18 January 2006

To the Government of Panama

The Marine Connection is a UK based charity working worldwide on dolphin and whale conservation and protection issues.

We have been notified that the Panamanian Government recently received a request from Ocean Embassy Panama Inc (OEP), under the leadership of Robin Friday to capture 80 bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncates). We are very concerned about this application as the person in question was also rumoured to be linked to illegal captures of dolphins from the wild in the Solomon Islands a few years ago. Since this capture, the Solomon Islands Government has banned any captures of dolphins from the wild in their waters, and as such it would appear that this company are now looking to Panama as a new source for wild takes to continue trading in dolphins.

Bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus), are listed under Annex II of the SPAW (Specially Protected Areas and Wildlife) Protocol to which Panama is a signatory, and Annex II of this prohibits the capture of this species from the wild. Furthermore, any proposed capture may also be in violation of CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species) law, as under CITES regulations, before any permit to allow captures from the wild can be considered, it must be proven that a population and impact assessment of the wild population have been undertaken to ascertain the impact that any capture may have on wild stocks.

Studies undertaken elsewhere in the Caribbean region indicate that bottlenose dolphin populations are smaller in number than in other areas of the world. Whilst the animals do occasionally congregate in large pods, the majority of the time they are in small groups of 3-8 animals, therefore a capture of 80 animals would have disastrous consequences on the population. It has been proven that wild dolphin populations cannot withstand anything more than a 5% loss per year and natural losses through death alone can reach this height, therefore removing a further 80 dolphins could greatly compromise the structure of this population and endanger its' survival for the future. You must also bear in mind that during capture operations it is not only the captured animals which must be taken into consideration, but also any animals not removed but may die afterwards in the wild as a result of injury or dependent calves whose mothers are captured that will die due to lack of food source and protection.

Respected marine mammal experts from around the world see no "scientific" benefit in removing dolphins from the wild, preferring to study them in their natural environment. Dolphins in captivity behave differently to their wild counterparts, therefore studies undertaken with captive animals do not give accurate information on the conservation and protection of the species in the wild, for this reason we feel that the request for a permit for scientific reasons is unnecessary.

The Solomon Islands Government received massive international condemnation when they allowed the capture of 100 dolphins in 2003 and if the Panamanian Government allow this capture to proceed you will undoubtedly receive the same international attention from those concerned with dolphin welfare and conservation and the general public. It is my hope that the Government will take these comments into consideration and ensure that Panama retain a reputation worldwide as a country that protects and values its wildlife, which will in turn, attract tourists wishing to see animals in their natural environment.

With the continued worldwide growth in the eco-tourism market, we look to Panama to take a stance on this issue and refuse these dolphin captures in your waters and look forward to receiving your comments on this issue.

Yours sincerely,

Margaux Dodds
Director and Co-founder