October 23, 2007

Panama Swim-with-the-Dolphins Attractions

Humane Society International

Update, September 2008: Victory for dolphins as Ocean Embassy leaves Panama.

In what appears to be a bid to become a leading broker in the live dolphin trade, a company named Ocean Embassy(1) has requested a permit to capture up to 80 dolphins in Panama’s waters over the next five years. The permit request indicates that the first capture of up to 28 dolphins will occur before any population assessment research is conducted.

Ocean Embassy claims it will promote and conduct extensive dolphin research (after the first capture) and characterizes itself first and foremost as a conservation and education organization. However, no amount of rhetoric can disguise its plan to build a commercial resort, with a swim-with-the-dolphins facility, golf course, and other luxury amenities, nor the fact that its capture proposal is backwards, studying the dolphin population to determine the impact of captures only after a capture has already occurred.

The proposal to conduct research after capturing animals is counter to sound management practices and to the IWC Scientific Committee’s long-standing recommendation to governments not to allow captures without first doing thorough population assessments.

Derailing the proposal

Humane Society International has visited Panama twice, in March and June 2007, to work with local organizations to oppose this proposal. We have:

• written a letter to the Panamanian president and his cabinet,
• worked with the international marine mammal science community to send opposition comments to the government, 
• done local and international media interviews,
• given public presentations, and
• met with local and national government officials.

To date, a proposal that was on the fast track as recently as October 2006 is now on hold, and public opposition in Panama has grown tremendously, with a newspaper poll indicating that 80% of the populace opposes Ocean Embassy’s plans.

Marine ecotourism

HSI is asking the Panamanian authorities to reject the capture permit request and for the government to make an official commitment to protect the dolphins in its waters indefinitely into the future.

We are offering to assist in the development of marine ecotourism in the communities that would have been targeted by the capture operators. There are always viable economic alternatives to capturing and confining dolphins: Land- and boat-based dolphin watching, museums, and educational visitor centers can all offer rich experiences without exploiting the trusting nature of these amazing animals.