Solomon Island dolphins flown to Malaysia
The Marine Connection recently were signatories to a letter sent to the Director General at the Department of Wildlife & National Parks in Kuala Lumpar and also CITES, regaring the possible impending export of dolphins from the Solomon Islands to Malaysia.
Sadly however the Solomon Islands government yet again showed no remorse as it gave permission for another nine dolphins, captured from the wild in Solomon Island waters, to be exported to Malaysia over the weekend.
Six of the nine dolphins were exported by Solomon Islands Marine Export Limited (SIMEL) while three were from the Solomon Islands Marine Wildlife Park. Robert Satu, Director of SIMEL, confirmed he had exported six bottlenose dolphins in the shipment. It has not been confirmed yet which company has purchased the dolphins but they were defintely heading for Malaysia.
The government gained $1.5 million through tax from the six dolphins and more than $700,000 from the Wildlife Parks'three dolphins. The Ministries of Fisheries and Environment received $10,000 and $50,000 in addition from the export. Over the past few years more than 50 wild caught dolphins have been exported from the Solomon Islands to Mexico, Dubai and the Philippines.
