Villagers calling dolphin
Solomon Star 30 Jun 09;
The Philippines-owned CITES science team has just sent a letter to the government of Philippines that the import of the dolphins from Solomons earlier this year is NOT legal under Philippine law. There are now grounds to halt the re-export to Singapore as the legality is questioned.
DEAR EDITOR - I read the story with interest and concern by Pastor Wilfred Liligeto who claims that the Bita'ama Villagers method of calling dolphins to either their deaths or permanent prison is a good thing.
This pastor, first is not only totally wrong, he is misleading the citizens of the Solomon Islands and his church members about the true nature of dolphins.
A person who is a man of God is thought to be impartial in the treatment of non-humans and to want their protection.
Therefore, the pastor is no different than the greedy dolphin captors and the dealers who earn thousands of dollars by destroying the lives and families of dolphins. Dolphins have families just as humans.
They deserve their rights to live in the ocean FREE from all human exploitation, whether killing, capturing for shows and entertainment and fake tourism.
The pastor is wrong to think this industry will bring money to the village of Bita'ama. They will see nothing of tourism as the international NGO community is already calling for boycotts of captive dolphin based tourism.
And the lack of science in Solomons government with regard to dolphin catch and export is preventing CITES authorisation for trade.
The Philippines-owned CITES science team has just sent a letter to the government of Philippines that the import of the dolphins from Solomons earlier this year is NOT legal under Philippine law. There are now grounds to halt the re-export to Singapore as the legality is questioned.
The pastor must teach his church and the villagers that dolphins must be respected in the wild as in the Western Province.
If you want to see dolphins, hire a boat and view them in the wild where they belong. Why create a dolphin prison when in your area you can see wild dolphins without turning them into slaves for humans?
The dolphin trade is on its last and dying breath. The international community will not stop working until it is a dead trade.
Japan and Solomon Islands are the only countries outside of Russia still involved in this disgusting and insidious trade.
It is time to move into the 21st century and respect these and other species for their own being and in their habitat.
God did not create these mammals for you or me, only for themselves. The pastor needs to end his hypocrisy and do what is right for the Solomon Islands.
As long as Malaita has a dolphin trade and dolphin kill, there can be no dolphin safe tuna company in the province. The choice is for the Solomons to make.
Mark Berman
Lawrence Makili
Earth Island Institute
Background and more links on the wild shores of singapore blog.
