Dolphins found dead as live exports resume

The carcasses of three bottlenose dolphins – including a calf – have been found dumped near a holding pen in the Solomon Islands where controversial exports of the mammals are planned.

The exporting company today denied any knowledge.

The partly decomposed bodies of the dolphins, which were torn open, apparently by stray dogs, were found last night, lying in the open near a coastal rubbish dump site near the capital, Honiara.

Solomon Island Marine Mammal Education Centre and Exporters Ltd is preparing to airlift 28 live bottlenose dolphins to an aquatic park in the United Arab Emirates city of Dubai.

Company director Robert Satu said yesterday that the dolphins are being held in pens on Gavutu Island near the capital, awaiting the arrival of two DC-10 aircraft from Dubai.

He said loading the animals would begin after the tropical sun had set today, and that the animals would be treated with “great care” during the journey.

Mr Satu refused to comment on the discovery of the mammals’ bodies.

“I’m not aware of anything like that,” he told The Associated Press.

Lawrence Makili, Pacific Director of the San Francisco-based group Earth Island Institute, said it was likely the dead dolphins were dumped by the export company.

“No-one else is involved in capturing wild dolphins for commercial purposes in the country,” he said.

“These dead dolphins are clear evidence of the mistreatment of these humble marine mammals,” he said.

Solomon Islands banned the live dolphin export trade in 2003 following an outcry over a consignment of 28 bottlenose dolphins to an aquatic park in Mexico. Activists claim at least nine of the dolphins died in Mexico.

Mr Satu, who was involved in the exports to Mexico, claimed the ban was illegal and won a landmark court ruling last December that paved the way for dolphin exports to resume.

After the court ruling, the government was swift to change its position on the trade.

Fisheries Minister Nollen Leni has said the government would now encourage the capture and sale of up to 100 bottlenose dolphins a year for export, noting that water parks would pay tens of thousands of dollars for a trained dolphin.

A legal bid by Mr Makili’s group to overturn the export of the current consignment failed in the High Court yesterday.

The planes due to take the dolphins to Dubai arrived at Honiara’s Henderson Field airport last night, Mr Satu was reported as saying in the Island Sun newspaper.

A local television crew was barred from filming the planes’ arrival, with a flight official chasing away the TV camera crew, citing security reasons.

Mr Satu was quoted as saying his company was paid US$769,000 (€541,000) for the first dolphin shipment to Mexico, adding: “We will get more than that amount in this round of exports.”