Dolphinaria talk raises concern

By Penelope Karaolis

AGRICULTURE minister Nicos Kouyialis said that foreign investors’ requests to operate dolphinaria in Cyprus are being carefully reviewed, with animal rights groups calling for him to abandon the idea.

Cyprus is the only EU member state that has not only banned the creation of dolphinaria but also the importation of any cetacean in general. The use of cetaceans for performance or entertainment purposes has been illegal in Cyprus since 1997.

The Animal Party Cyprus (ACP) is concerned over the progress in talks to legalise dolphinaria.

“We call on the Mister of Agriculture to examine carefully our Party’s concerns,” it said in an announcement.

According to the ACP, the creation of dolphinaria is unnecessary and would ignore not only Cypriot legislation, but a global outcry which will inevitably follow if Kouyialis and Council of Ministers approve.

Born Free Foundation, an international wildlife charity, reports that “at least 89 captive dolphin facilities are known to operate throughout Europe, holding over 500 hundred captive cetaceans, the collective name for whales, dolphins and porpoises.

The largest number of captive dolphin facilities are in Russia (24), Ukraine (17), Spain (11) and Turkey (10), many of which are notably located near popular tourist destinations.”

Even though dolphinaria may be considered as a major tourist attraction, a 2009 survey conducted for a case against marine mammals in captivity by the World Society for the Protection of Animals found that 80 per cent of the public stated that marine mammals should not be kept in captivity unless there are major educational or scientific benefits.

The last European mini demonstration against dolphinaria took place in Brussels on June 28 with more than 400 participants.

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.