The PAN spokesperson and the head of the European list joined a demonstration this Saturday, in front of the Lisbon Zoo, calling for the end of dolphin shows and the transition of dolphinariums to marine sanctuaries.
Last week, the PAN already presented to parliament a draft resolution that recommends to the Government the reconversion of dolphinariums, the creation of conservation and recovery centers for species and sanctuaries.
We want to ensure that in Portugal sanctuaries are built in natural marine areas so that dolphins that have lived here in captivity for several decades can be placed offshore in a controlled and monitored area, allowing a transition towards a model of greater respect. for animal life,” explained Inês Sousa Real, speaking to journalists.
The PAN spokesperson highlighted that the dolphins that live in dolphinariums (it is estimated that there are 35 in Portugal, eight of them in the zoo) live “in small and often overcrowded spaces.”
“The PAN defends the zoos of the 21st century, following the challenge of civil society,” he stated.
They asked you if you have ever had comment of the Government in these matters, Inês Sousa Real regretted that animal protection returns, within the current Government, to be under the umbrella of agriculture.
“We want to make sure there is no setback in terms of animal welfare. People are increasingly concerned about animal welfare and we want to ensure that, at the government level, this awareness exists,” he stated.
The number one of the PAN among the Europeans, Pedro Fidalgo Marques, also considered that at the European level “it is possible to guarantee that the application of the directive on zoos is effective in Portugal” and that dolphinariums can be banned.
The two PAN leaders joined the demonstration organized by the “Empty the Tanks” association, which brought together a few dozen people carrying signs that said “Captivity in the circus is not a solution” and shouted slogans such as “30 minutes of fun, a life.” in prison”, distributing leaflets to people entering the Lisbon Zoo.
The movement explains that it does not ask for “the immediate release of the dolphins or the strike of the employees” who work with them, but rather “the transition from a circus exploitation model in a dolphinarium to a rehabilitation model in a nature sanctuary.” . saying that it is a proven model “with great success in nine countries.”
In the draft resolution (without the force of law), the PAN refers to scientific studies that “reveal that wild animals kept in captivity suffer several adverse consequences in their behavior and health.”
The PAN recommends that the Government “promote and execute programs for the conversion of dolphinariums and oceanariums, located in the national territory, into centers for the conservation, recovery and observation of species, without any recreational component” and “implement, within the scope of the reconversion and in collaboration with experts and non-governmental organizations of nature conservation and animal protection” the transition of spaces and the creation of natural sanctuaries.
The PAN also requests the necessary resources to implement the conversion programs, and that the Government promote public awareness about the negative impacts of wild animal captivity and the benefits of the conversion of dolphinariums and oceanariums and establish deadlines and goals for the implementation of reconversion programs.
Source: Observadora
