EDITORIAL

Prev    Next Editorial: Dolphinarium concerns in the Turks and Caicos seem to have vanished Published on Monday, August 18, 2008 Email To Friend    Print Version A few weeks ago, concerns over a proposal to build a dolphinarium in the Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI) were so intense they drew the attention of famed free diver Tanya Streeter, who then notified the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society (WDCS), a UK-based charity for which she is a spokesperson. Both Ms Streeter and the WDCS sent letters to Premier Michael Misick and other members of the government, asking them to halt any plans to build a dolphinarium. In Ms Streeter’s letter, she proclaims how special the TCI is to her, both personally and professionally. She was so disturbed by the proposal, and other developmental projects in the works throughout the islands, that she said it was incomprehensible to her that the government was not only supporting such proposals, but was actually encouraging them. Ms Streeter has set several free diving records in the Turks and Caicos Islands and claims to have a special place in her heart for the country. She says she is pleased to have used her name and success to promote the islands internationally as a beautiful, unspoiled, environmentally sensitive destination. How could these things possibly be happening? The developments in National Parks, destruction of natural reefs for construction of artificial islands, glitzy hotels and mega-yacht facilities; all of which appear to benefit government officials and their business partners, but are at the complete expense of the islands’ environment and ecosystem. In the WDCS letter, Cathy Williamson, their Captivity Programme Manager, outlined the dangers of keeping dolphins in captivity, and even equated it to deliberate killing of the species. She cited the organisation’s background and credentials in the field of dolphins in captivity, and expressed their grave concern over the proposed project in the TCI. Ms Williamson asked the government of the Turks and Caicos Islands not to risk the responsibility a dolphinarium brings with it in terms of welfare and conservation, and called on them to do all they can for the conservation of dolphins in their natural environment and prevent this project from going ahead. On July 18, we published an article entitled “International conservation agency asks Turks and Caicos government to halt dolphinarium,” which reported that the WDCS had written to the TCI government protesting plans for a dolphinarium. In response to our article, Minister of Natural Resources, Fisheries and the Environment McAllister Hanchell stated in a July 22 WIV4 appearance that “there is no dolphinarium.” He then went on to claim that our report was “an attack on the government.” We are not sure how accurately reporting the fact that a letter had been written to the government by the WDCS about a proposed plan is an attack on anyone, but apparently it struck a nerve with Mr Hanchell and seemingly had him shocked and upset. Furthermore, no one was saying that there is a dolphinarium in existence so it was futile for Mr Hanchell to deny that one exists. Tellingly, he did not deny that there were plans for such. Mr Hanchell also denied ever being contacted by the WDCS, notwithstanding that the copy of the letter we hold clearly states that a copy was faxed to him. However, considering the phones are sometimes never answered at some TCI government offices, it’s a fair assumption that their fax machine may have several feet of uncollected documents on the floor around it. Could it possibly be, however, that they did get the letter but chose to ignore it in the hope it would not be made public? The people of the TCI can come to their own conclusions, as repeated attempts to contact government officials have gone unanswered. When contacted on August 4, Ms Williamson of the WDCS said she would have a response for Caribbean Net News later that week, which we have yet to receive. Further attempts to contact Ms Williamson and Ms Streeter for additional information or comments on this matter appear to have fallen on deaf ears. Neither emails nor phone calls have been successful in producing any response. What happened to all the concern and interest in preserving the country’s wildlife and ecosystem? Where are the supporters now? How can one, whether organisation or individual, claim to be a staunch supporter of preserving and protecting the unspoiled beauty of a place as remarkable as the Turks and Caicos Islands, but have no interest in seeing it through? These questions can only be answered by those who brought the issues to the attention of the media, presumably to solicit support and stop the project from materialising. Maybe the issues have been resolved and all sides are at peace, or maybe those protesting the development suddenly aren’t interested in being key players in defending their cause. Either way, it is the responsibility of all parties involved to inform the public of any results, whatever they may be. The people of the Turks and Caicos Islands deserve closure to this matter.   Reads : 1640   Prev    Next