By GEOFFREY BEW
Published: 28 October 2006
BAHRAIN’s government has pledged to address concerns raised by animal rights groups following a fire at the Dolphin Park, which killed an elephant seal.
The marine mammal died after smoke engulfed the Al Fateh Corniche building on August 4, while the only other animal inside the park, a Beluga whale, survived.
It prompted the London-based charity Marine Connection call for the closure of the park, following earlier concerns it raised about the alleged poor conditions of animals in the facility.
Twenty animal welfare organisations from around the world joined forces to call for the permanent closure of the park in a letter sent to Prime Minister Shaikh Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa and several other government officials in August.
By GEOFFREY BEW
Published: 28 October 2006
BAHRAIN’s government has pledged to address concerns raised by animal rights groups following a fire at the Dolphin Park, which killed an elephant seal.
The marine mammal died after smoke engulfed the Al Fateh Corniche building on August 4, while the only other animal inside the park, a Beluga whale, survived.
It prompted the London-based charity Marine Connection call for the closure of the park, following earlier concerns it raised about the alleged poor conditions of animals in the facility.
Twenty animal welfare organisations from around the world joined forces to call for the permanent closure of the park in a letter sent to Prime Minister Shaikh Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa and several other government officials in August.
It urged the Bahrain government to consider closing the facility and ban keeping dolphins and whales in confinement.
The letter said the organisation was writing on behalf of marine mammal welfare organisations “which have in recent months become very concerned over reports of poor conditions with regards to the animals being held at the Bahrain Dolphin Park”.
The request was signed by animal welfare organisations in Canada, the US, UK, Malta, France and the Bahrain Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
In a written response to Marine Connection, the Premier said the issues the organisations had highlighted would be examined.
The letter was written on behalf of the Premier and signed by his court’s assistant under-secretary for information and follow-up Ebrahim Al Dossary.
“His Highness has ordered that the issues that you have highlighted be brought to the attention of the relevant authorities in Bahrain and that they be raised with the Bahrain Dolphin Park proprietors,” the letter stated.
“The government of Bahrain takes very seriously the short-comings and restrictions that you have identified and will discuss these further as part of its commitment to a broad-ranging programme of animal welfare,” it added.
Marine Connection captivity officer Andrina Murrell told the GDN she was delighted to have received a response.
“We write a lot of letters to organisations and rarely receive a reply,” she said.
“To receive something back on behalf of the Prime Minister shows some sort of commitment to perhaps implementing standards and that is interesting.
“Our ultimate aim is to ban any trade (import and export) of animals, otherwise we would like to see strict dolphin and whale regulations.”
An electrical fault in a kitchen exhaust fan caused the late-night blaze that ripped through the tourist attraction.
Gulf Dolphin Company assistant general manager Ahmed Mahmoud Abd Al Aal, who manages the park, has repeatedly defended the facility, saying it opened with permission from the government, has hundreds of thousands of happy visitors a year and uses practices that are common within the industry.
He also insisted the facility would reopen following refurbishment.
© Gulf Daily News
