We don't want a dolphinarium in Bodrum! - Yunuslara Özgürlük Platformu

Right after four dolphins were moved from Bodrum to Kaş on December 8, 2011, we received another message on 27.12.2011 informing us about the transfer of three new dolphins that have been imprisoned into a 5-6m2 space in a sea-pen in Bodrum – Güvercinlik dolphin park. For this reason, we are starting the legal procedures against this infringement of law right away by adding the recent photos of the dolphins and our letter to the authorities.

You can use your right to information act as well and, just like we do, you can send the letter below or your personal opinions on anti-captivity to the mentioned authorities below. Do not forget to write down the date, your name & surname and ID number, if applicable.

You may follow www.yunuslaraozgurluk.com and facebook.com/yunuslaraozgurluk for bigger protests!

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LETTER & ADDRESSEES

Date:

Subject: Dolphins transferred to the Bodrum Güvercinlik Dolphinarium

(Letter also addressed to the Prime Ministry Information Centre)

MINISTRY OF INTERIOR – MINISTRY OF FOOD, AGRICULTURE AND LIVESTOCK

MUĞLAPROVINCIAL DIRECTORATE OF FOOD, AGRICULTURE AND LIVESTOCK

BODRUMDISTRICT DIRECTORATE OF FOOD, AGRICULTURE AND LIVESTOCK

GOVERNORSHIP OF MUĞLA

BODRUM MUNICIPALITY

BODRUM DISTRICT GOVERNORSHIP

BODRUM COAST GUARD COMMAND

On 27.12.2011, Freedom for Dolphins Platform (Yunuslara Özgürlük Platformu) was informed by an e-mail message that 3 dolphins were placed into the sea-pen at Güvercinlik dolphinarium in Bodrum, right after the 4 dolphins were moved to Kaş on 08.12.2011. Through our connections in Bodrum, we have realized that dolphins were actually moved to the sea-pen (Appendix 1 – photos taken on 27.11.2011).

On 08.12.2011, the Bodrum-Güvercinlik dolphinarium was emptied out and the 4 dolphins were moved to Kaş. Soon after, a national campaign was started by the Platform and other local NGOs in order not to let the authorities to re-open the Kaş Dolphinarium. On the December 15, 2011, a letter was also sent to Mehmet Kocadon, the Mayor of Bodrum, by the Freedom for Dolphins Platform, which asked about the status of the Bodrum Güvercinlik Dolphinarium’s license and its current status (Appendix 2). However, Mehmet Kocadon has not responded the letter yet as of today.

In April 2011, Mehmet Kocadon, the Mayor of Bodrum, pledged to close down the Bodrum-Güvercinlik Dolphinarium and not to open another one in Bodrum, following negotiations with international animal rights groups ProWal and WDSF (The letter can be obtained from these NGOs).

In this regard, considering that Mehmet Kocadon, the Mayor of Bodrum, has left our questions unanswered and that he has forgotten his internationally proclaimed pledge, we ask the relevant authorities to send us documented, official responses to all our questions below.

In this regard, I use my right to information and expect to receive official response to all my questions below from each and every authorized institutions and relevant departments.

1. How many dolphins were brought to Bodrum and where did they originally come from? Either from a dolphin park or imported from another country? Are the owners and the relevant authorities planning to bring other sea mammal species soon?

2. If these dolphins were imported from another country like Ukraine, do the owners have necessary CITES certificates of origin and transportation? If yes, I request a copy of those documents. I also want to learn about the sex and the ages of all the dolphin in Bodrum Güvercinlik.

3. What is the current official status of the dolphinarium in Bodrum Güvercinlik? Which ministry or governmental institution has been authorized to give business license to the Bodrum Güvercinlik Dolphinarium and which “line of business” was labelled on the license? How long does the license last and which company has the license now? I request a copy of the license to be attached in response.

4. Which company has the ownership and the transportation permission for the dolphins? In what terms is the Bodrum Güvercinlik Dolphinarium related to Whale Turizm Ltd. Şti. and Erhan Sarıcaoğlu in Kaş?

5. How did the dolphins transferred to Bodrum and which legislation was observed during transportation? Do Provincial/District Directorates of Food, Agriculture and Livestock have any official information on the transportation? Were the authorities from the ministry present during transportation?

6. Most importantly, how is this establishment in Bodrum and the transportation process permitted and considered “legal” with regards to the provisions of 5199 Animal Protection Law and the international Bern Convention? All this process violates the main articles of 5199 and even the “exceptions” in the article 9 of Bern Convention, where those dolphin species in the Kaş Dolphin Park are specified as needing “special protection” in Appendix II and “all forms of deliberate capture and keeping and deliberate killing”, “the possession of and internal trade in these animals, alive or dead” are prohibited. In the same manner, these facilities violate the 90th article of Turkish Constitution.

7. Finally, it’s been obligated by the Bern Convention that “the Contracting Parties shall report every two years to the Standing Committee on the exceptions made under” article 9.1. Are there any reports already been sent to the Committee? If yes, I request copies of those reports that have been sent prior to 2011.

8. I ask you to to use your legal authorities and not to let this dolphin park do business. I also want the dolphins to be taken away from the business owners and taken under protection as soon as possible.

In this context, I request an official response to my letter within the prescribed legal time.

Regards,

Name/Surname:

ID number (if applicable):

APPENDIX 1– Recent photosof the dolphins transferred to Bodrum-Güvercinlik taken on 27.12.2011

APPENDIX 2– The letter sent to Mehmet Kocadon by the Platform on 15.12.2011

Sn. Kocadon’un şahsına iletilmek üzere:

DGezgin <.com>

15 December 2011 14:22

To: baskan@bodrum.bel.tr

Cc: info@bodrum.bel.tr, yazi@bodrum.bel.tr

Sayın Mehmet Kocadon,

Nisan ayında Prowal ve WDSF’ye yazdığınız mesaj, Yunuslara Özgürlük Platformu olarak elimize ulaştı ve konuyla ilgili hassasiyetinizi gördükten sonra size özellikle yazmak ve sizden bilgi almak istedik. Sizin mektubunuzuda en alta iliştirdik. Bu nedenle, aşağıda belirteceğimiz konularda bize bilgi vereceğinizi ve fikirlerinizi paylaşacağınızı umuyoruz.

Şu anda tüm Türkiye çapında büyük bir kampanya başlatmış bulunuyoruz. Yunus parklarının kapatılması ve Kaş’ta yeni bir yunus parkının açılmaması için yurtiçinden ve yurtdışından çok büyük destek ve farkındalığa yönelik adımlar var. www.yunuslaraozgurluk.comve www.facebook.com/yunuslaraozgurlukadresilerinden bu kampanyamızı ve destekçilerimizin yorumlarını takip edebilirsiniz. Aynı zamanda “Bilimsel Veriler” ve “Gerçekler” sayfamıza da gözatmanızı rica ediyoruz.

Bildiğiniz gibi Kaş’ta yeni bir yunus parkı açılmak üzere. 8 Aralık’ta Kaş’a taşınan yunuslar, daha önce Bursa’da, ardından Bodrum Güvercinlik ve Kefaluka Otel’de gösteri yunusu olarak çalıştırılmış, Türkiye’nin en sağlıksız ve yorgun yunusları.

Kaş Belediye Başkanı’nın basına yaptığı açıklamada, yunusların kendisinden habersiz getirildiği, ruhsatlarının olmadığı bilgisi veriliyor. Ancak Kaş Sahil Güvenlik’in yerinde yaptığı görüşme sonucunda da, alanın Şubat ayında Kaymakamlık’tan kiralandığı ve bir hafta içerisinde de tüm evrakların Belediye’den alınacağına dair Platformumuza bilgi geldi.

Tüm bu bilgiler ışığında ve sizin samimi mesajınızın altını çizerek merak ettiğimiz noktalar şunlar:

1. Bodrum’daki yunus parkı bir daha açılmamak üzere kapatıldı mı? Ruhsat iptali gerçekleşti mi? Ruhsatla ilgili son durum nedir?

2. Yunus parkının Kaş’ta tutunamaması durumunda, yunusların Bodrum’a geri dönmesine izin verecek misiniz? Biz, bu ihtimalin de tamamen ortadan kaldırılması gerektiğini savunuyoruz ve bu yönde sizden yanıt bekliyoruz.

Bodrum’daki yunus parkının artık çalışmadığını, ruhsat iptalinin gerçekleştiğini ve bir daha Bodrum’da ya da Muğla’da yunus parkı açılmamasını, yunuslarla gösteri/terapi yapılmamasını umuyoruz.

Bodrum Belediye Başkanı olarak bize vereceğiniz bilgiler çok önemli ve sayısı 15 bini aşan destekçilerimiz de sizden gelecek bu yanıtı bekliyor. Sosyal ağlarda ve web sitemizde yanıtınızı özellikle paylaşmak istiyoruz.

Gözatmak isterseniz, bugüne kadar Kaş’la ilgili çıkan haberleri ve ilgili bağlantıları da aşağıya ekliyoruz.

Yanıtınızı bekliyoruz.

Saygılarımla,

Deniz Gezgin
Yunuslara Özgürlük Platformu – Basın Sözcüsü
http://www.yunuslaraozgurluk.com/Kas-yunus-parkini-protesto(Türkçe bilgi edinme başvurusu)
http://www.yunuslaraozgurluk.com/new-dolphin-park-in-Kas-dolphinarium(İngilizce bilgi edinme başvurusu)
http://www.ntvmsnbc.com/id/25305823/#storyContinued(NTVMSNBC haberi)
http://www.iha.com.tr/4-yunusun-kastaki-esareti-8-gununde-205911.haber (İHA haberi)
http://www.bodrumhaber.com/?p=6198(BodrumHaber haberi)
http://www.yunuslaraozgurluk.com/node/293 (Kaş Sahil Güvenlik’in açıklaması)
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