Guest guest Posted March 12, 2007 Report Share Posted March 12, 2007 Dear friends and colleagues, As you may know, Ocean Adventures is seeking to get a permit approved to capture 80 dolphins in Panama. They also have plans to start another captive dolphin brokerage house like the ones currently operating in Taiji, Japan and the one that we shut down in the Solomon Islands. We have plans to stop them and need your help. We are buying a full page in the leading Panamanian newspaper La Prensa. Can we can get the same 100 NGOs that signed on to the letter to the president of the Dominican Republic to participate in this open letter to the president of Panama? The letter will be translated into proper Spanish. The English version is posted below. If you care to join us, please contact me ASAP. Thanks, Richard O'Barry Marine Mammal Specialist International Marine Mammal Project Earth Island Institute Miami Florida Branch Phone/Fax: 305-668 1619 Mobile: 786-973 8618 Japan: 81-80 3637 8654 ricobarry www.SaveJapanDolphins.org His Excellency Martin Torrijos President of Panama Palacio Presidencial, San Felipe Valija 50 Panama 1, Panama March 13, 2007 URGENT: Capturing Dolphins in Panama Your Excellency, We the undersigned represent 100 international organizations comprising 15 million members, including leading members of the financial and entertainment industries. With one unified voice, we urge you to deny the request from Ocean Adventures to capture dolphins in Panama. These same businessmen who are requesting a permit from your government to capture your dolphins are not allowed to capture dolphins in their own country. This is the reason they are attempting to set up a captive dolphin brokerage business in Panama. A recent poll shows that the vast majority of your citizens do not want to see these violent captures take place. By denying the capture permit, you will be sending a powerful message to the rest of the world -- a clear message of Panama's respect for nobility and decency. People around the world associate Panama with pristine beauty, a unique country with greater diversity of wildlife than any country in Central America. Your 14 national parks, 10 wildlife refuges, vast forest reserves and extraordinary coral reef are the envy of most countries. Allowing these deadly dolphin captures to take place in your waters will severely cripple Panama's image as a country which respects and protects its wildlife. In attracting tourists, film companies and financial organizations, every country's greatest resource is its reputation. Standing up against cruelty on this high profile issue will greatly benefit your people and the Panamanian economy for many, many years to come. Respectfully yours, (Sign-on list) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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