A Singapore casino resort’s acquisition of dolphins from the Solomon Islands for its marine park contributed to the depletion of the species around the islands, an animal welfare group said on Friday.
The Singapore-based Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (ACRES) released a video on the depletion of the Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins from the islands as it intensified a campaign for Resorts World Sentosa (RWS) to release the animals.
RWS acquired 27 dolphins from the Solomons between 2008 and 2009, despite the availability of information “advising against the purchase,” ACRES said in a statement.
It cited a report by the International Union for Conservation of Nature which said that catching dolphins from the islands would be detrimental to the survival of the species there.
The dolphins, now numbering 25 following the deaths of two, are currently in the Philippines for training, and will be shipped to the RWS marine park in Singapore sometime next year.
The park is set to open without them later this year.
The large mammals were at the center of a legal tussle this week after a Philippine court temporarily blocked their transport to Singapore following a civil suit filed by animal rights activists.
They alleged the dolphins’ capture from the Solomon Islands violated an international treaty on the trade of endangered animals and plants.
However, the Philippine government said on Thursday it has approved the export of the dolphins after the ban on transporting them was lifted.
Resorts World “should have performed due diligence before they acquired the dolphins,” said ACRES chief executive Louis Ng, who called for the animals to be released back into the wild.
However, in a statement issued on Wednesday relating to the Philippine court ban it said: “Our dolphins are doing well under the care of our team of experienced experts, and we look forward to welcoming them to Singapore.”
It also disputed allegations it had contravened international treaties in acquiring the dolphins.
It accused the group that initiated the court action in the Philippines of “perpetuating the same falsehoods that we had repeatedly made numerous clarifications and corrections to in the past.”
EUROPEAN FUTURE? Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama says only he could secure EU membership, but challenges remain in dealing with corruption and a brain drain Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama seeks to win an unprecedented fourth term, pledging to finally take the country into the EU and turn it into a hot tourist destination with some help from the Trump family. The artist-turned-politician has been pitching Albania as a trendy coastal destination, which has helped to drive up tourism arrivals to a record 11 million last year. US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, also joined in the rush, pledging to invest US$1.4 billion to turn a largely deserted island into a luxurious getaway. Rama is expected to win another term after yesterday’s vote. The vote would
FRAUD ALLEGED: The leader of an opposition alliance made allegations of electoral irregularities and called for a protest in Tirana as European leaders are to meet Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama’s Socialist Party scored a large victory in parliamentary elections, securing him his fourth term, official results showed late on Tuesday. The Socialist Party won 52.1 percent of the vote on Sunday compared with 34.2 percent for an alliance of opposition parties led by his main rival Sali Berisha, according to results released by the Albanian Central Election Commission. Diaspora votes have yet to be counted, but according to initial results, Rama was also leading there. According to projections, the Socialist Party could have more lawmakers than in 2021 elections. At the time, it won 74 seats in the
CANCER: Jose Mujica earned the moniker ‘world’s poorest president’ for giving away much of his salary and living a simple life on his farm, with his wife and dog Tributes poured in on Tuesday from across Latin America following the death of former Uruguayan president Jose “Pepe” Mujica, an ex-guerrilla fighter revered by the left for his humility and progressive politics. He was 89. Mujica, who spent a dozen years behind bars for revolutionary activity, lost his battle against cancer after announcing in January that the disease had spread and he would stop treatment. “With deep sorrow, we announce the passing of our comrade Pepe Mujica. President, activist, guide and leader. We will miss you greatly, old friend,” Uruguayan President Yamandu Orsi wrote on X. “Pepe, eternal,” a cyclist shouted out minutes later,
Myanmar’s junta chief met Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) for the first time since seizing power, state media reported yesterday, the highest-level meeting with a key ally for the internationally sanctioned military leader. Senior General Min Aung Hlaing led a military coup in 2021, overthrowing Myanmar’s brief experiment with democracy and plunging the nation into civil war. In the four years since, his armed forces have battled dozens of ethnic armed groups and rebel militias — some with close links to China — opposed to its rule. The conflict has seen Min Aung Hlaing draw condemnation from rights groups and pursued by the
RSS