ArmInfo
The Armenian Environment Network (USA) protests against construction of dolphinarium in the Komitas Park in Yerevan.
Armenia must adopt the right decision and join the countries protesting against exploitation of dolphins, AEC Executive Director Serda Eozbenyan told media on Friday. She said that the dolphinarium in Turkey has been recently closed under pressing of the world community.
"Breeding and further exploitation of dolphins is inadmissible for the United States as well. We think that Armenia's climate (hot summer and cold autumn) affect the health of dolphins," she said. She recalled that over 1200 people from various countries signed the petition against construction of dolphinarium in Yerevan at the www.thepetitionsite.com.
"We enlisted support of 50 international and local organizations," Eozbenyan said. For his part, Head of the Heritage Party Faction Stepan Safaryan said that the Nature Protection Ministry of Armenia is still studying permission for import of sea animals for dolphinarium.
"It is interesting that construction of dolphinarium in Komitas Park is already underway though the ministry has not made its final resolution on the issue," he said. Safaryan outlined the fact that in response to Heritage Party's request the Ministry of Culture replied that only part of the park where the Pantheon is located is a protection zone. Therefore, construction of the entertaining complex in front of the Pantheon is not under jurisdiction of the Culture Ministry.
In the meanwhile, Bardukh Gabrielyan, Director of the Hydro-ecology and Ichthyology Institute of Armenia, condemned the mess around dolphinarium.
"Environmentalists devaluate themselves by protesting the project of dolphinarium. They say that dolphins will not survive in conditions of the dolphinarium. I disagree with this; otherwise it is senseless investing millions in the given project. They say that dolphins have high intellect. The intellect of monkeys is higher. Let's hold them from performing at the circus," he said.
November 26, 2010