WILLEMSTAD, AMSTERDAM - Representative of the Dutch organization Animal Rights, Susan Hartland indicated to Curaçao Chronicle that she has received information that Dolphin Academy Curaçao plans to sell five young dolphins to the Saudi Arabian Fakieh (also spelled 'faqih') Aquarium.
Sami, Mosa, Serena, Machu & Luna
“We have not been able to confirm this news from an independent source. However, the whistleblower's information is so specific - for example, it would concern the bottlenose dolphins Sami, Mosa, Serena, Machu & Luna - that we are still releasing the information unverified,” said the animal rights advocate. The relocation by air would take place on April 24 or 25, which means that there is not much time left to stop this transport, if the information is correct.
Animal Rights has asked both the Fakieh Aquarium and Dolphin Academy Curaçao for a response. No response was received from Jeddah yet. The only answer the animal rights advocate received from the Dolphin Academy was that they are considering reducing the numbers of dolphins they are working with and are investigating all the options to lower this number.
“There are several possibilities that we are looking into. In due time we hope to be able to release more information,” said the Dolphin Academy in Curaçao.
Injustice
Captivity, of course, is always unfair to these intelligent, social animals that in the wild would travel long distances and catch live fish. But in Curaçao at least the dolphins live in lagoons in the Caribbean Sea and until recently the animals were taken out to open water. In Jeddah they would be confined to concrete swimming pools.
Fakieh Aquarium previously bought dolphins from Taiji
According to the animal rights advocates, what they know about Saudi Arabia's only aquarium doesn't bode well. October 9, 2012, Fakieh received six wild-caught dolphins from the infamous Japanese dolphin slaughter village of Taiji. The dolphins are said to have been driven into the bay ('The Cove') a month earlier and captured. In Jeddah they were given the names Maria (F), Sara (F), Faris (?), Fis Fis (?), Sukkar (?) & Gammar (?) and were 'trained' by Spanish and Mexican trainers.
"An aquarium that obtains animals from this brutal drive-hunt lacks a moral compass," said Animal Rights Director Susan Hartland in a conversation with Curaçao Chronicle.
“By now, however, these animals would all have died.”
The Fakieh website indicates that there are currently no dolphin shows being held due to 'maintenance': “Dolphin Show temporarily closed due to maintenance work to better served our Valued Customers. We will work hard towards our project timelines to ensure we have the pleasure to welcoming you again.”
Animal abuse
“A 22-hour flight, separating young dolphins from their parents (Luna is the youngest dolphin and she still drinks milk from her mother now and then), living out their lives in a concrete tank of chlorinated water in a Saudi Arabian amusement park... all these things are unacceptable and constitute animal cruelty," said Hartland.
Recently, a Dutch judge stopped the export of marine mammals, including seven bottlenose dolphins, from the Dolfinarium in Harderwijk to an amusement park in Heinan, China.
Animal Rights Netherlands & Belgium calls on the governments of Curaçao and the Netherlands to do everything in their power to prevent the export of Curaçao dolphins.