Solomons dolphin trader says planned release genuine
Updated
A dolphin dealer in the Solomon Islands planning to release 17 dolphins into the wild says criticism against him is unwarranted.
Chris Porter runs Dolphin's Paradise in Central Province, and last week Ric O'Barry from the Earth Island Institute went so far as to say to Pacific Beat that the planned release is merely a publicity stunt.
Chris Porter insists he is acting in the interests of the dolphins.
Presenter: Geraldine Coutts
Speaker: Chris Porter, founder of Free The Pod and manager of Dolphin's Paradise in Solomon Islands' Central Province; Ric O'Barry, Earth Island Institute
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PORTER: For the last eight years I've provided a live alternative for the dolphins in the Solomon Islands that are currently hunted for their teeth and meat. And as a dolphin trainer and mammal trainer for 20 years I came up withe concept that we could provide a live alternative use for the animals and have provided some of the animals to aquariums around the world in the last eight years.
COUTTS: Well we spoke with Ric O'Barry as you know from Earth Island Institute last week [about the release of dolphins] and this is one of the comments he made during that interview.
O'BARRY: If it's true it's a good thing but I'm sceptical. My sources tell me not long ago he had six dolphins, all of a sudden he has 17, so is he capturing these dolphins just for this publicity stunt and releasing them?
COUTTS: So what do you say to that Chris Porter?
PORTER: Ric O'Barry has confused that, we actually just exported six dolphins at the beginning of this year and we already had a pod of animals at the facility that amounted to 23 animals. So six had left and just this year I've embarked on freeing the pod.
COUTTS: And he also had this to say - and you'll get the right of reply - that the whole thing's a publicity stunt.
O'BARRY: There's no way to monitor his actions, and in other words he could have his partner capturing dolphins and selling them and Porter making money from that. So this could be just a publicity stunt so he can get his new aquarium started.
COUTTS: So firstly is there a new aquarium?
PORTER: The aquarium is actually the entire Solomon Islands, that's my conservation stand after 20 years in the industry is that a country's waters should be viewed as an aquarium and should be managed as such. So people have this concept that my proposed national aquarium is a facility, which is the norm, but I'm proposing that the entire Solomon Islands is deemed as an aquarium so that it can better be utilised for their tuna management, for their dolphin management, and other species.
COUTTS: So you're proposing to have Solomon Islands declared a whole sanctuary, there's not a designated spot that you'll have for tourism from which you will gain some revenue?
PORTER: Exactly, the entire country I view is the world's largest tourism, it's part of the Coral Triangle, has an amazing diversity of marine life. And through my years of working in the aquarium industry and dealing with activists and government agencies over the industry I've come to the conclusion that it's better to have an umbrella approach where we all get together and work at a unified approach on dealing with marine mammals.
COUTTS: But point of clarification - will you have a dolphin aquarium of your own where people pay to go in and see the dolphins?
PORTER: No, this pod of animals will be introduced back into the wild. The facility Dolphins Paradise will continue to be a tourist operation, meaning that it's a private island, it's a 40 acre World War Two historical island. But the animals themselves will be freed into the wild and they will have the opportunity to choose to either continue to come back for food security, because within the pod there is a captive born animal as well, so we need to be sure that we provide food security and protection for the animals throughout this process. This won't be a quick drop and the dolphins are free process, this will be the first of its kind where we integrate with scientists and conservation groups and activists themselves, and I have put the invitation to Ric O'Barry to join us with his experience in releasing animals to come together with a unified approach so we can actually create a group of true ambassadors to have the opportunity to choose between the wild and between human interaction.
COUTTS: Well how, Chris Porter, has Ric O'Barry got it so wrong?
PORTER: Activists at times tend to draw upon a few conclusive statements and embark on actions that benefit themselves, and I understand, this but Ric O'Barry and I have not had much time together and I have put the invitation to meet with him and others that are concerned about this and ironically even the industry thinks that I've actually joined the activist side so I have the activists who view me as being a publicity stunt and then the industry itself see it as I'm joining the activist side. So it is a new concept, no one's ever quite developed it in this manner and it is bringing a lot of scepticism, it's bringing a lot of doubt, but it's an exciting project and it should be supported based on that it's best for the dolphins themselves.
COUTTS: Well Chris just before we go this is another comment that Ric O'Barry from the Earth Island Institute had to say when we spoke with him last week.
O'BARRY: We have an employee in the Solomon Islands, who works for us and he monitors Chris Porter and the other dolphin dealers. And this guy, our colleague was actually abducted and almost beaten to death by one of these four dolphin dealers. Was it Chris Porter? We don't know, but somebody abducted our employee and took him out and if he didn't fight back he probably would be dead.
COUTTS: Chris what do you have to say about that?
PORTER: I think he's referring to Lawrence Makili and the police did investigate it and it was deemed a private incident over family matters, and of course I would never be involved in anything of such nature. I've been in the country for eight years, been very transparent and open. And to be honest actually socialise with Lawrence Makili and go out with barbecues and dinner with him. So it is an unfair statement based on certain occurrences that activists periodically utilise to embark their agendas.
