Ban on Dolphin Captivity
The following decree should be introduced into Animal Protection Act: It is prohibited to hold dolphins in captivity.
Explanation: Marine mammals from the Cetacea family held in dolphinariums have been exposed to a great amount of stress, apathy and inadequate living conditions in extremely small spaces. This decree would ensure their current, well justified, protection. They could lose this protection which we must not be allowed.
All animals trained for dolphinarium performances are exposed to unnatural behavior where they are being rewarded with fish or audience applause for putting up a show.
Social communities of animals held in captivity are entirely unnatural because these conditions enable mixing of animals of different species, segregation according to gender or mixing of animals that would never interact in their natural habitat. Newborns are separated from thier mothers much too soon and placed in enviroments that do not meet their natural requirements.
Nevertheless, amusement parks very often state that animals are held in normal, healthy social communities! The truth is somewhat different: these animals are held in crowded spaces, they are forced to perform in shows, and their life expectancy is decreased. Even with a very severe regulation it is impossible to ensure adequate conditions for these animals. It is necessary to intoduce a ban on captivity.
The native species of dolphins in the Adriatic Sea like Tursiops truncatus (bottlenose dolphin) and Delphinus delphis (short-beaked common dolphin) are classified as protected species according to Enviroment Protection Act and Ordinance on Endangered and Most Endangered Species. Also, according to Ordinance on Conditions Animals are Held in Captivity, their identification and register of protected species it is prohibited to hold captive live specimens of all marine mammals of the Cetacea family.
Ban on captivity of marine mammals of the Cetacea family, dolphins included, is extremely important considering their scientifically valid high level of intelligence, complex social communities, and their specific mutual communication. Although the ban on dolphin captivity has been effective for years according to the ordinance issued by the Ministry of Enviromental and Nature Protection, due to Croatia's entering the EU it is possible that this decree will stop being valid. Therefore it is imperative for the Animal Protection Act to ban dolphin captivity in order to maintain that this decree will be effective with the authority of the Ministry of Agriculture. Free dolphins are a protected species in Croatia, but it is important to ban the imprisonment of these marine mammals as well.
Animal Friends' proposal for this amendment to the Animal Protection Act is from the year 2012.