Animal rights group and Dubai residents call for evidence of whale shark’s release
7 Days 23 Mar 10;
Campaigners are calling for Dubai’s Atlantis hotel to disclose details surrounding the release of its controversial whale shark amid speculation over the fate of the giant fish.
International campaign group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) branded the release “secretive” after the five-star resort refused to publicly discuss the decision to free the creature, provide photographs of the release or share details on how the female’s progress can be tracked by the public or marine researchers not associated with Atlantis.
Rumours have also surfaced on various web sites and forums that the creature may have been ill before she was released or is even dead.
Questions raised after ‘secretive’ release of Atlantis whale shark
PETA’s Asia director Jason Baker said: “We are concerned about her condition and hope Atlantis clarifies this soon.
She has been imprisoned in an environment that could never compare to the vast ocean she was used to.
Captivity creates a whole new set of health problems for whales and other marine mammals.
Most captive whales and dolphins, even in the ‘best’ captive enclosures, never reach old age.”
Adrian Steyn, a Dubai-based whale shark campaigner, said the secrecy surrounding the release would fuel speculation.
“The fact they are not releasing information is raising a justifiable level of suspicion.
The obvious standpoint now is that the whale shark has been released to save Atlantis embarrassment because they could not afford to have it die in their care.
The information about its tagging and progress is critical and should be shared with everyone - especially marine researchers who are still in the dark.”
Atlantis has remained, as ever, tight-lipped on the subject even as online campaigners are fearing the worst.
One person posted on a facebook site dedicated to the animal: “Atlantis are not normally publicity shy, its opening is proof
of that. So why did Atlantis keep the release of the whale shark so quiet?”
Another poster asked: “Do you think she might be dead?”
The shark was caught off Jebel Ali in August 2008.
Atlantis has consistently refused to comment on her condition since then and only a short statement was issued when she was freed on Thursday.
7DAYS emailed questions to Atlantis yesterday and received a brief response which said the whale shark was in “good health”.
It also said the tagging device will begin to transmit information to a marine lab in Florida after three months. It did not say who would have access to the tagging data or comment on why the whale shark was relea-sed or why there are no photos of the release.
It has also removed any posts on its facebook page relating to the whale shark, including a list of questions posed by 7DAYS.
