Solomon Islands exporting live dolphins

[Gilligan]

As many of you already know Mexico is importing live dolphins from the Solomon Islands. There is a posting on this site that contained an e mail address in the Solomon's for those wanting to protest the capture and exportation of live dolphins. I received a response from my e mail protest from "sbfish@ffa.int" in the Solomon's. I want to share that response with everyone here at Scuba Board. Their response is as follows and is unedited::shades:

I sympathize with your views. It is your right to express your views as do others who have expressed concern on the same issue. But I wonder if your concerns or allegations are based on correct or factual information about what is happening here in Solomon Islands. I am far from being convinced that what is happening here with the Dolphin is horrendous and barbaric.

The capture and export of Dolphins is done legally under the laws of this country. The exporter has a licence from this Department to undertake this business activity. Under the condition of his Licence, only 100 Dolphins PER YEAR can be exported "LIVE" and not "DEAD" from this country. What is the logic of capturing and keeping in confinement 200 Dolphins when he is only allowed a quota of 100.

Let me tell you something.

1. The method being used to capture Dolphins by local fishermen is the only fishing method which I know to have no bye-catches at all as do other fishing gears (purse seine nets etc). Besides, it is environment friendly as compared to a method such as use of CYANIDE to capture fish is South East Asian countries. If you want do, I can send you more information on how this tradtional fishing works or how it is done.
2. Some 300,000 Dolphins and Porpoises are killed uncessary every year by fishing boats using nets world wide (source BBC World - 24th July 2003) by Developed countries fishing fleets. Why are you and all others concern not bursting out in rage about this inhumane killing! Or is the 100 Dolphins trained and export live (well treated and handled) more cruel than killing 300,000 Dolphins by your rich nations.
3. The exporter is legally Licenced under our Law to undertake this activity and it is a condition of his Licence to accord the highest level of humane treatment to the Dolphins. He is not Licensed to kill or murder Dolphins!
4. Dolphins is Solomon Islands are the resource of this country and it is our right to use it for our benefit and survival. Our ancestors have used the resource for subsistence and and to earn money by selling products made from this resource. I am sorry you do not know dolphins as my people do. You are wealthy and therefore when poor people like us want to earn something from a resource we think belong to us, you barked at us. The Solomon Islands is not a CITES member
5. Look at other issues in your own country and address it. We will take care of ours at this end. If we want help we will call out to you. So far for the time beign just sit down and do somthing else don't bother us. We have a very important matter to attend to. THE DOLPHIN ISSUE IS UNDER CONTROL.

 

[Scubaroo]

That would be the email address for Nelson Kile,
Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources.

Obviously tourism doesn't fall under his jurisdiction given the wording of his letter!

Do you have a copy of what you sent them to generate this type of response???

Mind you, given that the country has been appealing for outside intervention to help reign in a local warlord/crimelord bent on civil war, they're probably annoyed that the dolphin issue is receiving so much international attention. I'm guessing that's where the wording "We have a very important matter to attend to" comes from. It's a shame that the link I provided did not have contacts to protest this to Mexican authorities, who had the power to block the importation.

 

[Gilligan]

This was my original e mail to the Solomon Islands Gov.:
Aloha from Hawaii,
I ask you to release the captured dolphins and not ship dolphins to any part of the world.
Thank you.
Jim

 

[ScottyK]

I guess, given the situation over there, there's not much direct action that can be taken at the source.

I would however, love to get the names of the Mexican parks that are buying them. I'll make a point of getting in touch with them and letting them know that they'll never see a dollar of my money. I believe the original article had them in Cancun, which is highly dependant on international tourist dollars.

I'm going to look into it, and post the name/names here if I can find them. I'd love to hear any other suggestions for action as well.

 

[ScottyK]

The place is called Parque Nizuk, and they can be E-mailed at info@parquenizuk.com

 

[Gilligan]

It takes a lot of pressure for the Mexican Government, or any government for that matter, to intervene in this dolphin situation. The last example I can think of where public pressure killed a major project in Mexico was the salt plant that Mitsubisihi was going to build in Southern Baja. The Mexican Government took the credit for cancelling the contract but Mitsubisihi likely backed out due to the public outcry over the internet to boycott their products worlwide. :shades:

 

[docmartin]

he does have a point though considering the 1000s of dolphins slaughtered as bycatch by "wealthy" nations versus the 100 dolphins they export. unfortunately, in many poor nations people face very tough economic choices when it comes to protecting the environment. to them the money from these dolphins probably makes a big difference. in the meantime we are getting ready to drill for oil in national parks and motor around in monster SUVs. therefore, i do understand that someone in the solomons may get frustrated by the industrialized world's hypocrisy when it comes to environmental protection.

 

[cyklon_300]

you could also direct your lobbying efforts here...

http://www.delphinschutz.org/bycatch-en.htm

 

[ScottyK]

Cyklon- good link, thanks. I found the attached PDF doc very insightful, and just popped off an E-mail to the E.U.

Hopefully, some others will also........Scott

Docmartin- Your post makes a lot of sense. I think that those among us that are fortunate enough to live in the more prosperous countries should be bearing the brunt of protecting the environment.

Certainly divers, who get so much pleasure from underwater environs, should be doing something to help ensure that things get better.