Entries by Nicolas Entrup

2011: if you ask a politician, a government within a Member State of the European Union, today how many dolphins are displayed within the Member States of the European Union, about the reproduction rate of the breeding programmes etc. No one would be able to give you a precise answer, as there is no such register available that lists such data and provide transparent access to such information. Please keep in mind we talk about large mammals. Forget even trying to think of asking about the percentage of abortions, still births, miscarriages, what kind of medical treatment dolphins get etc.. Just forget it. No one knows, just the institutions displaying these large mammals themselves.

In 2006 and 2007 several dolphin calves and an adult female died at the dolphinarium in the Nuremberg Zoo, Germany. WDCS took action and asked the representatives of the Nuremberg Zoo as well as the City of Nuremberg (who have responsiblity for the Zoo) to have access to all data relating to the display of dolphins for an independent review. The request and access was denied. In 2008 WDCS took legal action, as denying access to such information violates the law that grants access to Environmental Information. Since then we have been in court fighting for the public's right to know what is happening with dolphins and whales held in captivity. We won, the city of Nuremberg appealed, we won again. Meaning: in May 2011, the Bavarian Appeal Court confirmed that WDCS has the right to access all information relevant to the display of dolphins. The first verdict of its kind. The first time, a public institution has to open their books. You might think, this should be standard practise. You might think, why did the Zoo fight so hard to prevent the law being applied?

Yes, this is an amazing result, but I want to offer you another thought.

The City of Nuremberg has provided the guarantee for the investment of more than 20 Million EUR to expand the dolphinarium at the Nuremberg Zoo. No instruction to undertake an independent evaluation of the breeding programme had taken place before the politicians came to their decision (acting on tax payers money).

When you consider that the total budget for research, field work and conservation projects by the Convention on Migratory Species, the Agreement for the Conservation of Small Cetaceans in the North and Baltic Sea (ASCOBANS) and the Agreement for the Conservation of Whales and Dolphins in the Mediterranean and Black Sea is less than 500.000 € a year …

then you might agree with two things:

1. the verdict is a Milestone for transparency that was bitterly needed

2. If you are a tax payer - there is a huge scandal up in the air and you may be asking further questions of our elected officials.