Taiwan: Did Hualien Ocean Park buy 24 to 26 dolphins from Taiji dolphin drives?

Taiwan Action Alert:

We have good reason to believe that Hualien Ocean Park (HOP) in Taiwan has bought 24 to 26 dolphins from the infamous Taiji dolphin drives. We think that nine of the dolphins from the original shipment of 20 died in the holding pools. Others have died since the original shipment from Japan.

Unfortunately, these dolphin deaths have been kept quiet by the local government and the amusement park. The local media is not reporting this tragedy, either. There seems to be a media blackout on dolphin stories that might embarrass the amusement park that advertises in the local media. Apparently, the local media does not want to embarrass their "client." It seems that the head of Taiwan's conservation task force is not taking his job very seriously, for some reason. He needs to know that there is an international marine mammal protection community that knows and cares about these animals.

That's why we need your help in contacting him. If the Taiwan government sees that the world is watching, maybe justice will prevail.

We are asking concerned NGOs to please take a minute to write a short note to Mr. Kuo-Yun Fang, Chief of Taiwan's Conservation Task Force. Please ask him to respond to the international request for the 2002 - 2005 COA approval and export papers for dolphins that have entered Hualien Ocean Park.

Please also ask him the following questions:

1. Who is the dolphin supplier for this privately owned dolphinarium?

2. Were any of the dolphins that are being held, or have been held at Hualien Ocean Park in the past, taken from Taiwanese waters? If the answer is "no," would Mr.Fang be willing to provide the necessary documentation for evidence of their origin?

3. In addition, we would like to ask the Taiwan government to give permission for Lee-Ann Ford, President and Founder of Linking Individuals for Nature Conservation (LINC), to enter Hualien Ocean Park to inspect the dolphins. Ms. Ford is representing our coalition of international marine mammal protection NGOs. The inspection would serve the purpose of estimating whether or not Hualien Ocean Park meets the internationally accepted standards for captive marine mammals.

PLEASE WRITE TO: Mr. Fang at: kyfang@forest.gov.tw

Please CC Lee-Ann Ford at: Lincngo@yahoo.ca

Thank you,

Richard O'Barry
Marine Mammal Specialist
One Voice-France
Miami Florida Office
305-6684834
www.onevoice-ear.org
www.savetaijidolphins.org
www.dolphinproject.org

Source: Richard O'Barry - contact
Author: Ric O¹Barry

Link: Secret Memo Reveals Support Role of Japan's Aquarium Industry in Dolphin Slaughter


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Conservationists slam Japan's dolphin drive hunts (en)

Memo Reveals Japan Aquarium Industry's Secret Sponsorship of Dolphin Slaughter (en)

Protest against dolphin slaughter in Japan? Why? (en)

Netherlands: Coalition to expose and abolish the annual dolphin slaughter in Japan (en)