Park facility. He comments on a reply from Manati Park's Jose Moreno in response to Guerrero's previous article about the Manati Park dolphins for the newspaper. (See DR1 Daily News, 4 September and 7 September).
He says that while Moreno claims that the requested importation of dolphins for the park is not irregular because they have a "no objection" letter from the authorities dated June 2004, he points out that the import period that this type of letter authorized cannot be unlimited as circumstances change.
Guerrero reaffirms that studies carried out by the Dominican Marine Studies Foundation (Fundemar) indicate that the dolphins in Manati Park are being kept in inadequate spaces and the quality of the water is very poor - very low salinity, excess turbidity, signs of pollution and a strong smell of chlorine due to its excessive use as a disinfectant, which leads to toxicity and serious eye and skin problems for the dolphins. He says that some visitors to the park have filmed videos that confirm the dolphin facility's run-down conditions.
Guerrero writes that Moreno says that the law does not oblige them to carry out autopsies on dead dolphins. He explains that the park has to submit to Ministry of Environment regulations, including the obligation to ensure that dolphins captivity are kept in good conditions, which is impossible to monitor if it is not known what the dolphins have died of. He also points out that Moreno does not explain, after having said that they did not carry out an autopsy and had incinerated the remains, where the phantom autopsy report that they eventually sent for the purchase of new dolphins had come from.
Furthermore, he points out inconsistencies in the inventories of dolphins kept at Manati Park, adding that if one does the math there should be 10 dolphins but only five are left, meaning that five dolphins are unaccounted for.
He also mentions a claim against Manati Park that was presented by Fundemar, the Academy of Sciences and the Foundation for the Development of Bayahibe for the alleged illegal capture of eight dolphins in National Park of the East waters in 2002. He stresses that if this accusation were to be confirmed, the company would have broken the law by capturing dolphins in a national park. He says that the small school of dolphin that lives in the park, that has been an attraction for the park visitors, would definitely leave. He argues that this type of practice is detrimental to tourism.
In his article, he states that the International Humane Society, representing its 9.5 million members, has requested the closure of the dolphin facility and congratulated the Dominican government for impeding the import of the dolphins requested by the group. He concludes his article by asking if a Dominican company would be allowed to operate under these same conditions in Spain.
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#11)
He says that while Moreno claims that the requested importation of dolphins for the park is not irregular because they have a "no objection" letter from the authorities dated June 2004, he points out that the import period that this type of letter authorized cannot be unlimited as circumstances change.
Guerrero reaffirms that studies carried out by the Dominican Marine Studies Foundation (Fundemar) indicate that the dolphins in Manati Park are being kept in inadequate spaces and the quality of the water is very poor - very low salinity, excess turbidity, signs of pollution and a strong smell of chlorine due to its excessive use as a disinfectant, which leads to toxicity and serious eye and skin problems for the dolphins. He says that some visitors to the park have filmed videos that confirm the dolphin facility's run-down conditions.
Guerrero writes that Moreno says that the law does not oblige them to carry out autopsies on dead dolphins. He explains that the park has to submit to Ministry of Environment regulations, including the obligation to ensure that dolphins captivity are kept in good conditions, which is impossible to monitor if it is not known what the dolphins have died of. He also points out that Moreno does not explain, after having said that they did not carry out an autopsy and had incinerated the remains, where the phantom autopsy report that they eventually sent for the purchase of new dolphins had come from.
Furthermore, he points out inconsistencies in the inventories of dolphins kept at Manati Park, adding that if one does the math there should be 10 dolphins but only five are left, meaning that five dolphins are unaccounted for.
He also mentions a claim against Manati Park that was presented by Fundemar, the Academy of Sciences and the Foundation for the Development of Bayahibe for the alleged illegal capture of eight dolphins in National Park of the East waters in 2002. He stresses that if this accusation were to be confirmed, the company would have broken the law by capturing dolphins in a national park. He says that the small school of dolphin that lives in the park, that has been an attraction for the park visitors, would definitely leave. He argues that this type of practice is detrimental to tourism.
In his article, he states that the International Humane Society, representing its 9.5 million members, has requested the closure of the dolphin facility and congratulated the Dominican government for impeding the import of the dolphins requested by the group. He concludes his article by asking if a Dominican company would be allowed to operate under these same conditions in Spain.
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#11)