Marine Connection

Dolphin petition leaves council unmoved

A 12,000-signature petition calling for Marineland dolphins to be replaced has left Napier city councillors unmoved. In an speech, petition organiser Cr Harry Lawson yesterday told councillors this was their last chance to give the petition of 12,227 signatures their backing.

"Ninety per cent of people who signed the petition are from this city. The national petition for microchipping dogs got 5000 signatures and was financially backed nationally - but we're talking about incredible support from one city. "Why don't we do what our citizens want?," he asked fellow councillors. "One in five of our citizens have said they want to replace the dolphins. "I'm asking the recommendation be changed to support this petition because we are going to succeed - with or without your help," he said.

Cr Lawson said most of the people who signed the petition were fed up with a politically correct New Zealand. He added it was the first time Napier, as a city, had got behind one single issue and supporters were prepared to go to the Government about it. Cr Kathie Furlong said the council should wait for the Government's response to a request for funding from the petitioners, and include that response in their consideration of Marineland's future.

"We haven't had a substantial debate on whether there is a willingness to spend millions of dollars on upgrading Marineland so it could house captive-bred, bottlenose dolphins," said Cr Furlong. "There's been no debate about whether we agree to the future use of dolphins as performing animals and no debate on the future of Marineland as a refuge for marine mammals."

Letters will be sent to those who made submissions to the draft Long Term Council Community Plan (LTCCP) about the future of Marineland - former Napier local-authority trading enterprise director Ron Rowe, Stan Simmonds, Megan Welsby, and Marie Harding.

The Friends of Marineland received the council's approval for an open afternoon, with free entry, at the Marine Parade attraction on Sunday, from 12pm until 4pm. It was requested so people who cannot normally afford to go would be able to enjoy Marineland.

Cr Tony Jeffery said it was a wonderful idea and proposed the council chipped in half the fee of $350 to cover costs, with the Friends of Marineland covering the other half.

The Marine Connection however believes that New Zealand are now in the unique position to be free of captive dolphin facilities and should not consider replacing the dolphins but to instead concentrate on promoting eco-tourism via whale watching activities.

Marine Connection director Margaux Dodds states; "New Zealand is recognised as one of the main destinations worldwide where these magnificent animals can be seen in their natural habitat, indeed Whalewatch Kaikoura have received awards for their responsible tourism wildlife operations. It is our sincere belief that whale and dolphin watching, carried out responsibly with the animals protection uppermost, is one of the best ways of promoting their conservation for the future, and it is this that New Zealand should be aiming to achieve, not keeping them in captivity - a practice which no longer has a place in today's society."