Amsterdam law firm Van Den Biesen Kloostra Advocaten representing the Free Morgan Foundation (FMF) recently presented the State Secretary of Economic Affairs (the Netherlands) with an application for annulment of the EC certificate of 27 July 2011 granted in respect of Morgan the orca. The application is based on new reports concerning Morgan’s welfare at Loro Parque in Tenerife, Spain where she is currently held, and attempts by the Spanish park to possibly breed her. This would be in violation of the terms of the certificate which states that Morgan should be used specifically for research purposes – however, she now performs tricks in the orca show at Loro Parque for paying tourists.
In 2010 orca Morgan was discovered by the patrol vessel “de Krukel” of the Ministry of Agriculture and later taken to Harderwijk Dolfinarium for rehabilitation. At the time, The Ministry supported this intervention and declared it was according to the permit the Dolfinarium held for rescue and rehabilitation. Following her recovery Morgan should have been returned to the ocean but State Secretary Henk Bleker decided she could not be returned to the wild and had her transferred to Loro Parque in late 2011. The report released by the FMF documents the welfare of Morgan, the deterioration of her teeth and the conditions in which she is kept. This information has compelled the FMF to approach the Dutch Government seeking annulment or modification of Morgan’s certificate as the conditions justifying the transfer of Morgan to Loro Parque are not as initially represented.
