ECOCARE Maldives

A cage by any other name, is still a cage!

Samra — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 10:56:31 +0000

http://erin-journey2taiji.blogspot.in/

The dolphin lagoon proposed by tennis player and businessman Amir Mansoor is marketed as a conservation project and education program based in a natural lagoon. His charm and honeyed words accompanied with deep pockets have helped him on his way to achieving this goal by catering to the greed of government officials and private parties.

On October4th, 2011 the cabinet approved a proposal to lease out the lagoon located between Thilafushi and Baros, diameter of some 2 kms, to Mansoor for 21 years. This decision brought about a backlash from environmental activist both local and international attracting the attention of various organisations and people including Richard O’Barry, Director of Earth Island Institute’s Dolphin Project, who was also featured in the award winning documentary, The Cove, and Mark Berman, Associate Director of the Dolphin Safe program.

To handle the bad press promoted by various environmental organisations and dive associations Mansoor and his lackeys have brought forth many arguments justifying the dolphin lagoon and how it will be beneficial to both the Maldives and to the dolphins. But I, myself don’t see how importing 6-8 bottlenose dolphins n keeping them captive for human entertainment would benefit either.

First of all as these bottlenose dolphins are from the Atlantic and thus not from Maldivian waters, importing them unbalances the delicate ecosystem of our waters and increases the chance of diseases for the wild dolphin community. Also as the website for the lagoon says, essentially these dolphins are free and able to leave whenever they wish as they are permitted on “daily unstructured excursions”, then there is a chance of these dolphins to interact with the native creatures possibly causing spread of diseases in the wild population.

It is very hard to believe that these dolphins which have been born and bred in captivity and transported into Maldives will be free to leave if they aren’t happy, however much Amir Mansoor would like us to think so. Can anybody believe that a business man would spend money and resources to lease a lagoon, do the necessary preparations and bring in trained dolphins to let even one escape from their confinement? I find myself wondering what sort of measures Amir Mansoor will take to protect his investment.

And for this investment to bring in the necessary profits, they would need to provide the entertainment. The entertainment being the dolphins shows. Dolphins forced to captivity and made to perform die within 2-5 years, whereas in the wild these creatures can live up to 40 years of age. There have even been cases of dolphins committing suicide rather than living in captivity. Are we willing to subject dolphins to this cruelty just for our own entertainment?

The dolphinarium is considered to be one of the largest of its kind for so few a number of dolphins. Just because a cage is a bit larger than the other cages, does not make it anything other than a cage. Dolphins on average travel up to distances of 50 km per day, while the lagoon has a diameter of some 2 kms. A 2 km lagoon does not even compare to the open ocean.

It is not just the dolphins, the environment, and countless small businesses that will suffer, but Maldives as a whole will also be subjected to great losses. Our reputation as an “always natural” country will be tarnished, degrading our standing as a pro-environment tourism country. Maldives has a unique natural beauty and this is what the people want to see and experience when they visit Maldives.

The fisheries industry will also suffer as Earth Island Institute (EII) has said they will withdraw the dolphin safe label from government owned tuna companies – Felivaru, Koodoo and MIFCO, discrediting them in the international market if the dolphin lagoon is approved. This will vastly decrease the country’s revenue and bring about huge losses to the country’s economy.

Fortunately thanks to all of the people who have stood up for the plight of the dolphins, the cabinet is reconsidering their decision to permit this project. Insha Allah, they will make the right decision this time around.

Breaking-news: “Don’t Cage Dolphins” Facebook campaign page HIJACKED!

Administrator — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 00:40:43 +0000

PRESS RELEASE
17th January 2012

ECOCARE Maldives ‘Don’t Cage Dolphins’ Campaign – Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/DontCageDolphins), was managed and administrated by some ECOCARE members, together with some partner organizations. However, from sometime in the last 24 hours, one of the administrators on the page has revoked administrator rights from ECOCARE members and all other administrators. We regret to inform all members who have ‘liked’ and joined the page that, actions of this impostor has misled page members in the last couple of hours. It is no longer the ECOCARE Maldives official Facebook ‘Don’t Cage Dolphins’ Campaign page.

This impostor, a person or a group, has revoked the administrator rights from ECOCARE members and all other administrators and has started posting anti-campaign statuses on the page wall. They are misusing, abusing and harassing the campaign and its members. Their use of our page is unethical and immoral. They are abusing and misusing out intellectual property. We strongly condemn this act of cowardly anti-campaign attempt.

Note that we have created a new ECOCARE Maldives Don’t Cage Dolphins Campaign page on Facebook, this time with only ECOCARE members as administrators. Join our Official Campaign page here.

New page URL is https://www.facebook.com/DontCageDolphinCampaign

: This Page has been taken over by the anti-campaign. An impostor is the administrator now. It is NOT the official ECOCARE Facbook ‘Don’t Cage Dolphins Campaign’ page.

UPDATE: Amir Mansoor meets with ECOCARE Chairman – Don’t Cage Dolphins Campaign

Administrator — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 20:10:21 +0000

UPDATE / BREAKING NEWS :

ECOCARE Chairman Mr. Mohamed Zahir (Meem Zaviyani) has met with Mr. Amir Mansoor, famous tennis player who the government has leased the lagoon between Thilafushi and Baros to develop a Dolphin Park in the country, on his request.

Meem Zaviyani informed “ECOCARE Maldives – Don’t Cage Dolphins Campaign Team” that this meeting took place earlier tonight (10/01/2012) at 22:00 hrs.

“He called me and asked if he could meet me sometime. So we met tonight at 10:00″ Meem Zaviyani told us. He also told us that he will share further details of the meeting soon.

ECOCARE and DAM meets Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture on Dolphin issue

Administrator — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 20:44:15 +0000

PRESS RELEASE

28 November 2011, Monday

A meeting was held in the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and culture, with Diving Association of Maldives (DAM) and ECOCARE Maldives regarding the heated issue of developing a dolphin park in the Maldives.

Both NGO’s brought forward the issue of developing a dolphin park in the Maldives as a huge concern that would bring about a lot of negative impacts to the tourism industry, as well as the environment of the country.

DAM consists of mainly divers working in the tourism industry and as Ecocare is an environmental NGO, that consists of passionate environmental activists; One of our concern is that as dolphin excursions are one of the main tourist activities in the country, if such a development was to be undertaken, it could affect the current dolphin excursions that take place in most of the tourist resorts and reduce the amount of these excursion trips.

DAM and ECOCARE Maldives strongly stands against caging the dolphins and doing scientific research that are currently undergoing in different parts of the world. “The affects of bringing an alien species into the country is unknown and unpredictable” said Zoona, Dive Instructor and the current President of DAM. Issues such as dolphins committing suicide in captivity were raised in the meeting to raise the importance of not undertaking such a project.

Another issue raised during the meeting was the importance of preserving the major dive sites of Maldives. The government has planned to reclaim different lagoons in south Male’ atoll where the best dive sites of Maldives have been known. Destroying the species or an ecosystem at whole is not acceptable. If the government plans for future developments it should strictly consider the environment ahead of financial benefits.

Mariyam Zulfa, the Minister of Tourism, stated that, she is totally against the development of a dolphin park. However she said that it’s not only her decision and that the decision is made by the cabinet. Also she mentioned that there are many other projects that undermine the environment but rather look into the financial benefits undergoing in the country. After the meeting with Minister of Tourism by chance we met the Minister of Housing and Environment, Mohamed Aslam and when asked about the situation he mentioned that he is not willing to give a professional comment.

***

“You don’t need to keep them behind walls to make sure they stay safe.”

Administrator — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 13:00:37 +0000

: Photo : http://www.whale-and-dolphin.com/

Hi,

I am not sure if I can comment on this page. For neither am I a Maldivian nor a marine biologist. However, having spent most of my childhood days in the place i still call ‘Paradise on Earth’ I would like to share my thoughts on the proposed ‘Dolphinarium’ as well.

In those days, there was a reason people flocked to Maldives the year around. My father worked as a manager in Universal Enterprises and that gave me the privilege of traveling to several resorts and interacting with the tourists who visited the country.

Most if not all the tourists I talked with told me that the first thing that came to their minds when they thought of Maldives was the feeling of being completely free from anything and everything in this world, a feeling they said they got as they watched fishes (mainly dolphins) playing in the ocean while cruising.

I agree times have changed and the Government would want to take extra measures to keep the dolphins safe in addition to keeping the tourism industry flourishing. However, keeping the dolphins captive in a dolphinarium cannot be considered the best option.

You don’t need to keep them behind walls to make sure they stay safe. Face It! Would we be able to survive within the confines of a walled up room our entire life? Would we be happy being forced to stay in a place we know is not our home? And would we be able to teach our children the values of life without actually showing them what it is really like outside?

As humans when we don’t have the proper answers to these questions, imagine what a mammal would do.

Just as we have the right to lead our own life, live in a house of our own and move around as we wish, animals need their freedom too! The Dolphinarium may be the next big thing Maldives has ever witnessed. However, it would be so at the cost of the happiness of the dolphins kept in it which sadly, we would not notice or tend to ignore.

Again, as I said, this is not to hurt personal sentiments or political views. There are other ways to keep dolphins safe than breeding them in a confined aquarium. And there are so many other ways to attract tourists to the island that claims to give equal rights to the all the creations of ALLAH the Almighty.

Please Consider!!!!

This letter was posted as a comment by Fathima Fairoze Abubakar on ECOCARE Maldives post “To me dolphins resembled freedom…” Thoughts of a 15 year old activist.

“To me dolphins resembled freedom…” – Thoughts of a 15 year old activist.

Administrator — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 07:04:42 +0000

Photo : http://maldivestourismonline.com

I am a 15 year old student. I have been fascinated by dolphins and whales as long as I can remember. Since I opened my eyes into a blessed island surrounded by the ocean, I have seen dolphins more than a few times in the wild. In my eyes, I saw breathtaking creatures that teased and leaped in the endless ocean. They are definitely interested and curious about human beings, and it was impossible not to feel their joy and freedom just watching them. To me, dolphins resembled freedom, and I’m sure that any Maldivian who had encountered the amazing cetaceans in the wild will feel it to some extent too!

About three years ago, my interest in animals made me persuade my parents to take me to the Safari World during a trip to Bangkok, Thailand. We visited the Dolphin and Beluga Whale show, which I profoundly regretted later. I could see the difference between the wild dolphins in Maldives and the dolphins in the show. They were miserable! Sure, the tank in which they were kept was gigantic, but I questioned myself. Is the tank big enough for these mammals that were once swimming in an endless ocean which by no means can be compared to this cage? Dolphins are mammals, not fish. They are huge, meaningful creatures with big hearts confined in a small body. Thus, that visit to the Safari World turned out to be my last trip to a place where dolphins and whales were cruelly kept in captivity. It was merely a feeling that these animals did not belong there.

Later, I saw the movie “The Cove” which confirmed that it was not only a feeling! Dolphins and whales do not belong in captivity. “In the wild, they’re travelling 40 miles a day. They could be surfing at one area in the morning, and the next hour they could be 25 miles away teasing or socializing. Dolphins are acoustic creatures. These dolphins are captured and put in a concrete tank surrounded by a stadium full of screaming people.” Imagine how they would feel!

When I heard the news about the opening of a dolphinarium in Maldives, it was like a nightmare come true! Since the government ministers have given Mr. Amir Mansoor the right to open a dolphinarium, I did a research on the Internet, trying to understand why the government would promote this absurd proposal to open a dolphinarium in an eco friendly country like Maldives. Here are a few facts that I believe the public, and the Maldivian government should be aware of:

The average life span of a dolphin in the wild is 45 years; yet half of all captured dolphins die within their first two years of captivity. The survivors last an average of only 5 years in captivity.
When a baby dolphin is born in captivity, the news is usually kept secret until the calf shows signs of survival. Although marine mammals do breed in captivity, the birth rate is not nearly as successful as the one in the wild, with high infant mortality rates.
Wild dolphins can swim 40 to 100 miles per day – in pools they go around in circles.
Many marine parks subject their mammals to hunger so they will perform for their food. Jumping through hoops, tail walking and playing ball are trained behaviors that do not occur in the wild.
When trapped together, males often become agitated and domineering. This creates pecking orders (unknown in the wild) and unprovoked attacks on each other and the trainers. In the ocean, although fights are not unknown, the wild dolphins have a chance to escape.

As dolphins and whales are large wild animals, the stress and trauma caused by captivity makes them dangerous, which proposes a threat to their trainers. The following is evidence.

In the year 2000, a dolphin entangled a trainer in a net, spun her around and held her underwater during a dolphin capture exercise at Sea World, San Diego. The trainer suffered three fractures and torn ligaments in her right arm.

In the year 2002, a Killer whale Orkid pulled a trainer into the pool by her foot at Sea World, San Diego. The trainer broke her arm before being rescued.

In the year 2006 a dolphin bit a boy celebrating his 7th birthday with a sleepover at SeaWorld Orlando. The boy, under the supervision of a SeaWorld employee, was petting the dolphin at the Dolphin Cove, a petting attraction. The boy’s mother, Hollie Bethany, told the Orlando Sentinel two adults had to pry the dolphin’s mouth open to free the boy’s hand. The bite bruised the boy’s thumb but did not break the skin. SeaWorld spokeswoman Becca Bides told the paper no changes are being planned for the attraction. A dolphin at the same attraction had bitten a 6-year-old Georgia boy on the arm three weeks earlier, the Sentinel reported. Bides said the dolphin in that incident might be sent to a “behavior modification” program.

In 2010, Trainer Dawn Brancheau, 40, was grabbed by a killer whale, pulled into the water and held there at Sea World, Orlando. She was killed brutally by this stressed out whale in front of thousands of spectators.

Like Richard O’Berry once said, dolphins are whales. Size does not matter!

I would like to state that no matter how much we try to replicate the features of the sea in a dolphin cage; there is no possibility that a dolphin held captive will be happy and healthy. This is not a matter of keeping the dolphins in Maldives safe. The dolphins that are bred in captivity and transported to Maldives are also dolphins. This is a matter of saving and protecting these wild animals and discouraging the brutal hunting and slaughtering of dolphins worldwide. I wish that this could not only be about the huge amounts of profit that could be made from this industry, but also about what a good deed we are doing for the environment and ways of life and nature by refraining from such activities which can only be stated as inhumane animal abuse. I sincerely hope that the government ministers and Mr. Amir Mansoor will consider this, and find sympathy and love in their hearts to prevent this nightmare from happening by abstaining from holding dolphins, which can help diminish the number of dolphins that are captured every year in order to be sold to dolphinariums all over the world.

This article was sent to ECOCARE Maldives by Karam Ibrahim, Ma. Kashmeeru Vaadhee. She is a 15 year old student who stands against the idea of a dolphinarium in Maldives.

Mark Berman – Earth Island Institute: writes to ECOCARE “Don’t Cage Dolphins” campaign

Administrator — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 13:58:27 +0000

Dear EcoCare Maldives,

I am Mark Berman Associate Director of Earth Island Institute and the director of dolphin safe tuna monitoring worldwide. This includes the dolphin safe tuna industry of Maldives.

I can state that the claim that only captive born dolphins from outside Maldives will be imported is still what it is a slave trade in dolphins for human abuse. The traffic in live dolphins MUST end. Breeding IS NOT sustainable in a captive setting. Keeping these dolphins in pens is also going to risk non native diseases to be spread to the wild dolphins of Maldives, plus if any escape these non native dolphins can cause genetic problems with the wild population.

Earth Island is also behind The Cove movie which stars Ric Obarry of our staff. We are prepared to launch an international campaign against this Maldives govt. sponsored BAD IDEA. We have over 2 million signatures on Facebook causes against the Japan govt.

Trade and killing of dolphins. Does Maldives want to really join this club of dolphin abuse after years of enjoying dolphin safe status? The tuna industry will be at risk if the govt allows imports of dolphins. The person proposing this does not discuss the source of the dolphins.

If they are captive bred, this means nothing as the parents were brutally captured from the wild. Therefore , the proponent is just as guilty as those capturing and trading in live dolphins. Ric Obarry and I will challenge the proponent and the Govt ministers to a debate in public in Male’ to show that the Maldives does not need to go down this road.

Sincerely,

Mark Berman
Earth Island Institute
berman@earthisland.org

: Mark Berman

Mark Berman is an Associate Director at the Earth Island Institute, International Marine Mammal Project and also is the Director, Dolphin-Safe Tuna Monitoring Program.

Mark Berman joined Earth Island Institute’s International Marine Mammal Project in 1991, and currently serves as Director of the International Monitoring Program for Dolphin Safe Tuna. With teams in 17 countries and the cooperation of over 370 companies, Berman works with the European Dolphin Safe Monitoring Organization to promote and license the registered dolphin-safe logo. Established to identify canned tuna processors, retailers and importers in the EU and other regions worldwide working in compliance, he campaigns to end fisheries unsafe to dolphins and stop whaling in Japan.

International Dolphin Safe Monitoring Program

ECOCARE welcomes Cabinet decision to go Solar in 29 islands

Administrator — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 19:34:53 +0000

Photo : http://www.wise-cleanenergy.info

ECOCARE Maldives welcomes the decision by the Cabinet to invest on solar charged electricity in 29 islands in the Maldives. ECOCARE Maldives supports the Governments endless efforts to invest more on green economy and sustainable development in the country. This shows the Governments commitment to make Maldives a Carbon-Neutral country by 2020.

The Cabinet has agreed to provide 29 small islands in the country, electricity through the more renewable source of solar energy. The Government Gazette reads that:

Small islands with less population in the Maldives which have low quality electricity plants cost a lot compared to the less amount of energy that is being consumed. Therefore it was finalized by the Cabinet to put forward an action plan for a solar energy project. 29 islands are identified where this project will undergo after the process of contract finance followed by the bidding of tender.

The 29 islands are as follows;

1. Haa Alif atoll Molhadhoo
2. Haa Alif atoll Baarah
3. Haa Alif atoll Thakandhoo
4. Haa Alif atoll Thuraakunu
5. Haa Alif atoll Muraidhoo
6. Haa Dhaal atoll Hirimaradhoo
7. Shaviyani atoll Maaungoodhoo
8. Shaviyani atoll Lhaimagu
9. Shaviyani atoll Noomaraa
10. Noonu atoll Henbadhoo
11. Noonu atoll Foddhoo
12. Noonu atoll Magoodhoo
13. Raa atoll Fainu
14. Raa atoll Inguraidhoo
15. Meemu atoll Dhiggaru
16. Meemu atoll Raiymandhoo
17. Faafu atoll Dharanboodhoo
18. Dhaalu atoll Bandidhoo
19. Dhaalu atoll Maaen’boodhoo
20. Thaa atoll Madifushi
21. Thaa atoll Gaadhihfushi
22. Thaa atoll Buruni
23. Thaa atoll Dhiyamigili
24. Thaa atoll Thimarafushi
25. Laamu atoll Gaadhoo
26. Laamu atoll Isdhoo
27. Laamu atoll Kunahandhoo
28. Laamu Gan Mathimaradhoo ward
29. Laamu Gan Mukurimagu road

Find News on Media:
On HAVEERU DAILY (Eng)

“Don’t Cage Dolphins!” – ECOCARE Maldives

Maeed M Zahir — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 18:51:35 +0000

: Put this as your profile picture, show that you protest too!

ECOCARE Maldives condemns the Cabinets approval to lease lagoon for the development of a Dolphin Park in the Maldives. Dolphins in the Maldives is a Protect Marine species since 15 May 1993. Whether the dolphins in question are imported in to the country or whether it is captive born and trained, ECOCARE Maldives stand strongly opposed to the concept of captivity/cage (enclosed in lagoon) of these marine mammals. We should not encourage the development of such facilities and centers in the country.

According to the government gazette, the Cabinet on October 4 deliberated on a paper presented by the Finance Ministry and approved the proposal to lease the lagoon located between Thilafushi and Baros to Mansoor as decided by the National Planning Council. The Cabinet decided to lease the lagoon situated between Thilafushi and Baros (N 55’15 4 degree, E 18’25 73) to famous Maldivian tennis player Mr. Amir Mansoor for 21 years.

: Government Gazette

ECOCARE Maldives have launched a campaign against the decision by the Cabinet to lease the lagoon for the development of this Dolphin Park and Dolphin training center. Join our campaign on Facebook “Don’t Cage Dolphins” to voice out your concerns on this issue.

ECOCARE Maldives is joined with “Protect Us” an animal rights activists group also based in Maldives in this campaign. To join our campaign contact us on our campaign/cause page on Facebook.

Check out ECOCARE Maldives post by Azan Abdulla :
A dolphin Park? Or a dolphin cage?

Also find a petition by The Nautical Tribe :
STOP the proposed Dolphin Lagoon in the Maldives!

A dolphin Park? Or a dolphin cage?

Mohamed Azan Abdulla — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 23:59:25 +0000

Photo: holistictour.com

Dolphins of course, are intelligent cetaceans around the world. They are mammals just like us. They are free living lovers of nature. They are closely related to whales and porpoises. They live around shallow waters mostly in the tropical region. They eat mostly fish and squid. We all love dolphins for what they are. But does this mean that we need to capture them and show the world what they can do?

In Maldives, different types of dolphins are seen. Spotted dolphins, striped dolphins and dwarf sperm whales are seen mostly. Dolphins are seen in almost all waters within Maldives. Dive centers, safaris and other organizations do conduct dolphin watching programs for tourists and locals. It seems that the Government of Maldives is leasing a lagoon to create a dolphin park. The Cabinet has approved a proposal to lease a lagoon for 21 years to Maldives top tennis player Amir Mansoor to develop a dolphin lagoon and training center.

Is this acceptable?! Dolphins are completely protected species in the Maldivian waters. I don’t think dolphins deserve to be in a cage for the rest of their life. They are fast swimmers and its hard for me to see them swimming in circles. Training dolphins is an impressive move, but is it impressive to train them for the use of human entertainment? Even though special care and medical attention are given to them. They are friendly creatures of course, but does this mean we could use them? According to the government gazette, the Cabinet on October 4 deliberated on a paper presented by the Finance Ministry and approved the proposal to lease the lagoon located between Thilafushi and Baros to Mansoor as decided by the National Planning Council.

Photo: indritours.com

Also Amir Mansoor says the dolphins that are gong to be brought for this project are bottlenose dolphins which were born and raised in captivity. So does this mean that bringing a creature raised from captivity should be again in another cage!?

Dolphins in captivity is not acceptable! These types of actions should not be done in a country like Maldives. In a country where environment protection law isn’t enforced, it is hard to trust the government that they are doing a good thing. They want to raise money by tricking the intelligence of these creatures for human entertainment and general amusement. Several environmentalists and marine animal lovers have shared their concerns against this project. We don’t need a dolphin park to see dolphins. Dolphins are seen anywhere around Maldives, a safari boat or a dive center can arrange a dolphin watching program on demand. This has shown me a question, is the Maldivian government planning to raise more money by creating animal cages?

Please share your concerns below or this website: http://scuba-tribe.com/news/governmentleasinglagoontocreateadolphinpark