We were sadly informed that, once again, a captive dolphin in Moonlight Dolphinarium died in Kemer, a district of Antalya! This is not the first death: In February 2010, four captive dolphins died sequentially in Sealanya Dolphin Park in Alanya, another district of Antalya.
Taking Kemer Gözcü Newspaper’s article dated August 13, 2013 which briefly mentioned the dead dolphin, we are now repeating our official appeal we had made on May 2013: We demand proper health examination by specialist marine mammal vets and protection for the rest of the three captive dolphins under severe risk of health in Moonlight Dolphinarium. We also demand the activities of the facility to be terminated, not only due to their serious neglect of the animals in their care that causes them suffering and damage, but also in terms of jeopardising public health out of possible infectious diseases or zoonoses.
Raise your voice to have the other three dolphins checked by specialist marine mammal vets and have them under protection in a special, isolated seapen. Your letters will hopefully put pressure on governmental bodies to have the facility shut down or end its dolphin shows forever! Send your legal information demand letter below with date, name-surname and id number. Keep following www.yunuslaraozgurluk.com, facebook.com/yunuslaraozgurluk and twitter.com/ozguryunuslar for further boycotts!
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Addressees:
bilgiedinme@basbakanlik.gov.tr, eroglu@ormansu.gov.tr, bakanyrd@ormansu.gov.tr,dkmp@ormansu.gov.tr, basin@ormansu.gov.tr, ouzun@ormansu.gov.tr,bid@ormansu.gov.tr, antalya@ormansu.gov.tr, snakbas@ormansu.gov.tr,acagatay@ormansu.gov.tr, ntas@ormansu.gov.tr, ozcanyaman@ormansu.gov.tr,gseyhan@ormansu.gov.tr, fsahin@ormansu.gov.tr, gthb@tarim.gov.tr,tarimbasin@tarim.gov.tr, tarimbilgi@tarim.gov.tr, bsgmihbar@tarim.gov.tr,alo174@tarim.gov.tr, antalya@antalya-tarim.gov.tr, durali.kocak@tarim.gov.tr,irfan.erol@tarim.gov.tr, ankara@ormansu.gov.tr, bimer@basbakanlik.gov.tr,turgay.turkyilmaz@tarim.gov.tr, kas@kas.gov.tr, antalya@icisleri.gov.tr,antalyavalisi@antalya.gov.tr, 07yaziisleri@icisleri.gov.tr, info@kas.bel.tr,yaziisleri@kas.bel.tr, baskan@kas.bel.tr, kemer@icisleri.gov.tr, info@antalya-kemer.bel.tr,antalya.kemer@tarimnet.gov.tr, kas@antalya-tarim.gov.tr, antalya@ormansu.gov.tr
Letter:
Date: ……/……/2013
Subject: Demand for the dead dolphin’s necropsy report to be shared, other three dolphins to have health check due to risk of illness and death, and the facility to end its dolphin shows/therapy sessions
I learned from Kemer Gözcü Newspaper’s article (13 August 2013) that a captive bottlenose dolphin died in Kemer Moonlight Dolphinarium. It was said in the news that the dolphin died during Ramadan Bairam (http://yasadikca.com/yunus-gosteri-merkezi-acildi-17952).
This is not the first of dolphin deaths. In 2010, four dolphins sequentially died in Sealanya Dolphinarium in Antalya. Recent death is the second known sad and risky incident because the other three dolphins left in Moonlight Dolphinarium might have the risk of contagious disease from the dead dolphin. Furthermore, the swim-with-dolphins sessions (under the name of dolphin assisted therapy) is proved to be liable to zoonoses which threatens public health severely.
At the moment, the dolphins transported from Kaş Dolphin Park to Kemer on April 24, 2013 are still sharing the same water with the other two dolphins of Moonlight Dolphinarium. The identity of the dead dolphins is unknown as of yet.
On May 10, 2013, Freedom for Dolphins Platform (Yunuslara Özgürlük Platformu) started a public campaign to officially demand health check by specialist marine mammal vets and protection for the two sick dolphins transported from Kaş to Kemer.
However, the Platform and those who participated the campaign received an official report dated June 14, 2013, from the provincial directorate of Food, Agriculture and Livestock Ministry In the report, which was obviously prepared by non-specialist vets, said that the dolphins were quite healthy and the pond water was appropriately clean. Yet the photos included in the report clearly indicated that the dolphins mentioned in the report were not the two sick dolphins transported from Kaş to Kemer, but were the ones that had already been living in captivity in Moonlight Dolphinarium. It was then understood that the aforementioned sick dolphins were not put under health check. The so-called health check is obviously done to mislead the public.
In this context, it is suspected that the dead dolphin might be the one of the two dolphins transported from Kaş and the other three dolphins in Kemer might be under severe risk of contagious illness and death.
In addition to the relevant legal justifications below and due to contagious diseases, zoonoses and the rish of accident/death, I demand;
1. A proper health check by specialist marine mammals vets for the other three captive dolphin left in Kemer Moonlight Dolphinarium,
2. The other three dolphins to be protected in an isolated seapen by specialist vets and in the meantime to be kept away from performing shows and so-called DAT sessions,
3. The necropsy report to be shared with specialist marine mammal vets and academics from relevant departments, and the illness to be confirmed by marine vets,
4. Kemer Moonlight Dolphinarium’s dolphin shows, swim-with programs and DAT sessions to be terminated and the facility to be penalized accordinly due to public health risks and the neglect of animal care issues for the dolphins protected by national laws and international agreements: http://www.tourexpi.com/tr-tr/news.html~nid=78761).
5. In coordination with the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock and the Ministry of Forestry and Water Affairs, a special, isolated seapen to be arranged for marine mammal protection area and the other three dolphins to be seized by law in accordance with the 5199 Animal Protection Law’s article 24: “Persons who act in breach of the provisions of this Law relating to animal welfare and who in this manner seriously neglect the animals in their care or cause them pain, suffering or damage will be banned from keeping animals by the supervisory authorities and the animals will be seized. The said animals will be given to new owners or taken into care.
According to this article, I demand official answers and documents in response to my legal application via e-mail during the legal period.
Regards,
Name-Surname:
Turkish ID No (if relevant):
City/Country:
Photo & Translation by Freedom for Dolphins Platform