Dolphin captures in Solomon Islands are linked to Panama, Dubai

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From ANIMAL PEOPLE, July/August 2007:

 

 

Dolphin captures in Solomon Islands are linked to Panama, Dubai

 

 

GAVATU-- As of July 24, 2007, Canadian dolphin broker

Christopher Porter was reportedly holding as many as 50 recently

captured dolphins in sea pens at Malaita in the Solomon Islands.

" Ocean Embassy, also known as the Wildlife International

Network, is in the Solomon Islands trying to export the dolphins to

Dubai, " Dolphin Project founder Ric O'Barry told ANIMAL PEOPLE.

Five new dolphin facilities in Dubai want dolphins, whales, polar

bears--every marine mammal they can get. Ocean Embassy is the broker.

" Somehow Ocean Embassy has been able to stay out of the media

regarding Dubai, " O'Barry added. " They brokered the deal but Porter

gets all of the attention. Ocean Embassy represents big money, "

O'Barry continued. " They dwarf Porter's operation. The parent

corporation began selling securities via a private placement offering

in the United States in late 2003. At present, the parent company is

represented by 195 investors from the United States, Mexico, the

United Kingdom, and France.

" Capital raised through the private placement offering

enabled the founders and management team to create Ocean Embassy

Panama as the inaugural site for the company, " O'Barry said. " Ocean

Embassy Panama is located in the San Carlos District on the Pacific

coast of Panama. The company began construction in San Carlos in

August 2006. "

The San Carlos area " could become the next Orlando, " former

Sea World senior dolphin trainer Mark Simmons told Los Angeles Times

staff writer Chris Kraul. Kraul identified Simmons as executive vice

president of Wildlife International Network.

" As proposed, " wrote Kraul, " the $500-million resort and

residential community would be built on a 700-acre site 50 miles west

of Panama City. The centerpiece would be an interactive aquatic park

where tourists would pay $100 or more to frolic for a few minutes

with the friends of Flipper. "

Noting that polls show 81% of Panamanians oppose dolphin

captures, Kraul predicted that, " In the end, the fate of the Ocean

Embassy theme park may hinge on politics. President Martin Torrijos

has not taken a public stand, but is said to be concerned that the

park might spur U.S. environmentalists to oppose a bilateral free

trade agreement that goes before lawmakers in both countries later

this year. "

O'Barry and others have been concerned that the Ocean Embassy

development in Panama might become a base for exporting dolphins

throughout the world, whether captured in Panamian waters or

elsewhere.

" The export of Panamanian dolphins and whales was in fact

part of the free trade negotiations, conducted secretly while the

Panamanian people were being assured that there will be no such

exports, " charged Eric Jackson of the Panama News.

Contending that he is " working to provide a live alternative

use " for dolphins who would otherwise be hunted for their teeth and

meat, Porter on July 3, 2007 challenged Ric O'Barry of the Dolphin

Project to debate-- " Ideally at Fanalei in the Solomon Islands, a

village that continues to practice dolphin hunting, " but perhaps

instead at " a Starbucks in San Francisco. "

O'Barry accepted the invitation, but declined the Solomon

Islands venue in light of a July 2, 2007 Reuters report about how

" Followers of a warlord " in that region " tortured and beheaded at

least three men 10 days ago and razed an entire village " of 500

people, ahead of the anticipated arrival of 2,000 international

peacekeepers. O'Barry asked that the debate be held " in the offices

of the Secretariat of the Convention on International Trade in

Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora in Geneva, Switzerland, "

with experts on zoonotic disease transmission between humans and

dolphins present.

In addition, O'Barry asked Porter to " include your fellow

dolphin dealers in the debate. Their names are Dr. Ted N. Turner,

Robin Friday, Mark Simmons and Dr. Ted Hammond. "

ANIMAL PEOPLE took the opportunity to ask Porter, " How many

dolphins per year are killed for teeth and meat by the residents of

the Solomon Islands? How many are killed by the people you are

working with? How does this compare to the mortality rate in capture

and transportation? Can you cite any examples, from anywhere in the

world, where promoting a dolphin capture industry has led to a net

reduction in the numbers of dolphins killed for other purposes? "

Porter replied four times within the next seven hours,

without actually answering any of the questions--but Solomon Islands

political office holder Lawrence Makili pointed out that, " There are

only two places in Malaita, " the island where Porter has his dolphin

capture operation, " that hunt dolphins for teeth: Lau, at the

northern end of the island, and Fanalei at the southern end of the

Island. The Fanalei people were originally from Lau, " Makili

explained. Other Malaita residents " don't hunt dolphins. " And even

the dolphin hunters hunt dolphins " primarily to get teeth for the

bride price, not for food, " Makili said.

Both ANIMAL PEOPLE and O'Barry also asked Porter to account

for the dolphins he captured in his first major export venture in the

Solomons.

Wrote O'Barry, " It is my understanding that you originally

captured about 170 dolphins back in 2003. Of those, 28

were transported to Cancun, Mexico. As you know, several of them

died at Park Nizuk. In 2004, 15 of the survivors were transferred

to Cozumel. If these figures are correct, this means that about 142

dolphins stayed with you in Fanalei. In 2004, you stated that

you only had 44 dolphins left. In 2005 you had 26, and in 2006 you

had 20. Then there were none. This was in June 2007, shortly

before you started capturing dolphins for Dubai. "

Porter did not account for any of the 122 dolphins whose fate

is unknown.

--Merritt Clifton

 

 

 

 

--

Merritt Clifton

Editor, ANIMAL PEOPLE

P.O. Box 960

Clinton, WA 98236

 

Telephone: 360-579-2505

Fax: 360-579-2575

E-mail: anmlpepl

Web: www.animalpeoplenews.org

 

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