EcoLur
Yerevan authorities and environmentalists didn’t find any point of contacts in regard with the dolphinarium construction. The plan and technical evaluation didn’t pass any public hearing and didn’t receive the environmental impact assessment opinion issued by the State Environmental Inspection of Nature Protection Ministry of RA for the very simple reason that the documentation package was not submitted at all.
Based on the abovementioned it turns out that Yerevan Mayor Gagik Beglaryan’s all arguments that dolphinarium and its functioning comply to standards are not substantiated with anything legal (in this case, the Environmental State Inspection opinion.)
The State Environmental Inspection of Nature Protection Ministry should have also reacted to the absence of environmental impact assessment opinion, particularly taking into consideration the fuss around this project. Nevertheless, no reaction from the Ministry. We would like to draw the State Environmental Inspection officials’ attention that dolphinarium project is almost ready for delivery. Moreover, “Nerum” Company (dolphin importer) activities are recognized as illegal in the Ukraine.
The open letter addressed by V. Boreyko, Environmental Center Director and Honoured Environmentalist of Ukraine, to the President of Ukraine, says in 2010 the State Environmental Inspection of Nature Protection Ministry of Ukraine conducted checks in all the dolphinariums and revealed almost in all the dolphinariums animals are maintained with gross violations of the Ukrainian Law “On Animal Protection from Abusive Treatment”, as well as many dolphins don’t have any permit documents.
In his letter the Ukrainian scientist-environmentalist demands to impose strict bans on using dolphins for entertainment purposes and to forbid maintaining dolphins in commercial dolphinariums.
It should be mentioned, if Nature Protection Ministry were more efficient in this regard and forced Yerevan Municipality to act as pursuant to law (i.e. to submit documents for expert assessment and to hold public hearings), maybe our authorities would learn more about dolphins before discussing them in the mass media.
October 14, 2010