Εδώ και χρόνια, τα ευρωπαϊκά δελφινάρια αναπαράγουν αιχμάλωτα δελφίνια με πρόσχημα την επιμόρφωση του κοινού και την διατήρηση των ειδών. Τώρα όμως που πολλές επιχειρήσεις κλείνουν, στις χώρες της Ευρωπαϊκής Ένωσης δημιουργείται ένα πλεόνασμα από δελφίνια που πλέον δεν αποφέρουν κέρδος, μια πρόκληση για την λήψη αποφάσεων που θα συμφωνούν με τις σύγχρονες απόψεις για την ευζωία των ζώων, και ένα δίλημμα: τι είναι προτιμότερο, τσιμεντένιες αποθήκες ψυχών ή καταφύγια στην θάλασσα; Ποιοι αντιδρούν στην δημιουργία καταφυγίων ελεγχόμενης απελευθέρωσης των πρώην αιχμαλώτων και μη απελευθερώσιμων δελφινιών και γιατί;
Άρθρο της Hellen O'Barry στην ιστοσελίδα της οργάνωσης Dolphin Project, στις 6/02/25, με τίτλο "A warehouse or the ocean?" at https://www.dolphinproject.com/blog/a-warehouse-or-the-ocean/ [Fb, X, Stop Attica Zoological Park Dolphinariun (Athens - Greece)]
Δείτε επίσης Από τα Σπάτα στην Φλόριντα: Το παρασκήνιο της μεταφοράς και η μοίρα των αιχμάλωτων δελφινιών (μέρος 1ο)
Dolphinariums in Europe have been breeding dolphins for decades under the pretext of "conservation and education". The European Union now has a serious animal welfare predicament: more dolphins than dolphinariums have room for, even by their standards. This probably explains why the Attica Zoo near Athens, Greece, is seeking to send five of its dolphins to Clearwater Marine Aquarium (CMA) in the United States: Apparently, no facility in Europe has room to take them. Three of these dolphins are common bottlenose dolphins, and two are Black Sea dolphins. The bottlenose dolphins, named Blau, Nuik, and Tumay, were born at Spain’s Barcelona Zoo, which closed, and sent to Attica Zoo in 2020. The Black Sea dolphins, named Nima and Nojus, were born at the Lithuanian Sea Museum and arrived at Attica Zoo in 2010.
CMA’s permit application* discloses the issue of the EU’s overfilled dolphinariums. It explains that Attica Zoo is removing its dolphin collection permanently because the zoo wants to "refocus its resources, conservation and educational work on different species". The document** also specifies this will be a single import of five compatible male dolphins "to provide accommodation and care to optimize the welfare of marine mammals that are overpopulated in the European Union due to successful breeding and decreased availability of facilities". According to the document, they have "a surplus of marine mammals" because of "successful breeding", and some zoological institutions will not repair or replace their aging facilities. The document underscores that the population of captive dolphins in Europe has been self-sustaining for several years but now faces "an increasing challenge" in rehoming more than 60 animals. In addition to the aging facilities, the high costs of replacing them and even operating them as well as new legislation are driving the changes. Also, some facilities are planning "to phase out the species altogether".
So there it is. In their self-serving quest to secure a constant source of dolphins for public display, EU dolphinariums have produced far more dolphins than they can fit into existing stadiums. Now they are looking for alternate ways to warehouse them. Clearly, the dolphinarium industry, both in Europe and abroad, doesn’t want to see the establishment of ocean sanctuaries for captive dolphins. They seem determined to make sure the dolphins remain within the same archaic structure of their own industry. Spacious and more natural environments, where non-releasable dolphins can benefit from the sights and sounds of nature without being paraded on a stage, would make the industry’s dreary concrete theaters look unquestionably cruel in comparison. I suspect this is why every time a dolphinarium closes, the dolphins are shipped to another similar facility without any talk about the pressing need to create better lives for them closer to nature.
Unlike the dolphins already there, the Attica Zoo five (Blau, Nuik, Tumay, Nima, and Nojus) were not stranded or found in some other kind of trouble in nature. They were bred in captivity only to be put on display in a stadium. It remains to be seen if CMA is going to use them as photo ops for fun-seeking tourists. But either way, after a nearly 30-hour journey by land and air, they will find themselves confined once again inside a barren concrete detention space with nothing natural to explore and nowhere to swim to. They just have gone from one bad situation to another.
For years, captive dolphin theaters in Europe have completely ignored the enormous ethical complications of breeding one of the oceans' most powerful predators in tanks where they can’t put their natural abilities, including their highly sophisticated sonar, to any real use. I suspect they have assumed that paying audiences would ignore them, too. They did not take into account that legislators and the public in some countries would eventually catch on to the scheme and become increasingly sensitized to the dolphins’ plight. It’s about time the staff of these facilities took responsibility for the problems they have created through excessive breeding. They should be focusing their efforts on establishing real sanctuaries where non-releasable dolphins still receive care from humans while enjoying the ability to use their power and strength to swim normally, dive, and explore using their sonar, and never again have to perform abnormal stunts for food rewards of dead fish.
The closure of Attica Zoo’s dolphin stadium is a win for dolphin freedom advocates. There will be no more captive dolphins in Greece, probably forever. Every time a dolphinarium closes, it pressures others to do the same. We hope the EU will eventually become dolphinaria free. Attica Zoo’s decision to close its dolphin exhibit is the right one, but the decision to send five dolphins to another dreary tank on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean is not. For them, this is not a win.
The others are named Leevi, Eevertti, Ekinox, and Naska. Leevi and Eevertti are the offspring of wild-caught dolphins from Florida, USA. They were born at Särkänniemi Adventure Park in Finland and sent to Attica Zoo in 2016 after the Finnish dolphinarium announced its closure. Ekinox and Naska were born at the now closed Parc Asterix in France and sent to Attica Zoo in 2016.
I have not seen any news outlets mention them in connection with the permanent closure of Attica Zoo’s dolphin exhibit, and that makes me wonder, What is Attica Zoo planning to do with them?
Photo1 at https://www.dolphinproject.com/blog/a-warehouse-or-the-ocean/
Photo2 at https://www.cmaquarium.org/experiences/paint-with-a-dolphin/
**https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/s3/2024-12/28233-CMA-application-final.pdf
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