Last year, with the kind help of Voiceless, the animal protection institute and the Animal Law Institute, Action for Dolphins launched legal action against an Australian marine park.
The lawsuit was widely reported by media outlets, including Channel Ten’s The Project. As a result, more than a million people around the world were asked to consider the ethics of dolphin captivity – some for the very first time.
After many months of complex legal negotiations AFD is very excited to announce a sea pen sanctuary to retire captive dolphins is now on the horizon!
First step: feasibility study
The great news is, Dolphin Marine Magic has announced it is willing to complete a joint feasibility study – a crucial first step towards getting these dolphins out of pools and into the ocean.
If the study proves the sanctuary is viable, and in the animals’ best interests, the five dolphins currently in swimming pools at DMM could be moved to Australia’s first ever sea pen sanctuary!
What will the study investigate?
The five dolphins at DMM have spent many years in captivity. Moving them into the wild is a huge undertaking. This important study will investigate:
- the dolphins’ welfare and health
- the proposed sea pen location
- the surrounding environment
- hydrology, storm protection and water quality, and
- architectural and engineering models for designing the sea pen.
Why can’t we just move the dolphins right now?
We want to empty the tanks ASAP, but releasing the dolphins without first carrying out this important research could do more harm than good. These dolphins have been in captivity for many years. They don’t have the necessary skills to survive in the wild and could be hurt by predators.
We have a responsibility to make sure these five dolphins are given the best chance possible at a new life in the ocean. And the only way to do this is to carry out proper due diligence, do the research, and design a state-of-the-art sea pen sanctuary these dolphins can hopefully soon call home.
Your support made this happen 🙂
We are thrilled to be taking this enormous first step for dolphins and simply could not have gotten to this tipping point without your help. Thank you so much for giving dolphins vital hope for a new life – in the ocean, where they belong.