The permit deadline to move five dolphins from Attica Park Zoo (APZ) in Greece to Clearwater Marine Aquarium (CMA), Florida is fast approaching, and to move these animals across the Atlantic to yet another facility where they will be housed in tanks for public display is in our opinion, detrimental to their welfare, causing ongoing unnecessary psychological and physical stress.
Why move five dolphins, leaving four behind? All the dolphins currently in APZ were captive-born and should remain in Europe, to move them to the USA, with the extensive journey time, is unnecessary and makes no sense.
CMA currently houses three female and two male dolphins, all ‘rescued’. CMA has stated that the dolphins are needed to increase the social grouping at the aquarium, but why introduce captive-born dolphins to a facility which has to date been utilised for the rescue of stranded or injured cetaceans, taking space which could be used for this purpose in the future.
