St. Maarten Private Eye

Dolphin ACTION ALERT: Dominican Republic

Manati Park in the Dominican Republic (DR) is the worst captive dolphin swim program we have ever seen. It's the worst one on the planet. Too many dolphin have suffered and died there since it opened in 1995. The exact number of dead dolphins is not known for obvious reasons.

We finally have a chance to close this hell-hole once and for all. We need your help to do it -- it's easy too!

In 2002 eight more dolphins were captured in the Dominican Republic to replace the ones that were dying on a regular basis at the amusement park. These eight were known as The Eight Dolphins of the Virgin Mary: http://dolphinproject.org/?pageid=22282

Our colleague, Eva Schandl who first launched the campaign to close the park was there in 2005, she reports that only two dolphins were still alive at that time. The latest update is that these two survivors are now dead. In only four years, all eight are dead. Now Manati Park wants to get more dolphins from Cuba to replace them. Disposable dolphins for our disposable society.

Good News and Bad News:

The bad news is that Manati Park has applied to import at least four more dolphins from Cuba. The good news is that Mr. Pax Puig the minister of environment in the DR has not approved the permit -- yet -- to import more dolphins from Cuba. This is our chance to finally shut down Manati Park once and for all.

Please write a short message to Ministry of Environment, Mr. Pax Puig. Tell him that you support his decision not to not allow the importation of anymore dolphins for Manati Park.

Your message can be one sentence long. Please do it. You are the only hope.

Here's the address: Mr. Pax Puig: mortiz@medioambiente.gov.do

Thank you,

Richard O'Barry
Marine Mammal Specialist
One Voice-France

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