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The Case Against holding Marine Mammals in Captivity for Public Display
| The Jamaica Environment Trust works to keep marine mammals free in the Caribbean sea. We are concerned about the current increase in captive marine mammal facilities in the wider Caribbean, most frequently for bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus). These facilities are creating a demand for the capture, transport and trade of live animals, which are being removed from local stocks without sufficient information on the status and viability of those stocks. |
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We make a case against the marine mammal captivity industry on environmental, animal welfare and educational grounds as follows:-
Environmental: Bottlenose dolphins are commonly used for captive programmes. Female dolphins are preferred, especially for Swim-with-the-Dolphins (SWTD) facilities, because female dolphins are less aggressive and sexual towards human swimmers. The Jamaica Environment Trust does not support this harvesting of wild animals, in the absence of scientific population studies.
We have been unable to locate such studies for the Caribbean, although a 2004 serial study of Jamaica's waters did not observe |
a single dolphin. Scientists from the University of the West Indies (UWI), the local Scientific Authority for the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES), and a 1999 review of the conservation status of marine mammals in the Caribbean commissioned by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) all agree there is insufficient data on Caribbean dolphin populations. Although Jamaica has not permitted the wild capture of dolphins in our waters, we have allowed the importation of Cuban dolphins to stock the two captive facilities in Jamaica. The CITES Scientific Authority believes it is likely Jamaica and Cuba share a common dolphin stock, as these animals are capable of swimming long distances.
Animal Welfare : Dolphins are highly intelligent, social animals living in family groups called pods. Capturing dolphins from the wild is an inherently traumatic and violent affair, which separates individual animals from their social grouping and puts them at risk of injury and death. During and after capture, dolphin mortality goes up six-fold and does not return to normal for a month post-capture. Studies of dolphin mortality and and longevity for captive dolphins compared to those in the wild show that, in the very best facilities, dolphins do not live longer in captivity. In poor facilities, they live shorter lives. Despite getting veterinary care and the absence of predation, storms, collisions with boats and food shortages, captive dolphins at best only manage to live as long as their wild counterparts. By mid-2005, six dolphins had died in the two captive facilities in Jamaica from a variety of causes.
In addition, dolphins in captivity suffer from a much diminished habitat. Even in large sea pens, they live in close quarters, cannot enjoy their natural cycles of rest and feeding, do not hunt and often display stereotypical behaviours suggesting boredom and stress.
Education: The captivity industry argues they are providing a valuable educational service which allows visitors, especially young people, to appreciate and value marine mammals. No scientific studies have shown a link between visiting dolphin attractions and the development of a conservation ethic. In fact, captive facilities miseducate the public. Relatively little information is given on dolphin natural history or the threats they face in the wild. Visitors are often encouraged to clap and yell around these acoustically sensitive animals and the public is led to believe it is desirable to take animals forcibly from the wild to perform tricks for food.
The Jamaica Environment Trust encourages everyone to support keeping marine mammals in the wild.
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