See original story – dolphins, wales arrive on Phuket.
On one hand, it was welcomed, particularly for the investors of the new “Nemo - Dolphins Bay Phuket” dolphinarium, who have spent an espoused B100 million in complying with legal procedures to ensure the attraction could open in time for the coming high season.
On the other hand, it has sent animal rights armchair activists into overdrive, as they fearlessly attack the animal entertainment tourism trade, quick to channel their anger at anybody who might not see it as black-and-white; if nothing else, our comments section has been overwhelmed with fury, passion and emotion.
Though relatively silent due to the associated controversy, dolphinarium stakeholders – public,private, foreign and domestic alike – are driven by the bottom line, no doubt looking to capitalize on high-volume group tourism in Phuket.
After all, it is busloads of tour groups who ensure that various animal entertainment attractions on the island – the Zoo, Bird Park, Tiger Kingdom, monkey and crocodile shows, elephant rides, just to name a few – can thrive.
Most likely to dominate the visitors queuing up for the shows at the dolphinarium will be the Chinese, Phuket’s top source market for many years now.
Unlike some of the island’s “traditional” source markets, the Chinese are infamous the world over for their lack of sensitivity or awareness of local “customs”, “etiquette” and “ethics”. And for a group of people who are known for still considering shark fin soup to be a healthy delicacy, dolphins doing tricks in a pool for food is probably not viewed as much more than a cute spectacle at best.
As the island’s leading and trusted community newspaper, The Phuket News upholds a duty to all of its readers to remain fair and unbiased in reporting on all issues that impact local residents and businesses.
While we don’t condone the captivity and exploitation of any animals for profit – or humans for that matter – we remind all that there are underlying “laws” that determine whether an operation is “legitimate” or otherwise.
The dolphinarium has not breached any codes up to this point and thus deserves no public trial on legal grounds.
But in respect to ethics and economics, there are a multitude of forces and factors yet to be played out.
And time of all, will do the telling.