The Mediterranean’s first sanctuary for dolphins that have lived in captivity would open off Italy next year, as demand for rehoming rises with the closure of marine parks across Europe.
“We must develop a new model for managing dolphins in a natural, but supervised environment,” San Paolo Dolphin Refuge head Carmelo Fanizza said.
The sanctuary still needs a final green light from the government, but the site would be ready by the end of this month and the first dolphins are expected to arrive “no later than May or June 2026,” Fanizza said.
Photo: AFP
Animal rights concerns have driven countries such as Canada and France to ban the capture of dolphins, porpoises and whales, while a growing number of marine parks are shutting.
That has created a burning question: What to do with the cetaceans, which could live for decades and have mostly only known life in captivity, so they cannot be released into the wild?
The sanctuary got permission from the Italian government in 2023 to use a seven hectare area in the Gulf of Taranto.
The spot is “sheltered and protected from the sea, winds and prevailing ocean currents,” Fanizza said.
“Improvements have been made to the facilities, so that the quality of the breathable air, the water column and the sediments in the area currently pose no risk to animal health,” he added.
The facility has a main 1,600m2 enclosure, a smaller one for potential transfers and a veterinary one for quarantine cases. It has a floating laboratory, accommodation so staff can be on site overnight and a food preparation area. It is also equipped with a video surveillance system and sensors at sea, which transmit data to a control room in Taranto.
The sanctuary’s construction has been largely paid for by Jonian Dolphin Conservation — the research organization behind the initiative — with support from private donors and European public funds.
The site’s operating costs are estimated at between 350,000 and 500,000 euros (US$407,960 and US$582,800) per year.
It could legally accommodate up to 17 dolphins, but “the number will absolutely not be that,” Fanizza said.
“Our goal at this stage is not to take in a large number of animals, but to identify a group that, given its medical condition, behavior and social structure, could be ideal for initiating such a project,” he said.
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