St. Maarten Private Eye

Letter to Minister of Public Health - Sandra Smith

St. Maarten, 4 April 2006
To:

The Minister of Public Health and Hygiene
The Honorable Sandra Smith,

Congratulations on your appointment as Minister of such an important department of our Central Government. I wish you a very healthy, hygienic, challenging but peaceful period.

May I refer to a letter sent to Mrs. T. Brewster in October 2004 concerning the dolphinarium plans on St. Maarten?

In short, there are several points why a dolphinarium is a bad idea for St. Maarten and its economy. Atlantida, the commercial dolphinarium company, has a very negative reputation internationally and also in its own country of Mexico. To allow Atlantida to construct a dolphinarium here would be terrible for our island’s environment, its people, and its tourism industry. It would also be dreadful for the dolphins. There is nothing positive about a dolphinarium. It could actually be hazardous to the health and safety of the people who swim in water where dolphins are being held captive.

Please study these photographs displayed on Curacao Sea Aquarium’s Web site

Notice the difference in color of the water in several dolphin compartments due to all the dolphin waste concentrated in such a small spot 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The dolphin waste attracts bacteria, and this will promote the growth of algae. Algae will not only harm the surrounding reefs but will also threaten a long stretch of the coastline affected by the natural current. Soon people will wonder who wants to swim in this concentration of waste, who will clean it up, and how will it be cleaned up since a simple brush will make matters worse as the Mexican coast already has experienced. Please let me know if you want or need more information.

Atlantida, a Mexican-based dolphin company, still has plans to open a dolphinarium on St. Maarten. Much has happened since October 2004. Up till now the outcome of the acts taken by Mrs. Brewster and her department were and still are very positive. It was stated that only one more dolphinarium would be allowed within the Netherlands Antilles and only if this company could comply with 13 important conditions.

The following is an excerpt from the Position Paper on Dolphins in Captivity from the Department of Environment, which falls under the Ministry of Public Health and Social Development:
The company received an ‘in principle’ agreement that they would get a permit if they would meet the conditions.
And furthermore:
Further requests for permits for captive dolphin facilities on any of the islands of the Netherlands Antilles under the exemption rule of the SPAW Protocol, will no longer be considered by the Netherlands Antilles.

Although a bit confusing because the reasons given for not allowing more dolphinaria would be exactly the same reasons not to allow this one specific dolphinarium for St. Maarten in the first place, the statement was very well accepted by international NGOs because it is a strong statement originating from the Caribbean.

The following questions arose in the meantime:

• How far along are plans in St. Maarten for the second exempted dolphinarium?
• Did Atlantida comply with all the 13 conditions?
• Will those 13 conditions and the exemption expire at a certain time? Valid till when?
• In case of expired dates will there be another exception made for the same company or another company?
• Are you aware of the export permit given by Mexico on January 26, 2006 to Atlantida to ship 13 dolphins to St. Maarten? (see attachments) This happened one day before the Government of Mexico officially banned the importation and exportation of primates and marine mammals.
• Who is responsible for issuing an importation permit for the 13 dolphins to enter St. Maarten, the Netherlands Antilles?
• Has such a permit already been issued?
• Are there plans to issue such a permit in the near future within the next 6 months?
• What will happen to the suggestions and statements made by your department if in 2007 the Netherlands Antilles falls apart?
• Is there any assurance that the conditions stipulated by your department will be honored by our local government if St. Maarten separates from the Netherlands Antilles?

Please excuse me if this overwhelms you at the start of your new position, but it is very important for the long-term future of St. Maarten and its economy.

Thank you in advance for your attention.

Yours sincerely,

Mercedes De Windt
Archimedes Street 20,
Colebay, St. Maarten,
Netherlands Antilles
Phone 599 54 42015
GSM 599 55 33116

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