SAMPLE LETTER
Courtesy of Sue Arnold, Australians for Animals
Re: The Solomon Islands Dolphin Travesty
Dear ,
We, the undersigned organizations and individuals from all over
the world, formally request that the Governments of Australia and
New Zealand take immediate and decisive action in the Solomon Islands
to rescue and release the captured dolphins.
You are leaders of nations whose people have a deep love and respect
for whales and dolphins. You are leaders of nations who have made
a place in history by taking a strong international stand for the
protection and conservation of cetaceans.
What is happening in the Solomon Islands is nothing less than a
dolphin slave trade. Unethical consortiums led by Mexican interests
have taken advantage of anarchy and chaos in the SI to exploit wild
dolphins.
The cruelty involved in this illegal trade is shocking. We believe
that no responsible Government would support any operation which
hauled living dolphins out of the ocean; flopped them in the bottom
of open boats for up to two hours, gasping in agony, to be incarcerated
in primitive shallow pens where they are starved into submission.
To subject wild dolphins to a 20 hour flight from Honiara to Mexico
in plastic coffin like containers is unacceptable by any standards.
Four dolphins died before and after the flight. Another dolphin
died today in Mexico. Three more are looking very weak.
With no scientific data on the status of the dolphins involved
in this awful trade; no accurate numbers of the dolphins that have
been trapped and caught over the last five months; no mortality
figures and no monitoring of the captures, it’s clear the situation
is quite desperate.
We understand that there is no legal action which can be taken
in the Solomon Islands to stop this trafficking. We believe that
in the absence of any substantive Court action to prevent more captures
and exports, the Governments of Australia and New Zealand must act
urgently .
The most urgent priority is to arrange the release of the captured
dolphins.
* It would be useful if Australian and NZ Governments could arrange
for an immediate inspection of the dolphin pens by qualified veterinarians
and experts.
* All future exports should be stopped. The recent export to Mexico
was in violation of Article 1V of the CITES Convention, there are
ample legal grounds for Governments to take action.
* Australia and New Zealand governments need to use their influence
to have the Environment Act and the Wildlife Export Act of the Solomons
gazetted as soon as possible.
The final destination of surviving dolphins is the amusement parks
of Mexico and other countries. Their future ? Incarceration in small
concrete tanks and seapens so that people who pay large sums of
money can ‘ swim with dolphins.’
Treating highly intelligent and social animals as living toys which
can be transported across the world at will to satisfy the demands
of an avaricious industry is a crime against nature.
Speaking from the hearts of millions of people, we ask that you
act. Now.
Yours sincerely,
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