Coral World Dolphin Permit CZM Public Hearing: UPDATE/STT

In Opposition to Dolphin Captivity
A Conversation with Dr. Lori Marino, Emory University

Dr. Lori Marino is a neuroscientist and Senior Lecturer in the Department of Psychology and faculty affiliate of the Center for Ethics at Emory University. We asked her about the ethics of keeping dolphins in captivity. Check out our interview below. To find out more about Dr. Marino, visit her bio.

Some experts say that dolphins in captivity behave just like, or nearly like, dolphins in the wild. What's your opinion?
I don't need to give my opinion because there's an abundance of evidence that shows that dolphins and whales in captivity show a lot of the same abnormal behaviors that are exhibited by other animals in captivity. These include things like stereotypies where they do repeated movements, self mutilation and just basically other behaviors associated with being psychologically disturbed. There are also several peer-reviewed studies that have shown elevated stress hormones in dolphins and whales in captivity.

So there really is no way that an artificial setting could provide an opportunity for the range of natural behaviors that dolphins enjoy in the wild, just from a physical point of view. The largest tank in the world is something like less than one ten-thousandth of one percent of the natural range of most dolphins and whales. So there's physically no way that these animals could exhibit natural behaviors in captivity.

I know that some members of the captivity industry have made the point that in captivity these animals are fed fish and they don't need to deal with the stress of capturing their own prey. But in fact, being fed dead fish can be a stress. In the wild, they really enjoy the opportunity to collaborate with each other and catch prey and travel with their companions, and basically work for their prey. In captivity, all of that stimulation is taken away.

So there is a lot of scientific evidence that shows that dolphins and whales — both wild-born and captive-born — exhibit a lot of psychological abnormalities in captivity.

Would you say that dolphins in U.S. aquariums and marine parks are well-cared for?
Well, what I would say is that modern husbandry techniques are very sophisticated, but this isn't the same as being well-cared for, and it doesn't mitigate the fact that these animals cannot thrive in captivity. Surviving for a certain amount of time is not the same as thriving, and the mortality statistics show this conclusively. Dolphins and whales live only a fraction of their natural life spans in captivity. So if they're being so "well-cared for," what is killing them? That's a question that needs to be answered.

Ric O'Barry says that the best way to help dolphins is to not buy a ticket to a dolphin show. Do you agree with that?
Yes, I agree. The captivity industry is responsible for making dolphins and whales into money-making commodities, and it really does contribute to the sense that these animals are here to be controlled by us. Even more pragmatically, I would say that marine parks are driven by demand. They're an entertainment industry and the demand drives them to keep more and more animals confined. That often — not always, but often — means taking them from the wild, including during these horrendous drives.

The public has the power to end all of this: don't buy a ticket!

Is a dolphin show an effective tool to help educate the public about dolphins and dolphin conservation?
This is really a topic that has been on a lot of peoples' minds lately. In April, I was a witness for a congressional hearing on this matter, and I testified that the educational claims made by the captivity industry have absolutely no foundation. There's no compelling evidence, at all, that visiting dolphin shows and seeing dolphin and whale displays is educational. I've done a lot of research in this area and I've published peer-reviewed papers that show this so-called "educational claim" is not supported by any evidence.

In fact, what most people don't know is that the Marine Mammal Protection Act requires captive displays to be educational in order to keep these animals on display, and yet marine parks all over the world continue to display them without even having met this criterion.

In addition, I've done a lot of research on the information on AZA websites, or websites of AZA facilities, and a lot of the information is factually incorrect. So I would ask you, how can it be educational if it is wrong?

The public should not confuse entertainment with education. So no, there's absolutely no evidence of this at all.

Scientists have learned a lot by studying dolphins in captivity. In light of this, do you agree or disagree with keeping dolphins in research facilities?
I agree that we've learned a lot about who dolphins are from studies in captivity, but I do not think we should be keeping them in captivity.

I did studies with dolphins in captivity. In one of those studies, my colleague and I showed that they are self aware; they recognize themselves in mirrors. But dolphins have paid a very high price for satisfying our curiosity. For instance, the two dolphins that I worked with at the New York Aquarium when I did that mirror study are now dead. And in fact, many of the individual dolphins that were research subjects in these groundbreaking kinds of studies are dead, prematurely. That tells you something.

Despite having learned a lot about dolphins from captive studies, if we think we're intelligent, then that means we need to adjust our behavior to the information that comes in from our science. What we have learned about who these dolphins are tells us unequivocally that they do not belong in captivity.

I think it's really important to know that those of us who are advocating for dolphins have nothing to gain and everything to lose from doing this. For instance, after I did the self awareness study, I gave up doing studies on captive dolphins once I discovered I was working with two self-aware individuals. I felt that they should be leading the life of an intelligent, self-aware, social being, and they weren't.

In fact, not only do I have nothing to gain, but I have given up a lot of professional opportunities when I made that decision. But it was the right one.

What have scientists learned by studying dolphins in the wild? And do you think field studies on dolphins are a replacement for captive studies?
I think that field studies are and can be a replacement for some captive studies. In the past few years, almost nothing has been learned about dolphins from captive studies. Likewise, some of the most exciting things we're learning about dolphins and whales are coming from studies of wild individuals. In other words, field studies. For instance, we now know that dolphins and whales have complex cultural traditions. This was learned from field studies, field observations, and actually could never be ascertained in captivity where they're deprived of their normal social relations. So all of the cutting edge research on dolphin and whale lives and behavior and psychology is coming from the wild, not from captive labs.

Ric O'Barry says that the captive dolphin industry as a whole fuels the dolphin hunting industry. Do you agree with that?
There's a very simple equation here, and that is that the captivity industry drives the dolphin hunting industry because it creates a demand for dolphins. Plain and simple. If there weren't a demand to see dolphins in these spectacles and on display, then the captivity industry around the world would not be breeding dolphins, not taking dolphins from these horrendous drives and so forth. It's a very simple equation. So yes, indeed, the captive dolphin industry does fuel dolphin hunting of all kinds around the world.

When making that statement, shouldn't one make an exception for the AZA (Association of Zoos and Aquariums) and their facilities?
There is a moratorium on taking dolphins from the wild in this country, but up until recently, marine mammal parks in this country did take dolphins from the wild and from dolphin drive hunts. There are still dolphins who you can go see in these marine parks who were taken from the wild. And they also reserve the right, under some circumstances, to take again from U.S. waters in the future; it's not illegal if there is any possibility left in the law.

But more importantly, the success of the AZA marine parks here serves as a model for the rest of the world. And when the rest of the world tries to emulate us, it means that they're going to take animals from the wild — in particular these drive hunts, which are some of the easiest ways that you can stock your pools with animals.

So the AZA has a responsibility to police the captivity industry and their colleagues. WAZA, the World Association for Zoos and Aquariums, has done very little to do this. In fact the Taiji Whale Museum, which takes from the Taiji drives, is a member in good standing of the Japanese Association of Zoos and Aquariums (JAZA) and JAZA is a member of WAZA. So WAZA can't be doing all that much to help with the situation.

The other thing that's very important to remember is that the AZA will tell you that they're trying to do what they can to stop these drive hunts. In fact, what that means is that if you go to their website, embedded somewhere in their website you can click on a link that goes to a petition that's called "Act for Dolphins." And in fact, I and my colleague Diana Reiss were the primary authors of that petition against the dolphin drive hunts. We authored it, we collected the signatures, for the most part, and so forth. All the AZA has done is pretty much just taken that link and put it on their website.

They also talk about the fact that they have sent a letter to the Japanese government. That letter is on that website, you can click on it, and it is exactly six lines long. And it doesn't look like that website has changed in years.

So that's what they call trying to do something about it.

Can an ethical distinction be made between the killing of dolphins for food and the killing of cows, pigs and chickens for food?
This is an argument that is thrown out there to divert attention from the brutality of the hunts. Look, there is an argument to be made for treating other animals respectfully. All other animals, certainly. But the fact that some people eat cows and pigs and chickens doesn't make killing dolphins any less egregious — that it makes other wrongs more right.

Again, I see this kind of question as a diversionary tactic. Whether you make an ethical distinction or not, the fact is that killing dolphins is wrong.

Is it cultural elitism to disapprove of, or speak out against, another country's traditional hunting practices?
No. The secret is that dolphin drive hunting is not a cultural practice in Japan. Most of the citizens of Japan don't know about it, so it can't be an important component of their culture if they don't know about it.

But also, and perhaps even more importantly, we speak out against all kinds of human rights violations around the world all the time, and I would ask why should we be silent when it is a violation against a non-human? Again, cultural or not, morality dictates that this be stopped. It is something I think that Japan's government likes to say to make us look like cultural elitists, but the fact of the matter is that we speak out against all kinds of violations everywhere and this is just one of them.

Petting Pools and Greedy Fools

December 3, 2012 by Ric O'Barry, Earth Island Institute

Ric O’Barry
Director
Dolphin Project
Earth Island Institute

When I heard that eight-year-old Jillian Thomas was bitten by a dolphin at SeaWorld Orlando’s dolphin petting pool, I was not surprised. This kind of thing has happened before, and it will likely happen again if dolphin petting pools remain open. What did surprise me, however, is that SeaWorld still allows this level of abuse to continue.

Many aquariums in the United States have already shut down their dolphin petting pools, citing their inherently abusive and unsafe nature. When you watch the video, you can see the level of chaos around the pool as dozens of yelling children hold out small fish for dolphins to beg for.

And beg they do. Captives are kept intentionally hungry, so that they are forced to interact with park visitors. As you can see, the fish portions are very small, to keep the dolphins constantly coming back for more and enduring the poking and prodding of thousands of hands on their bodies. In my opinion, these should be called ‘dolphin fondling pools’, for that is what they truly are.

Sometimes the dolphins are touched in rough or painful ways by well-meaning tourists. Inevitably, garbage is dropped in the pool, creating a choking hazard for dolphins. And visitors get injured by the dolphins. Clearly, the regulation of this facility is desperately inadequate, putting both dolphins and humans at risk.

Regulation of dolphin interactions can be difficult even when it involves experienced professionals. The recent death of SeaWorld trainer Dawn Brancheau demonstrates that cetaceans don’t always follow the rules – especially when they are stressed, frustrated and demoralized, as captives tend to be. Expecting children to follow the rules in an uncontrolled chaotic environment such as the Discovery Cove petting pool is a recipe for disaster – something that SeaWorld is hiding beneath a false sense of security and by laying blame on parents for not controlling their children.

Of course, there are big incentives for SeaWorld to continue to exploit dolphins in their petting pools. Charging exorbitant prices for the small feeding fish adds to the enormous profits that the dolphins already bring in. It’s really a win-win for Sea World and lose-lose for the dolphins – just business as usual at SeaWorld, I suppose.

It’s important to note that very few, if any cases exist of wild dolphins harming humans. Quite the contrary – there are thousands of stories and accounts of dolphins actually helping people. We are not returning the favor by keeping dolphins in these captive situations.

Ric O'Barry on CNN December 4, 2012.

Jillian loves dolphins, which is why she and millions of others go to see them in the first place. But hopefully this experience has taught her that dolphin interactions like Discovery Cove at SeaWorld are not only cruel and unfair to dolphins, but are also dangerous for people. You should never buy a ticket to a captive dolphin show or experience. Instead, go out to the actual sea world – the ocean – and view them in their natural home, on their terms. This is a safe, rewarding and truly magical experience.

Please sign and share this petition to help shut down the dolphin petting pool at SeaWorld.

Follow @Dolphin_Project and #Tweet4Dolphins

http://dolphinproject.org/blog/post/peeting-pools-and-greedy-fools

http://www.oceanlifeline.org/2011/dolphin-captivity

The It's cruel and shouldn't be done, these are intelligent caring creatures vs I'm a superior human and I want to pet a dolphin, without having to put my ice cream down argument.

Article:

Opponents of cetaceans in captivity criticise the accuracy of research projects. Dolphins in the wild are free-ranging and can easily move from one group to another. In captivity, a dolphin is limited to its tankmates and aquarium, so the results of certain experiments may be tainted. As different species have different social structures and ranging habits, some species may be more affected by this phenomenon than others. In addition, the study of echolocation in captivity is encumbered because the concentration of sounds may cause some dolphins to go deaf. In the wild, sounds are likely to be softer and to make more efficient use of bandwidth. Such difficulties do highlight the need for research on wild dolphins.

Critics also argue that the creation of self-sustaining captive populations results in their inability to survive once released into the wild. Often those animals acclimated to the dead fish and meat that trainers feed them refuse to eat live fish both before and after their release. Some voluntarily return to their captive pen if they encounter a school of animals with which they are not familiar. Others who attempt to join schools to which they are not related are attacked. There is evidence that the natural mortality rate of released cetaceans is very high, on the order of 15%. One might equally suggest that this is a reason not to release captive cetaceans and that no cetaceans should be kept in captivity in the first place.

Individuals in captivity suffer from boredom, inadequate exercise, insufficient food variety, and bad food, especially when the facilities are poor. In some areas, live capture actually reduces the local population. In some areas, there is a 71% removal of the local population, which is not considered sustainable. The United States Marine Mammal Protection Act in 1972 slowed both domestic and international trade. There is concern that premature death and lack of breeding may lead to an increased demand for live captured individuals, leading to an overexploitation of local populations.

Bibliography
Ellis, Richard. Dolphins and Porpoises. New York: Alfred & Knopf, Inc., 1982.

Harrison, Sir Richard, et. al. Whales, Dolphins and Porpoises. New York: Facts on File, Inc., 1994

The Bottom Line:

The capture of wild animals to be forever kept in captivity and to be used, solely, for our entertainment and amusement MUST stop. We imperil generations of these intelligent, wild creatures to live out their lives in slavery and unnatural conditions, all for the sake of greed.

I am sorry Coral World is losing money but they do not need to perpetuate this abhorrent practice. Clean up the Coki Point area, free it from crime and make it a drug free zone. Then they will have more people coming to their facility to view what is already in place and it will be a safer place for all.

Plus, I really have to wonder how safe those captive dolphin will be in their unnatural enclosures from predatory, sick individuals that may wish to do them harm.

It is not acceptable to use these beautiful creatures for purely commercial gain and exploitation.

Dolphins are highly intelligent, sentient mammals that swim lip to 100lan a day in the wild. In
captivity they suffer restricted movement, forced human contact, artificial social groupings,
being fed dead fish, exposure to loud sounds and the performance of unnatural activities in
exchange for food rewards.

The proposed Dolphinariumis an open water facility in Water Bay, a problem area with runoff
from surrounding homes during heavy rains, including sewage. Captive dolphin waste sinks to
the ocean floor & currents don't wash it away. There are also protected coral species in the bay
and studies have shown that dolphin feces can damage coral.

This "attraction" is proposed purely for commercial gain and teaches children that exploitation of
animals is acceptable for the sake of turning a profit.

Coral World's argument that these dolphins were born in captivity is no defense. Their parents
or grandparents were captured in the wild for the sole reason to be put on display in a
commercial dolphinarium like the one Coral World wants to open.

We urge the US Virgin Islands Coastal Zone Management Commission, Governor John deJongh
and the Legislature to deny any permit to Coral World for captive dolphins.

PLEASE ATTEND THE COASTAL WNE MANAGEMENT PUBLIC HEARING ON
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 131b at EUDORA KEAN mGH SCHOOL 6pm.

~

SAYING NO TO CAPTIVITY

vidolphinvoices@gmail.com
340-626-4690

FaceBook: VI Dolphin Voices

Here is an excellent study by World Society for the Protection of Animals and the Humane Society Of the United States on
THE CASE AGAINST Marine Mammals in Captivity.

[www.humanesociety.org]

Quite the eye opener!

Those of you that may have an interest can also Google - Studies of Dolphins In Captivity for many other research articles opposing
dolphins in captivity and dolphinariums.

Meeting is this Thursday - See below:

Please attend the meeting which will be at 6pm on Thursday, December 13 at Eudora Kean High School in Red Hook.
It's being held in the cafeteria: use the school entrance farthest from Red Hook and the cafeteria is immediately on the right.

Please also consider putting your comments in writing (especially those who can't attend).
The period for written comment ends 7 days after the public hearing so letters must be received by December 20.
Send to:

Coastal Zone Management Commission
c/o Jean-Pierre Oriol
Department of Planning and Natural Resources
Cyril E King Airport Terminal Building
St. Thomas, VI 00802

Thank you for your support.

Fiona Stuart
VI DOLPHIN VOICES
Saying NO TO CAPTIVITY
340-626-4690