But some activists wonder if conservation project is a PR move
Ng Kai Ling Straits Times 1 Dec 12;
IT HAS been accused of exploiting dolphins for profit. Now, Resorts World Sentosa - which has had to manage the fallout from the recent death of one of its dolphins - is moving to save them.
The company is spending $500,000 to take on its first conservation project, to help save a group of dolphins in Thailand.
The aim of the three-year initiative is to prevent the Irrawaddy dolphins in Songkhla Lake, located in the south of the country, from being wiped out.
The project, which will begin next year, is a collaboration between RWS' Marine Life Park, Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok and Thailand's Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment.
Dr Nantarika Chansue, a veterinarian and the director of the Veterinary Medical Aquatic Animal Research Centre at Chulalongkorn University, said it is not known how many dolphins are left in the lake, but the population is fast depleting.
She said about 20 were counted at the lake "many years ago". She pointed out that the dolphins live in polluted and shallow waters, and often die after getting caught in fishing nets.
"These lovely animals have the right to live with us in the same environment," said Dr Nantarika, who was in Singapore to sign a memorandum of understanding with Marine Life Park.
She noted that the newly opened park has the expertise and equipment needed for the project.
It is estimated that there are only about 6,150 Irrawaddy dolphins left in the world, and they are considered vulnerable to extinction.
They can be found in the Indo-Pacific region, in areas such as Indonesia's Mahakam River, the Ayeyarwady River in Myanmar and off the coast of Bangladesh.
Dr Alfonso Lopez, the chief veterinarian at Marine Life Park, said the first step is to determine how many dolphins there are in the lake and ascertain their health.
If fewer than 10 remain, "we will relocate them to another lake or establish a protected area in Songkhla Lake", he added.
He said the aim is to put together a long-term plan that will include constant monitoring of the dolphins and educating the local population about their plight.
On Marine Life Park's own bottlenose dolphins, Dr Lopez said they are still under quarantine and adapting well to their new enclosures. Eventually, the public will be allowed to get up close and feed them in the dolphin pools.
Just last week, one of the 25 dolphins imported from the Philippines died in transit. Animal rights groups there had gone to court to try to stop their export but were unsuccessful.
Asked if the Thai conservation project would be seen by some as an attempt to placate those who oppose keeping dolphins in captivity, Mr Biswajit Guha, the park's director of education and conservation, said it focuses on conservation, research and education.
He said: "There will always be cynics, but there will always be optimists like us."
Dr Nantarika, a self-confessed animal activist, said: "I've learnt there is no way of saving them without touching them and seeing what's inside them. This can happen only with them in captivity."
Yesterday, opponents of RWS' move to keep dolphins in captivity said the Thai project was a commendable effort.
However, they said the company's actions - saving some dolphins in the wild while keeping others in captivity - seemed contradictory.
"I don't know if this is a public relations gimmick because it is not congruent with what they have been doing," said Ms Corinne Fong, the executive director of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
Ms Jennifer Lee, the founder of Project: Fin, which campaigns against shark's fin consumption, said: "No amount of conservation efforts can make up for their taking dolphins from the wild."
