A recent Washington Post article (03/20/01) reports that Mexican officials
have placed a temporary ban on the capture of wild dolphins. This step
comes in response to a flood of public concern over the shoddy living
conditions reported for eight dolphins captured for display in a tourist
facility in La Paz, Mexico (FINS: Dolphin Learning Center).
After one of
the dolphins died just weeks after its capture, Mexico’s Secretary of the
Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARNAT) conducted an investigation of
FINS and found that the La Paz facility violated the conditions of its
capture permit-especially regarding veterinary care, food, the quality of
the installations (pool and quarantine holdings), and the emergency plan.
Furthermore, the dolphins were at imminent risk of physical harm as a
result of the unsafe condition of the enclosure’s fencing, inadequate
maintenance of the facility, and shallow water.
The temporary moratorium
on dolphin capture permits is meant to give the SEMARNAT time to establish
a set of regulations for capture, management, and confinement of marine
mammals.
To read the Washington Post story online, go to:
http://washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A64699-2001Mar13.html
WHAT YOU CAN DO:
Tell the Mexican government that you would like to see
the moratorium on dolphin capture made permanent. You should also ask them
to establish strict regulations for care and maintenance (rather than
establishing standards by permit on a case-by-case basis) and ask them to
establish strict regulations for the import and export of captive
dolphins.
Send correspondence to:
Dr. Victor Lichtinger, Secretaria del Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales (SEMARNAT)
Periferico Sur 4209
Col. Jardines en la Montana
Tlalpan 14210 Mexico DF Mexico
Fax: 01152-56-28-06-43
email: vlichtinger@semarnat.gob.mx
Enviroshop is maintained by dedicated NetSys Interactive Inc. owners & employees who generously contribute their time to maintenance & editing, web design, custom programming, & website hosting for Enviroshop.