Is It Cruel?

Overview of the exportation of bottlenose dolphins (tursiops truncatus) from the Ukraine and Russia to foreign facilities since 1992.

• Hungary
  In summer 1992 5 bottlenose-dolphins were imported without CITES permits to a public swimming-pool in Budapest. One animal died during the transfer and one within the first days. The dolphins were kept in clear water and two of the three dolphins were in really bad health. The dolphin show was forbidden and the 3 surviving dolphins were transfered back to Sevastopol.

• Argentina
  Since 1992 in toal 14 bottlenose dolphins from the black sea were imported to Argentina. In time only 1 animal is still alive and actually kept in a facility in Columbia.

• Israel
  6 bottlenose dolphins were transfered to Israel and only one animal survived. This dolphin was transfered back in 1995.

• Turkey
  In summer 1995 4 bottlenose dolphins were transfered to Marmaris, a touris town in Turkey, and were kept in a fenced off facility within a polluted harbour. The dolphinarium was finally closed down and the dolphins transfered back.

• Malta
  In August 1992 4 bottlenose dolphins were imported to Malta from former Yugoslavia. One dolphin died in January 1993. The argumentation from the people involved running a dolphinshow in Malta to import the dolphins was based on emotional pressure. "The choice was either to admit these dolphins from former Yugoslavia or they would die". These 4 dolphins and the 5 dolphins that were transfered to Hungary are 9 animals of 14 which were transfered from the Ukraine to former Yugoslavia in 1992. The status of the 5 dolphins left is unknown.

• Cyprus
  In late October 1994 4 bottlenose dolphins got imported from Russia to a facility in Cyprus. The facility was established without permission from the Department of Town Planning as well as the Ministry for Agriculture, Natural Resources and the Environment which is the competent authority and hence responsible for monitoring the health and welfare of the dolphins, was not even informed of the import.

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