Letter To The Editor

Letter to The Editor
Mr. Nat Hodge
The Anguillian Newspaper
The Valley
Anguilla

Dear Sir,

When did the Dollar Sign replace the Dolphin as our National Emblem? This year we celebrated the 40th anniversary of the Anguilla Revolution. It is so ironic that as we waved our flags celebrating our heroes and heroines of the Revolution and the economic progress of our proud nation, the Planning Board would allow the dolphins, our national symbol, to remain in captivity and furthermore, allow the owners of this dolphin facility to pollute our waters and obstruct our beaches. It is just a myth, a FANTASY, created by large foreign owned corporations that dolphins thrive in captivity and enjoy performing tricks for selfish humans with more money than morals.

I would like to thank the Government for stepping in at the last minute to halt the project pending further review. I commend the Government for doing what Planning did not. Let us all hope that the Government also understands the moral and ethical dilemma involved. Protect our land, our beaches and our sea. Protect our national symbol – the dolphin.

On December 1st, 2006, a letter was sent to Mr. Vincent Proctor, Director of Physical Planning, voicing concerns over the proposed relocation of the dolphins to pens in Road Bay. A copy of this letter was sent to The Hon. Mr. Osbourne Fleming, Chief Minister & Minister of Environmental Affairs.

The letter asked if an Environmental Impact Study has been carried out to ascertain whether the proposed site will meet international regulations as to the housing of dolphins in open water or in a tank. The letter requested that if such a study has been carried out; that it is compiled and made available to the general public and in particular to all Sandy Ground residents, so that a discussion could be had. The letter also requested that Planning take into consideration that the proposed site is located at the more exposed area of Road Bay where the prevailing current in the sea runs north along the shore from the southern end, creating the danger of pollution from the dolphin park to the entire beach of Sandy Ground. Think about that the next time you and your children are enjoying the beach and sea at Sandy Ground!

No response or even acknowledgment of the letter was issued by Planning. Apparently no one thought to ask the Residents of Road Bay or the Anguillian population their opinion on the proposed move and the possible effects on the environment. Members of the public, both individuals and groups, have been objecting strenuously to this proposal right from the start! Mr. Proctor defends his department’s approval of the move, intimating that several agencies such as the Dep’t of Fisheries and the Anguilla National Trust were involved in approving the decision. Apparently not. So, who exactly were Mr. Proctor and his Board listening to when they approved this proposal? The Planning Board should remember that they are Civil Servants and work for Anguilla.

What Mr. Proctor may have failed to take into consideration is that Anguilla’s beaches and the sea are PUBLIC. By permitting pens to be built in the sea Planning has in effect given approval for the sea to be privatized. Furthermore, Mr. Proctor said that an environmental study would have taken time and that his department had to consider the Dolphin’s timetable, they were under pressure to move from the present location. There is only one interpretation possible here: the needs and timetables of a foreign owned corporation are more important than the Anguillian.

Work at the new location in Road Bay started last week with piles being driven into the sea floor for the construction of the pens. At this point the Government finally stepped in and ordered the work stopped. Under the Beach Control Act the Dolphin Pool developers would have to apply for a licence from the Ministry of Lands. They might also be required to apply for a second licence for the sub-lease of the land at Sandy Ground. Hence the stop work order issued by the Government. How typically arrogant of all the developers involved – to commence work on a project without proper permission and to then be outraged when the Government halts further work. Sheffield Holdings Ltd (Jack Purdy is the beneficial owner but the sole director and shareholder on record is Louis Bardfield) has subleased a one acre portion of land to Dolphin Fantaseas for use as a dolphin park. You all know Bardfield’s work on the island as an eye doctor. There is a wealth of public information available on the internet concerning Purdy. By the way, are the developers paying accommodation tax on the housing provided for all those Mexicans now living at the Mariners hotel?

At this point the Government must take a close look at the safety and legality of the project and they should also take a closer look at all the principals involved. Part of the process should be to investigate why St. Maarten did not allow a SWTD (Swim with the Dolphins) program. Perhaps St. Maarten knows more about the potential environmental impact these facilities create. Perhaps it would have been too costly to comply with all the environmental rules and regulations St. Maarten’s government would have insisted on. How embarrassing! Did St. Maarten know more than we do? Did we fail to seek advice when the opportunity was a mere few miles to the south?

The health and safety of the dolphins must be taken into consideration. Road Bay is a busy port. The underwater noise pollution will be unbearable to these sensitive mammals. The penned dolphins could be severely hurt or killed by the heavy “ground seas” or huge waves rolling in from the North Atlantic and crashing at regular intervals from October to April, to say nothing of the hurricanes which can occur in the months of June to November. Mr. Proctor states that several possible sites were taken into consideration and Road Bay deemed the only suitable location. On what basis did he arrive at this decision?
Dolphins have been on the earth for thousands of years. They are perfectly evolved to live and flourish in their wild ocean home, not within the confines of a human-made concrete tank or artificial lagoon. Wild dolphins can swim over 40 miles a day, they engage in mating, foraging, fighting and play behavior with their pod members and they use their echolocation to explore their diverse ocean environment. Under US standards you only have to give dolphins 30 x 30 feet to swim in. So, we’ll be extremely generous and suppose that operators in this country give their captive dolphins 5 times what they’re required. Unfortunately, even in this scenario, a dolphin would still have to circle its pen 700 times to simulate what it would do naturally in the wild. How big would a room have to be for you to spend the rest of your life in it?

Perhaps the most damaging aspect of the SWTD industry is the misconception - the FANTASY - it perpetuates among the general public. SWTD programs present themselves as “educational” and “eco-friendly”. They market themselves to people who love dolphins, care about conservation and are looking for a tangible way to express this interest. What SWTD participants don’t realize is that by patronizing these programs, they are not only contributing to this expanding, profit-driven industry, but they are ensuring that dolphins will continue to be captured from the wild and suffer in captivity.

Anguilla is developing, but we still have the right to protect our land, our beaches and our sea. Do not allow Anguilla to be the only country in the world exploiting our national symbol.

Catherine Orchard