A PHP2-million initial fund has been put up by Iranian investor Foad Akhavan to start a dolphin breeding facility on Balut Island in Sarangani province in the south Philippines. The project will be put up in a 15-hectare facility, and another PHP50 million will be invested when the dolphin breeding starts.

There are two facilities with marine mammals in the Philippines; Misamis Occidental Aquamarine Park/Dolphin Island, located in Mindanao and Ocean adventure in Luzon Island both offer swim with programmes.

Sarangani Mayor Jerry Cawa said that aside from helping increase the dolphin population in the area, the project will also become a good tourist attraction, which could help the impoverished town to develop and expand its economy. With the breeding station also needing workers, Cawa said locals could make money by working there. "Imagine watching a whole group of dolphins swimming along with humans or leaping over a wave in such a seemingly choreographed fashion in Balut Island. That would surely catch the attention of tourists, especially nature and wildlife buffs," Cawa said. Cawa said the Iranian investor, a dolphin enthusiast, noted that the dolphins off Balut Island belong to a species that is easy to train. Akhavan is now trying to get breeders for the project so it could start immediately. Cawa said if the Iranian fails to get breeding stock from Balut he would bring in some breeders from Misamis Occidental.

There are numerous cetacean species around Philippines such as Long-snouted spinner dolphin, Fraser’s dolphin, bottlenose dolphin, Risso’s dolphin, Pantropical spotted dolphin, Melon-headed whale, Short-finned pilot whale, and Irrawaddy dolphin, whose population in the Philippines is critically endangered due to anthropogenic activities. While south Philippines’ economy is predominantly agriculture based it is developing into a center for trade and tourism.

There are various opportunities for the Philippines to promote ecotourism and protect and conserve their unique marine natural resources for the benefit of both people and animals and the Marine Connection believes that this is what the country should be promoting, the understanding and conservation of their natural marine life and habitat. With breeding rates in captivity not sufficient to restock current facilities, we fail to see why this breeding programme should be of any benefit to the wild population of dolphins.