Thailand Breaches Rules On Wild Dolphins In Captivity

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Thailand breaches rules on wild dolphins in captivity

Edwin Wiek

Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand

Special to The Nation

Thailand is witnessing an ever-increasing legal and illegal exploitation of local wildlife and marine life

Dolphins have been kept in captivity in Thailand since 1986. The first wild pink dolphin was caught and kept at Laem Singh in Chanthaburi by Mr Vichai Wattanapong, which later became Oasis Sea World. But it wasn't until recent years that interest in new dolphinaria has developed within Thailand.

Several attempts to start up aquariums containing wild-caught dolphins in Phuket and Koh Samui did not eventuate. One involved a Danish scientist who tried and failed to win the support of local politicians and businessmen to start a dolphinarium in Phuket in order to treat autistic children, three years ago.

Likewise, a Koh Samui resort owned by a politically influential Thai family purchased a locally caught wild pink dolphin in an attempt to increase tourist interest. While they claimed that they had rescued the dolphin from a collision with a fishing boat, the dolphin was trained to perform shows instead of being medically treated, with evidence of which being printed in The Nation in February 2007.

The poor animal was later confiscated and freed back into the gulf of Thailand, with the resort's further plans of obtaining more dolphins being cancelled.

Prior to this, two enterprises initiated the exploitation of dolphins many years earlier: Oasis Sea World in Chanthaburi (established in 1991) and the "Sanctuary of Truth" in Pattaya (established in about 2001).

Both resorts claimed to be merely rescuing wild dolphins that were harmed by the fishing industry, building ponds in order to nurse the "rescued" dolphins back to health. However, the dolphins were instead trained to perform shows, attracting tourists with the promise of rare and beautiful species of wild dolphins.

Oasis Sea World was even able to export six pink dolphins to Singapore in 1999, despite the international regulatory body the Conference on International trade of Endangered Species (CITES) clearly forbidding the trade of wild-caught specimens for entertainment purposes. The Sanctuary of Truth allegedly still does not even have a zoo permit to date.

Thankfully, a campaign led by the Thai Animal Guardians Association, the Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand and Care for the Wild International, which called on the Thai government to enforce the CITES regulations and local laws, put an end to the export of dolphins after the financially lucrative deals undertaken by Oasis Sea world.

With such exports banned and its location a little inconvenient for tourists, Oasis Sea World was forced to look into other options to increase profits. This resulted in the "Pattaya Dolphin World and Resort" being developed last year. A soft opening on August 12 this year saw the transfer of seven of 18 dolphins at Oasis Sea World, but improved visitor numbers and profits are expected by the end of this year for both Oasis and Pattaya Dolphin Worlds.

On Phuket Island, there were serious plans last year and early this year to construct yet another dolphinarium by a Canadian national and a group of foreign investors. After several articles in a local newspaper and a number of open blog discussions, it was clear that a lot of the locals and expatriates did not agree with the plans, resulting in some investors since retracting financial support. No zoo or building permits have yet been requested or issued.

People involved in the Phuket project wished to display local and imported species, but acquiring local species may be nearly impossible, and it could be similarly tricky to import species from the Solomon Islands after changes in the law disallowing any further export licences from January 1, 2012.

The Phuket project is not completely out of the question just yet, however, but with continued pressure from environmental organisations, it may be cancelled entirely.

The current figures on captive dolphins in Thailand are:

Dolphin species found in captivity in Thailand:

Pink or Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin (Sousa chinensis)* 7 to 8 individuals at 3 places.

Irrawaddy dolphin (Orcaella brevirostris)* 14-15 individuals at 3 places.

Bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncates) 6 or more at 1 place.

Beluga or white whale (Delphina-pterus leucas) 4 or more at 1 place.

Origin:

*Local dolphin species (wild-caught) 21-23 in total (both CITES Appendix 1 protected).

Imported (with CITES permits) dolphins or whales: 10 or more.

Locations where dolphins are found in captivity:

Sanctuary of Truth, Pattaya: 3 to 5.

Dolphin World and Resort Pattaya: 7.

Oasis Sea World, Chanthaburi: 11.

Safari World, Bangkok: 10 or more.

"The Cove", an Academy Award-winning documentary that exposes the annual slaughter of dolphins in Japan, will show at the Foreign Correspondents' Club in Bangkok at 8pm tonight (Thursday). For details see

www.fccthai.com.

-- The Nation 2011-09-29

[RedNIvar]

They don't respect illegal and foreign workers, you think they actually give a cr*p about dolphins. Now Panda bears a different story, here they will dedicate an entire channel on True.

[rkidlad]

They don't respect illegal and foreign workers, you think they actually give a cr*p about dolphins. Now Panda bears a different story, here they will dedicate an entire channel on True.

That's because pandas are Chinese and high-so.

[Wildliferescue]

They don't respect illegal and foreign workers, you think they actually give a cr*p about dolphins. Now Panda bears a different story, here they will dedicate an entire channel on True.

That may count for some people, but that should be no reason to just do nothing about it.

I have been living in Thailand for 22 years and I am absolutely sure that if Thai people know what happens to dolphins "behind the scenes" and at capture from the wild the majority will care. A matter of education and awareness. If I am wrong I might have just wasted 12 years of my life, but then again it's my life. ;-)

[edgarfriendly]

if they cared about each other a bit more it would be a good start...

slavery doesn't end with orphaned/stolen/rented children and immigrants...

amazing....ly sad!

[plumeria]

The "Cove" is a really scary movie.

Must see.

[cowslip]

just don't support these tacky dolphin "sanctuaries" - they are not!

[BKKdreaming]

and how many dolphins are caught in fishermans nets everyday ?

and not just by the Japanese....

Out of sight, out of mind ?

Seems like this was as much a planted story by the Wildlife Friends Foundation then a real story, and yes I have been to Sea World in San Diego and a long time ago Marineland in Palos Verdes

BK

[cowslip]

and how many dolphins are caught in fishermans nets everyday ?

and not just by the Japanese....

Out of sight, out of mind ?

Seems like this was as much a planted story by the Wildlife Friends Foundation then a real story, and yes I have been to Sea World in San Diego and a long time ago Marineland in Palos Verdes

BK

just because it's to of your mind doesn't mean others aren't concerned.

I fail to see how your argument holds together. Citing abuse outside Thailand hardly justifies the abuse within the country.