ArmInfo
Armenian environmentalists intend to continue the fight against the “Nemo” dolphinarium.
“We will do our best for the dolphinarium to be closed. In Armenia dolphins should not be exploited, and we are sure that we’ll attain our goal”, Head of the Bird Lovers' Center NGO Silva Adamyan said to ArmInfo correspondent.
She pointed out that the surveys of European and American scientists distinctly say that the dolphins should live only in the seawater.
“These conditions are not observed in Armenia, and this is enough to bring the dolphins out of Armenia”, said Adamyan.
The expert pointed out that the Ministry of Nature Protection started the expert examination of the dolphinarium almost 3 months after the dolphinarium had been opened. “The fact that the expert examination is being carried out now runs counter to the law”, she stressed.
When commenting on the fact that the Administrative Court rejected the claim of the Bird Lovers’ Center and EcoDar NGO against the Ministry of Nature Protection, Adamyan said: “Earlier we applied to the Ministry to provide us with the documents on the expert examination of the environment, however, the Ministry replied that it has no such documents. The judge should have paid attention to that letter, as it was a sufficient ground for a trial by itself”. She added that the given decision of the court will be disputed. “I think the trial will be continued”, said Adamyan.
“Nemo” was opened in Yerevan on 24 Dec 2010. A group of greens held a protest action in front of the dolphinarium the same day.
Experts say that in captivity dolphins are prone to stress and can be very dangerous. There have even been cases of dolphins killing people. Despite this fact, “Nemo”’s commercial says that they will also provide dolphin-therapy for children. The activities of “Nerium”, the Ukrainian company that has brought dolphins for “Nemo”, have been declared illegal in Ukraine.
April 08, 2011