Makili: More dolphins ready for export here
Solomon Star 24 Dec 08;
ELEVEN more bottlenose dolphins are expected to leave the country before the end of this year, Earth Island Regional Director Lawrence Makili claimed.
Mr Makili said documents be obtained confirmed 11 more dolphins will be exported to the Philippines before the year ends.
“I have confirmation from the receiving party in the Philippines that 11 dolphins should be sent before the end of this year,” he said.
However he said whoever will be exporting the dolphins from this end is still unclear.
The Ministries of Fisheries and Conservation when contacted said they have no knowledge of the matter.
But a senior officer in the Fisheries Ministry who want his name withheld said if things are sorted out properly, it is not an illegal deal.
“Licence holders are allowed by the government to export up to 100 dolphins each year,” he said.
The country has five licence holders.
One of them, Solomon Islands Marine Mammal Education Centre, owned by Canadian Chris Porter, recently exported seven bottlenose dolphins to a marine park in the Philippines.
The dolphins will be trained there before they are sent to Resorts World Park in Singapore.
Mr Makili accused the Government of ignorance, saying a research which export of live dolphins should base on has not been completed.
“There’s a research which was not completed, and the research will determine the population of wild dolphins in our waters,” he said.
He said to allow the export of live dolphins without knowing exactly the population in our waters is ridiculous.
Mr Makili said they will ensure the 11 dolphins that is ready for export will not go unnoticed like the seven that left early this month.
“We will ensure the public and the rest of the world know about the movement of the dolphins and to see how bad-mannered Solomon Islands is towards these friendly mammals,” he said.
Mr Makil said all the dolphins are only sent to the Philippines for training.
“They’ll be re-exported to Singapore later next year.”
By EDNAL PALMER
