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Captive dolphin ban
Written by DIVE Magazine Thursday, 21 February 2013 15:01
Indonesian minister to ban dolphin attractions.
Wild bottlenose dolphins
After months of protests, Indonesia’s Forestry Minister Zulkifli Hasan gave in to the public pressure and announced a ban of dolphin attractions.
The Jakarta Aid Animal Network (JAAN) and the Earth Island Institute have been campaigning for a ban of dolphin attractions since 2009 when a dolphin died during a performance.
Members of the public joined the conservation groups’ protest on Facebook and Twitter, demanding changes to a 1999 regulation on animal preservation which had left loopholes for dolphin attractions.
Following reports of the mistreatment and poor condition of two dolphins, Hasan visited Akame Restaurant in Benoa last week. The dolphins were kept to entertain tourists during their dinner.
The Minister pledged to confiscate, rehabilitate and release the dolphins back into their natural habitat once current laws had been revised.
‘Now, we are eager to revise the regulation, following public pressure to stop the exploitation of dolphins. We will revise it soon,’ Hasan said.
He also announced to shut down other dolphin entertainment facilities.
'We will do the same thing in other places,’ he said.
Indonesia is considered to be home to the last remaining dolphin travelling circuses where dolphins kept in chlorinated water are trained to jump through burning rings of fire and to perform other tricks up to seven times a day. The captive animals often suffer from chlorine-induced blindness or poisoning, show symptoms of severe stress and die prematurely.
Currently 72 bottlenose and stenella dolphins are held in captivity in the country.
Both species are listed as protected species in Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).
After months of protests, Indonesia’s Forestry Minister Zulkifli Hasan gave in to the public pressure and announced a ban of dolphin attractions.
The Jakarta Aid Animal Network (JAAN) and the Earth Island Institute have been campaigning for a ban of dolphin attractions since 2009 when a dolphin died during a performance.
Members of the public joined the conservation groups’ protest on Facebook and Twitter, demanding changes to a 1999 regulation on animal preservation which had left loopholes for dolphin attractions.
Following reports of the mistreatment and poor condition of two dolphins, Hasan visited Akame Restaurant in Benoa last week. The dolphins were kept to entertain tourists during their dinner.
The Minister pledged to confiscate, rehabilitate and release the dolphins back into their natural habitat once current laws had been revised.
‘Now, we are eager to revise the regulation, following public pressure to stop the exploitation of dolphins. We will revise it soon,’ Hasan said.
He also announced to shut down other dolphin entertainment facilities.
'We will do the same thing in other places,’ he said.
Indonesia is considered to be home to the last remaining dolphin travelling circuses where dolphins kept in chlorinated water are trained to jump through burning rings of fire and to perform other tricks up to seven times a day. The captive animals often suffer from chlorine-induced blindness or poisoning, show symptoms of severe stress and die prematurely.
Currently 72 bottlenose and stenella dolphins are held in captivity in the country.
Both species are listed as protected species in Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).