Dominican Government bans import of dolphins for theme park

Dominican Today, published August 22nd, 2006

The Dominican Government's Environment Ministry prohibited the import of four dolphins headed for a theme park in the Punta Cana tourism region (east), a measure which a local trade union affirmed would cause the park's bankruptcy, leaving 600 people who directly or indirectly life off the attraction, without jobs.

The union's senior leader in Altagracia province, Manolo Ramirez, announced that in the next days they would initiate a series of protests if president Leonel Fernandez does not respond to their demands to revert the measure. The Environment Ministry, which had initially allowed their import from the open sea, cancelled Manati Park's permits to import the animals from the open sea. After the company ordered them from Cuba, via the Agriculture Ministry, the Environment Ministry again revoked the permit for import.

Last June, the Environment Ministry had authorized the park to import the dolphins that it cannot now acquire, despite the fact that the international trade of that species is allowed and regulated by the agreement known as CITES.

Local environmentalists and officials, however allege that the same agreement which Cubans uses to export dolphins to dozens of countries, prohibits Dominicans from importing them.

Another theme park, in Puerto Plata, has been affected by the measure prohibiting the import of dolphins.

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