Applauding dolphin decision

Sir,
As a UK-based charity campaigning worldwide for the conservation and protection of dolphins and whales, the Marine Connection is delighted to hear the decision taken by the Ministry of Agriculture in Cyprus not to allow a dolphin therapy centre. 

Dolphins travel hundreds of miles across the ocean, they are able to dive hundreds of feet.  They use echolocation as a tool to explore their diverse surroundings, determine where they and catch their live prey.  Each of these unique abilities, adapted for the huge and complex ocean environment over millions of years, are rendered useless when dolphins are enclosed in a lifeless, smooth tank without currents where they must eat dead fish at times of a humans choosing. 

The Marine Connection believe that, while there is certainly something special about being in the vicinity of dolphins and whales, to attribute them with these powers is irresponsible and certainly no basis to condone keeping them in captivity.  The charity believes that dolphin therapy programmes profit from an already vulnerable sector of people who, understandably, wish to do anything in their power to alleviate stress and suffering caused due to autism, depression or other illnesses which this type of therapy claims to help. 

There is no scientific evidence to support the claims that this “therapy” is any more effective than the petting and partnership of domestic animals such as dogs and in addition, what follow-up do the participants receive once the therapy has been undertaken? 

All captive dolphins whether born in captivity or taken from the wild, suffer mentally and physically from having their natural, instinctive skills inhibited.  There can be no differentiation between dolphins held in captivity for therapy or for any other reason – the motive for these facilities is simply profit and the result for the dolphins involved is devastating.

With these points in mind, the Marine Connection would like to applaud the government of Cyprus for taking a forward-thinking and responsible decision which in the long-term will no doubt strengthen the island’s reputation as an ethical and conscientious country.
Andrina Murrell

Captivity Officer
www.marineconnection.org

The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.