The Province, Tuesday, July 22, 2003
Sarah Young

Dolphin on his own
Parks board asks aquarium to hold off on search for pool pal

It looks like Spinnaker the dolphin could have some lonely days ahead.

The Coalition for No Whales in Captivity brought lawyer Denis Howarth and former Flipper trainer Richard O'Barry to last night's parks board meeting in an effort to make sure the Vancouver Aquarium doesn't bring in any more dolphins.

After hearing from the delegates, board chairwoman Heather Deal said the legal department will examine the aquarium bylaw for any deficiencies and offer possible solutions.

Deal also said the aquarium will to asked "to voluntarily refrain from importing any dolphins or whales until such time as the review is completed."

Coalition founder Annelise Sorg called it a huge victory.

"We are extremely pleased. It's a complete victory for dolphins," Sorg said.

"The best thing the board did tonight was to ask the aquarium to refrain from bringing in any more dolphins. The last thing we want to see is another dolphin in captivity while they're discussing this matter."

Sorg wants to see the board return to the bylaw proposed in 1996, in which the aquarium's population of dolphins, whales and porpoises would be phased out.

The existing bylaw allows the aquarium to bring in cetaceans that were born in captivity, were brought to an aquarium before 1996, were rescued or are considered endangered.

But coalition supporters say those exceptions are loopholes that need to be closed.

"As Vancouver's first progressive parks board, you can now do what needs to be done," said former board member Tim Louis, who voted against the bylaw in 1996.

"You can close the loophole of 1996 . . . a loophole so large whales and dolphins could swim through it."

With no system for tagging dolphins, O'Barry, who now works for the World Society for the Protection of Animals, said an aquarium can't prove the identity or date of capture of any particular dolphin.

"The loopholes are based on trust, and you can't enforce bylaws on trust," said Sorg.

The parks board will reconvene in the fall, at which time they will debate and vote on the issue.

No representatives from the aquarium were at the meeting and they could not be reached for comment.

syoung@png.canwest.com

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