Vancouver Courier -- published on 06/09/2006
Aquarium president told staff parks board didn't want dolphin
By Sandra Thomas-Staff writer
According to a document obtained by the Courier, the former parks board
refused to give the Vancouver Aquarium permission to import one of two
Pacific white-sided dolphins that arrived here from Japan last October.
Despite the lack of permission, the aquarium imported the 11-year old
dolphin, later named "Hana." Unbeknownst to aquarium staff, Hana was
pregnant at the time and on Wednesday night gave birth to a dead calf.
Kelly Bunting, a spokesperson for No Whales in Captivity, said it's
possible the stress of being shipped from Japan to Vancouver contributed
to the calf's death.
"Moving a dolphin is incredibly stressful," she said. "It's thought to be
as stressful as the initial capture. That couldn't have been good for her.
Of the seven dolphin pregnancies we know of at the aquarium, six have
resulted in death."
According to the aquarium, both Hana and 17-year-old Helen were badly
injured after being trapped in fishing nets, and were transferred to the
Enoshima Aquarium in Japan for rehabilitation. Helen had to have portions
of her front flippers amputated after she arrived in 1996, while Hana was
emaciated and suffering from starvation when she arrived at the Japanese
aquarium in 2003. It cost the Vancouver aquarium $200,000 to buy and
transport the dolphins.
According to an internal memo written by aquarium president John
Nightingale in October and distributed to aquarium staff, the parks board
wrote him a letter before the dolphins arrived stating that in staff's
opinion "this dolphin [Hana] is not permitted, and they requested that we
not bring her into Vancouver. The park board has not yet consulted the
city legal team."
The memo continues, "You may see this issue of 'legality,' debated in the
media. Don't worry a great deal about this temporary issue, but please
take the time to set people straight as you may hear misinformation and
distorted facts being voiced. Given the 'political season' [municipal
election], we know this issue will be the subject of considerable
coverage, and given the history of distorted and inaccurate charges by
various extremists, we can expect the coverage will not always be balanced
or straightforward. Your management team and executive committee believe
we are acting just as we should-we are ensuring that we continue to hold,
display and interpret Pacific white-sided dolphins, and we are doing it_
within the agreements we have made. We will continue to operate the
aquarium in the best interests of the animals, the institution and the
people who support and rely on us."
Bunting said the coalition obtained the memo from an aquarium staff member
who disagreed with the aquarium's decision to import the dolphin.
Nightingale agrees the comments were taken from an internal staff memo,
but adds there is nothing untoward in the comments.
"We were in the middle of a municipal election," he said. "People said to
me 'Are you nuts doing this now?' But we had to move the dolphins before
the weather got any worse."
He adds the parks board did write the aquarium asking staff to hold off
with plans to bring Hana here.
"But we wrote back and said we couldn't comply. We knew we were within the
letter and spirit of the bylaw and because of the timing we had to act
then," he said. "As long as we meet the conditions laid out in the bylaw
and have permission from the [federal] government, we can import dolphin."
On Tuesday night the coalition made a presentation to the board's planning
committee asking it to take legal action against the aquarium. The group
is accusing the aquarium of contravening Parks Control Bylaw 9 (e), as
well as conditions of the aquarium's lease by importing the dolphins.
Bunting said if the parks board is not prepared to take legal action
against the aquarium, the coalition will take legal action against the
parks board for not following the bylaw if it doesn't proceed against the
aquarium.
Nightingale said the coalition approached the parks board with a similar
request two years ago, but was ignored.
"Anyone can say they're going to bring legal action," he said. "But so far
all I've seen is the coalition's press release."
Former parks commissioners Anita Romaniuk, who is out of town, and Heather
Deal did not return phone calls before the Courier's press deadline. Deal
was elected to council last November. COPE commissioner Loretta Woodcock,
who sat on the former board, is also out of town and unavailable. As well,
commissioner Alan De Genova, who also sat on the former board, did not
return a phone call before the Courier's press deadline.
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PLEASE WRITE A LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Vancouver Courier editor@vancourier.com
2-3 paragraphs and include your address and phone number!
Thank you!!!
Annelise Sorg
COALITION FOR NO WHALES IN CAPTIVITY
www.nowhalesincaptivity.org