More Solomon Island dolphins sent to the Philippines

An air cargo plane owned by Turkish airline company Kuzu arrived in the Solomon Islands on 14 February to take 11 dolphins to the Philippines, who accepted 7 wild caught dolphins for the Subic Aquarium in December 2008. 

The Marine Connection joined with colleagues worldwide on this issue and highlighted to the authorities that the import and export of wildlife and wildlife products are clear violations of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and the associated laws of the Philippines.  However CITES in the Philippines are unlikely to refuse this latest shipment, and these latest dolphins have, as the other 7, been  supplied by the strangely named Solomon Islands Mammal Education Centre, whose Directors Chris Porter and Robert Satu - both of whom have refused to comment on these latest exports.

According to local reports in the Solomon Islands, the 11 dolphins are estimated to be sold for USD$660,000 (more than $5 million) if they are each priced at USD$60,000 ($462,000) as was the case with the seven dolphins exported last month.

As the Government collects 25 per cent duty on these shipments, it is obvious why the ban which was put in place in 2003 regarding the export of wild caught dolphins in the Solomon Islands was overturned, and now Mr Satu and his colleagues have agreed to allow the capture and export of up to 100 bottlenose dolphins per year.

The Marine Connection has signed onto a joint letter to Fatih Yurdakul, CEO of Kuzu, asking them not to accept dolphins as cargo in the future as this is not the first time the company has flown live dolphins as cargo and await his  response.