Resorts World Sentosa: Oh where, oh where have the dolphins gone?

Esther Ng Today Online 8 Jan 11;

LANGKAWI - First there were seven, then five and now there are none.

The five remaining bottlenose dolphins at a holding area in Langkawi destined for Resorts World Sentosa's (RWS) Marine Life Park were no longer at the pen of the Awana Porto Malai resort when MediaCorp visited on Friday.

An employee who wanted to be known as Ahmed, told MediaCorp that the dolphins were put into a container last month and sent to Langkawi's international airport, from where they shipped to the Philippines.

MediaCorp had reported on Dec 18 that two of the dolphins had died from an acute bacterial infection in October.

The dolphins were caught in the Solomon Islands last January.

Mr Ahmed believes that the rest were moved from the Malaysian resort, which is owned by the Genting group, because the water "was not good" for their health.

"We had a lot of rain and muddy run-off from the nearby mountains could have affected the dolphins," he said.

Until they were removed, said Mr Ahmed, the dolphins were friendly and trained three times a day by six trainers - two each from Mexico, Hong Kong and Singapore.

"Contacted by MediaCorp, RWS was unable to respond by press time if the mammals were joining its 18 other dolphins being trained at the Ocean Adventure Park in the Philippines.

The RWS had previously said the dolphins there were in "good health" and that it was continuing with the "development and establishment of the medical, behavioural, husbandry and training programmes ... to ensure the well-being and health of the dolphins".

While animal activists have been up in arms about the captivity of dolphins in Singapore, RWS had stressed that the Marine Life Park was "part of the bid" when it won the integrated resort licence.

After winning the bid, RWS signed an agreement with the Sentosa Development Corporation, a Government statutory board. This means the ball is not just in the RWS court when it comes to any decision about the dolphins.

On Friday, the RWS wrote to MediaCorp to explain how its Marine Life Park would support conservation.

Meanwhile, the Singapore Tourism Board stressed on Friday that RWS must comply with international regulations, which include the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (Cites), as well as the requirements of the Agri-food and Veterinary Authority to safeguard animal health.

Bottlenose dolphins are listed in Appendix II of Cites, which entails strict regulations in their trade. The RWS had said previously it would comply with these regulations.

RWS relocates 7 dolphins to Philippines
Channel NewsAsia 8 Jan 11;

SINGAPORE: Resorts World Sentosa (RWS) says it has relocated seven dolphins to the Philippines as part of its overall strategy to set up a satellite facility identical to its permanent operations in Singapore.

The dolphins are destined for RWS' yet-to-be-completed Marine Life Park.

RWS adds that it has set up an animal hospital and laboratory in the Philippines, hired a vet who specialises in marine mammals to support its consulting veterinary team and continue with its husbandry and behaviour training programmes.

The integrated resort says the relocation of the dolphins in December last year from a holding area in Malaysia's Langkawi island to the Philippines was done to enhance and expand the training and development of the dolphins and trainers as well as to continue integrating the dolphins into social groupings.

RWS will also start preparations to commence its long-term goal of developing a breeding programme for the dolphins.

It says details of the Marine Life Park are still being finalised.

The care and well-being of the dolphins are of paramount importance and they will be moved to Singapore only when the facility is ready, fully complying with international regulations, which include the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna, says RWS.

There were originally nine dolphins at the Langkawi holding area, but two died in October from an acute bacterial infection. The dolphins were caught from the wild at Solomon Islands in January last year.

RWS moves dolphins again
Straits Times 9 Jan 11;

Seven dolphins destined for Resorts World Sentosa (RWS) have been moved from their holding pen on the Malaysian island of Langkawi to another facility in the Philippines.

The move comes after two dolphins died in captivity in Langkawi in October, drawing flak from animal welfare groups. They had suffered an acute bacterial infection.

Captured in January last year at the Solomon Islands, the nine dolphins were first brought to Langkawi for training by professional RWS trainers.

According to RWS spokesman Robin Goh, the move to the Philippines was done 'to enhance and expand the training and development of the dolphins'.

In addition, it also wants to integrate the dolphins into social groups, and is preparing to start a long-term breeding programme.

It plans to use the dolphins for its Marine Life Park, an 8ha oceanarium which was part of its winning proposal to build the Sentosa integrated resort in 2006.

It could not confirm when the park will officially open this year, or what role the dolphins would play in it.

It did not comment on whether the dolphins were moved because of what could be poor water quality at the Langkawi facility that could have threatened the dolphins' health.

To prevent any further deaths, Mr Goh said RWS has built an animal hospital and laboratory at its facility in the Philippines, and has hired a full-time vet who specialises in marine mammals to join its consultative team of vets.

The trade of bottlenose dolphins is governed by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, which RWS said it has pledged to comply fully with.

Lin Yang