Born Free Foundation - Keep Wildlife in the Wild

The captive dolphin industry has become big business – from the tour operators who sell the excursions, to the facilities that train and perform the animals, to the people who are still capturing wild dolphins from the wild to maintain the industry.  However, concerns that these animals are exploited as commodities, with little regard for their welfare and needs, brings their use within the tourism experience at all, into question.  The travel industry is therefore faced with the dolphin dilemma.

There are thought to be over 1,000 individual dolphins currently being kept in over 200 facilities worldwide mainly congregated around the tourist resorts of Southern Europe, North America, Asia, the Caribbean and increasingly the Middle East.  The vast majority of these animals originated in the wild but were separated from their family pods and captured for a lifetime in captivity.  Only in Europe and the USA have captive breeding efforts succeeded in maintaining the captive population in some facilities.  Dolphins (mainly bottlenose) are still captured from waters off Cuba, Solomon Islands, Japan and other places to supply a non-sustainable industry marred by high mortalities, low breeding success and physiological problems.  Yet, the number of facilities is on the increase and this is a direct result of the tourism industry.

For tour operators keen to promote and pursue a responsible and sustainable agenda, the sale of excursions to dolphinaria therefore poses difficulties.  In spite of the concerns over poor welfare and non-sustainability, dolphinaria can bring huge profits to a few (individual dolphins can sell for between US$6,200 to US$100,000 or more) and for many people, getting close to dolphins, made easier by the growing number of captive dolphin facilities, is something on the top of their wish list, although for many, the experience is disappointing and raises concerns for the animals.  Animal welfare vs. profit and customer satisfaction - the dolphin dilemma.

The Travelife Animal Attraction Handbook, which aims to improve the sustainability of tourism businesses which offer interactions with animals, will soon publish supplemental guidance for the inspection of dolphin facilities worldwide.  Its aim, through the application of the Captive Animal Checklist, is to phase-out bad practices, poor housing conditions and certain activities which are known to cause the dolphin severe distress.  This is certainly a step forward and demonstrates that the responsible travel industry is concerned about the welfare of dolphins and other captive cetacea.  Furthermore, it also aims to address their wild capture by discouraging facilities from importing wild-caught animals and requiring captive dolphin facilities to demonstrate educational and conservation benefit and value - something which the majority currently fail to do.

This is not the ultimate outcome desired by animal welfare organisations, including the Born Free Foundation, and indeed some members of the public, nor has the industry completely tackled the dolphin dilemma, but it can recognise its responsibilities and is using its influence to phase-out the bad practice.  Furthermore, the industry is now engaged with animal welfare issues, and keen to continue to seek ways to address the concerns of animal organisations and the public.  These first steps must be welcomed and encouraged.

The Born Free Foundation has teamed up with the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society to provide the travel industry with consolidated, reliable information about the captive dolphin industry.  This will be published online next month.  Contact daniel@bornfree.org.uk for details.

The Born Free Foundation works to end the exploitation of wild animals in captivity, phase out zoos and dolphinaria, and protect species in the wild.