A coalition of marine mammal advocates and experts are demanding answers from the Portuguese government and an NGO on the whereabouts of a rescued female common dolphin, Martinha, who has spent the past decade confined to a tiny backyard concrete ‘swimming pool’.
Martinha stranded on the coast of Portugal in September 2007 – her rescuers allowed her to languish in a waist-deep pool for 10 years. Despite continued assurances that she would be rehabilitated and returned to the wild, it is believed that Martinha is still being held in conditions that severely hinder and compromise her welfare.
Marine Connection’s Liz Sandeman comments “Over the past month, on two separate occasions I contacted both CRAM-Q and ICNF on behalf of the coalition enquiring if Martinha was still alive and if so, would they provide us with the most up to date photo of the dolphin. However, despite assurances from CRAM-Q the coalition would receive an official answer after the 8th of October from ICNF, no information has been forthcoming which is very disappointing.”
Please help us find Martinha – further information can be at www.martinha.org
