Seems the promises of CITES to marine connection will never be honored. Despite calls again and again that the government has banned bringing in dolphins to the Red Sea area, pay the right people and you won't have any problems.
These four, are said to be coming back with an ADDITIONAL four dolphins. This makes me so sick to my stomach, I don't even know what to say.
From Al Ahram online
Four dolphins arrive at Hurghada airport
Ekram Ibrahim , Friday 21 Jan 2011
Four purportedly wild Dolphins have arrived at Hurghada airport today, in spite of Red Sea Governor Magdy Qoubeissy’s decision to ban the entrance of wild animals.
"I am sure that at least three out of the four (dolphins) were caught in the wild in 1998," a member of the Hurgada Environment Protection and Conservation Association (HEPCA) told Ahram Online, who asked that his name be kept anonymous.
Transporting these species to Egypt is harmful to its original habitat, he said, explaining that "these species control the ecosystem and could destroy the whole ecosystem."
The ecosystem’s cycle is delicate and altering any of its steps, by for example getting rid of sharks or adding species, would disrupt and potentially end it.
The governor's decision to ban the entrance of the wild species came after an HEPCA campaign last October against an Egyptian who had purchased four dolphins which he kept in his swimming pool.
HEPCA has also organized a dolphin awareness event which brought together hundreds of concerned citizens in an attempt to expose and halt a planned dolphinarium. After their campaign, the four dolphins were transferred and the Association has since been monitoring the situation.
The governor's office could not be reached for a comment.
These four, are said to be coming back with an ADDITIONAL four dolphins. This makes me so sick to my stomach, I don't even know what to say.
From Al Ahram online
Four dolphins arrive at Hurghada airport
Ekram Ibrahim , Friday 21 Jan 2011
Four purportedly wild Dolphins have arrived at Hurghada airport today, in spite of Red Sea Governor Magdy Qoubeissy’s decision to ban the entrance of wild animals.
"I am sure that at least three out of the four (dolphins) were caught in the wild in 1998," a member of the Hurgada Environment Protection and Conservation Association (HEPCA) told Ahram Online, who asked that his name be kept anonymous.
Transporting these species to Egypt is harmful to its original habitat, he said, explaining that "these species control the ecosystem and could destroy the whole ecosystem."
The ecosystem’s cycle is delicate and altering any of its steps, by for example getting rid of sharks or adding species, would disrupt and potentially end it.
The governor's decision to ban the entrance of the wild species came after an HEPCA campaign last October against an Egyptian who had purchased four dolphins which he kept in his swimming pool.
HEPCA has also organized a dolphin awareness event which brought together hundreds of concerned citizens in an attempt to expose and halt a planned dolphinarium. After their campaign, the four dolphins were transferred and the Association has since been monitoring the situation.
The governor's office could not be reached for a comment.
There is news about these dolphins?
ReplyDeleteRecently I have not heard anything new. The last update I received was that they were sent back because of problems with the paperwork, and were waiting to return to Egypt. The unrest obviously disrupted their plans, as did the drop in tourism.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I have not heard that there are plans to scrap the dolphinarium. We have a chance to raise awareness now with the change of regime and can only hope to get something done about these dolphins!