Peta behind closing Dolphin City in Chennai, recall biologists
The AWBI appointed inspector's report largely coincided with the IUCN's report about the facility.
Chennai: ‘Ban Peta’ is the echoed slogan among protesters in Tamil Nadu. Besides the recent jallikattu ban in 2005, Peta was also instrumental in closing down the Dolphin city in Chennai, recalls a Chennai-based marine conservationist.
Recalling how the Dolphin City of Chennai, the country’s only Dolphinarium was closed, marine mammal consultant R.P. Kumarran, who was also the Animal Welfare Board of India appointed expert for inspecting Dolphin City, a decade back, said that the Dolphinarium attracted criticisms when all dolphins died within short intervals.
In the case of Dolphin City, despite an inspection by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) team for the ministry of environment and forest and climate change (MoEFCC) in 1999, a further inspection was carried by AWBI and this was unnecessary.
The AWBI appointed inspector’s report largely coincided with the IUCN’s report about the facility. When the report was submitted to AWBI it was Peta which financially supported inspections.
Two experts from IUCN in 1999 recommended the continuation of the facility after fixing the glitches. Owing to the lack of relevant veterinary care and expertise, no dolphins were further imported. The facility continued only with sea lions’ show. Despite MoEFCC’s inspection, Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) again called for another inspection of Dolphin City instigated by Peta in 2003. First of all, MoEFCC has more powers as custodian of biological resources of India.
There is no uniformity in terms of baseline data or fund availability for all the animals of the same schedule. This reflects on inadequacies in our understanding of them, Dr Kumarran rued adding that unfortunately, our system deters even researchers. When there is a knowledge gap, it is easier to bring in foreign elements than to course correct the age old practices, he opined on the recent ban on jallikattu.
Responding to the issue, conservationist scientist A. Kumaraguru of Biodiversity Conservation Foundation, said that the issue of jallikattu had snowballed into a major issue as the voice of local veterinarians and biologists were not considered.
A complete ban will only aggravate the stakeholders. If there is a cruelty against bulls, it has to be regulated by stringent laws and the complete ban has now put animal welfare organisations in a vulnerable position. It’s time the state and the Centre in future roped in local resources for a better understanding and conservation of animals. “Further, foreign NGOs should be kept away while dealing with India’s natural resources”.