Progress: Belgium announces historic ban on dolphinariums
The county’s last remaining dolphinarium will be ordered to close and no dolphins will be allowed to be imported.
Belgium has announced a ban on dolphinariums, in a positive sign of progress that shows governments around the world continue to move away from keeping the marine animals in captivity.
The country had previously announced that no new dolphinariums would be allowed to be built, and also imposed a ban on the breeding and import of dolphins.
Now, the Flemish minister for Animal Welfare Ben Weyts has strengthened the legislation with a complete and permanent ban on dolphinariums in the country.
The Boudewijn Seapark in Bruges is the country’s last remaining dolphinarium. Weyts explained that the facility must permanently close by 2037, with the extended grace period designed to help allow the current operators time to cover their investment and account for its current animals.
“The story of dolphins in captivity in Flanders will end for good by 2037 at the latest," Weyts said in a statement, reports national media. The minister has reportedly told animal welfare groups that the closure could happen much sooner.
Brussels-based animal advocacy group GAIA (Global Action in the Interest of Animals) was among those who welcomed the news.
“This is a historic moment for all animal rights activists,” said Michel Vandenbosch, Chair of GAIA.
“Ending the captivity of these sensitive and intelligent animals is not only a step forward for animal welfare but also a strong message to society: animals should not suffer for our entertainment, and captivity has no place in our modern world. Dolphinariums must come to terms with this”.
The victory comes after a decades-long fight from activists who had been calling for an end to dolphin captivity in the country since the 1990s. The campaign for a dolphinarium-free Belgium received broad support over the years, including from renowned wildlife figures like ethologist Jane Goodall and Richard O’Barry, the former trainer of Flipper who now advocates for captive marine animals.
Dolphins are still used to perform in shows in the US and around the world.
In a gesture of collaboration, GAIA says that it has proposed to transfer Boudewijn Seapark’s last remaining dolphins to a sanctuary. Possible “retirement” homes for the dolphins could include a planned marine sanctuary on the Greek island of Lipsi.
Such sanctuaries typically incorporate large, protected, designated areas in real-world oceans where formerly-captive marine animals can live the remainder of their lives in more natural environments. The sanctuaries are a relatively new development in marine wildlife care, but have already shown some groundbreaking successes, including the relocation of a pair of beluga whales who once performed at an aquarium in China to the world’s first open-water sanctuary for belugas in Iceland’s Klettsvik Bay.
With its latest ruling, Belgium joins a list of countries which have a permanent ban on dolphinariums, including India, Costa Rica, Chile, Croatia, Slovenia, and Cyprus.
Currently in the US, there is no law against dolphinariums or keeping dolphins in captivity.
According to animal welfare group In Defense of Animals, dolphins “suffer tremendously” in captivity with little mental stimulation while in barren and stale tanks. In the wild, dolphins experience vast distances and natural stimulation as they travel up to 60 miles per day to hunt and play with other dolphins in their pod.
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