Reports of dolphins starving in Solomon Islands

The operator of a controversial dolphin park in the Solomon Islands has rejected claims that his animals are starving and dehydrated. Canadian Chris Porter, who runs the park on Gavetu Island, said a recent cyclone that hit the Solomons had reduced fish supplies for his dolphins but things were now back to normal and they were in professional care.

Ric O'Barry, the former trainer of 1970s television star Flipper is urging the government to take over the park where they 20 dolphins starving and dehydrated.The export of 28 bottlenose dolphins from the park to Mexico in
July 2004 sparked international outrage and prompted the Australian and New Zealand governments to urge the Solomons to ban live dolphin exports.

O'Barry, who has campaigned against the captive dolphin industry since his Flipper training days, said he had seen recent footage of the dolphins made by an independent film maker which showed they were malnourished, sunburnt and blistered. The footage showed they had "peanut heads", a sure sign they had lost so much weight their heads were shaped like peanuts about their skulls, he said.

Porter said the ban on dolphin exports had affected the park because occasional dolphin exports were to have financed the tourism operation. He said his company was pursuing a complaint with the Australian High Commission after Australians working with the Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands (RAMSI) were advised they should not visit the island because of Australian government rules regarding interactions with wild dolphins. Such a ban reduced tourist numbers to the island, Porter said.

Apparently four of the park's dolphins have died in recent weeks leaving only 20 out of more than 100 originally captured for the park.

source: Sydney Morning Herald