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http://smh.com.au/news/WORLD/Dolphin-park-staff-deny-mistreatment/2006

 

/02/20/1140283982348.html#

 

Dolphin park staff deny mistreatment

 

February 20, 2006 - 11:59AM

 

The operator of a controversial dolphin park in the Solomon Islands

has rejected claims by US animal liberation activists that his

animals are starving and dehydrated.

 

Canadian Chris Porter, who runs the park on Gavetu Island, said a

recent cyclone that hit the Solomons had reduced fish supplies for

his dolphins but things were now back to normal and they were in

professional care.

 

Ric O'Barry, the former trainer of 1970s television star Flipper now

with animal protection group One Voice, last week joined Mark Berman

of the environmental group the Earth Island Institute to urge the

government to take over the park where they say 20 dolphins were

starving and dehydrated.

 

The export of 28 Bottlenose Dolphins from the park to Mexico in July

2004 sparked international outrage and prompted the Australian and

New Zealand governments to urge the Solomons to ban live dolphin

exports.

 

The Solomons government imposed such a ban last year.

 

O'Barry and Berman said from the Solomons capital Honiara on Friday

that the dolphins were in an emergency situation, starving,

dehydrated and in need of veterinary help.

 

O'Barry, who has campaigned against the captive dolphin industry

since his Flipper training days, said he had seen recent footage of

the dolphins made by an independent film maker which showed they were

malnourished, sunburnt and blistered.

 

The footage showed they had " peanut heads " , a sure sign they had lost

so much weight their heads were shaped like peanuts about their

skulls, he said.

 

Porter has defended his operation but said the recent cyclone did

take out two of the park's pool systems and depleted the local fish

supply.

 

He said 20,000kg of fish was in a container on the wharf in the

Solomons capital Honiara but the cyclone prevented its dispatch by

boat to Gavetu.

 

" Some local fish was procured but it did lead to less than normal

food availability.

 

" The fish supply is back to normal as finally all the boats are back

in the water.

 

" We are addressing all the problems and the group of animals remains

under professional care. "

 

Porter said the ban on dolphin exports had affected the park because

occasional dolphin exports were to have financed the tourism

operation.

 

He said his company was pursuing a complaint with the Australian High

Commission after Australians working with the Regional Assistance

Mission to Solomon Islands (RAMSI) were advised they should not visit

the island because of Australian government rules regarding

interactions with wild dolphins.

 

Such a ban reduced tourist numbers to the island, Porter said.

 

O'Barry and Berman said four of the park's dolphins had died in

recent weeks leaving only 20 out of more than 100 originally captured

for the park.

 

© 2006 AAP