Letter regarding proposed wild dolphin captures in Panama

Martín Torrijos Espino
Presidencia de la República de Panamá
Presidencia de la República
Panamá 1,
República de Panamá

Dear President Torrijos,

The Marine Connection, a UK-based charity which campaigns for the protection of dolphins and whales worldwide, has previously contacted the Panamanian government regarding the proposal by Ocean Embassy Panama (OEP) to capture 80 wild dolphins from Panamanian waters over five years. I am contacting you again to re-iterate the Marine Connection's serious concerns regarding Ocean Embassy's proposals.

OEP's proposal to capture 28 dolphins from coastal Panamanian waters before any population study has taken place should be a considerable worry for the Panamanian government and environmental authority. This shows a distinct lack of consideration for the Panamanian environment. Although bottlenose dolphins are not generally endangered, coastal populations such as those in the Gulf of Panama and Bocas del Toro are very much at risk from the removal of any number of animals due to the complex and close-knit formation of groups of dolphins.

It is unacceptable that the Panamanian government would authorise any captures of wildlife from their coastal waters, but to allow the capture of 80 dolphins for a captive environment will cause international condemnation. As you will be aware, in 2003, when hundreds of dolphins were captured for the captivity industry in the Solomon Islands, the international community was outraged and this resulted in the Solomon Islands banning the capture of wild dolphins.

Panama's coastal populations of dolphins provide an excellent place for dolphin watching tours, a progressive and revolutionary form of tourism which complements the recent trend for eco-tourism which has gained extreme popularity in the light of issues such as pollution and global warming. The captivity of dolphins, let alone their unethical wild capture, is not a feature of this new form of tourism.

The Marine Connection hereby requests that you prohibit the capture of 80 dolphins as proposed by Ocean Embassy Panama. Your actions would send a clear and extremely important message to the world that Panama is a responsible and forward-thinking country which is prepared to put long-term sustainability above short-term profit.

Thank you for taking the time to read my correspondence, please do not hesitate to contact me if you require further information.

I look forward to hearing your views on this serious matter.

Yours sincerely,

Andrina Murrell