Http://www.thepetitionsite.com/
ACRES 
Sep 21, 2013 
ACRES, NGOs 
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PRESS RELEASE
21 September 2013
LAUNCH OF BOYCOTT OF CASINOS IN THE UK OVER THE CAPTURE AND CONFINEMENT OF WILD – CAUGHT DOLPHINS
LONDON, 21 September 2013 – ACRES, a Singapore-based animal protection charity, together with UK-based organisations The Captive Animals’ Protection Society (CAPS), Marine Connection and Whale and Dolphin Conservation (WDC), today launched a global boycott of Genting Casinos with a public awareness event outside Genting Casino Chinatown in London and the launch of an online petition.
The boycott is in response to Genting’s decision to continue confining wild-caught dolphins at their Marine Life Park attraction at Resorts World, Sentosa (RWS) in Singapore, instead of accepting an offer of assistance with rehabilitating and releasing the dolphins back to the wild. The ultimate aim of the boycott is to secure the freedom of the remaining 24 wild-caught dolphins.
Between 2008 and 2009, RWS (which is wholly owned by Genting Singapore, a company of the Genting Group) damaged Singapore’s good international reputation by buying 27 wild-caught Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops aduncus) from the Solomon Islands for their new attraction in Singapore. The dolphins were caught from an area where populations are known to have declined, and scientific studies have confirmed that the trade in these dolphins was unsustainable and pushed this species one step closer towards extinction in the Solomon Islands.
In 2010, two of the dolphins died whilst undergoing training, despite the top-class care that RWS had promised. In 2012, a third dolphin, Wen Wen, died being transported to Singapore. The remaining dolphins have been observed being confined in small, barren pools at the Marine Life Park, for public display. RWS have held fireworks displays near the dolphin enclosures, which may have stressed the dolphins.
It is widely acknowledged that dolphins do not do well in captivity. Many countries, including the UK, no longer have facilities keeping dolphins in captivity. Some, such as Chile and Costa Rica, have actually banned the capture and display of dolphins.
Local and international outrage about the actions of Genting has been considerable. However, Genting have chosen to ignore public opposition, including over 680,000 signatures on online petitions calling for the dolphins to be freed, and refuse to respond to requests from ACRES to establish a dialogue about the dolphins.
“We urge Genting to reconsider their decision not to allow these remaining 24 dolphins the opportunity of rehabilitation and eventual release back to the wild. Public opposition to them housing wild-caught, captive dolphins at Resorts World is already great; we urge others to support this boycott to show the depth of feeling both nationally and internationally over this issue. These dolphins have been removed from an already depleted population, and acceptance of imported dolphins from this source reflects very badly on the ethical practices of Genting as a company, and they would immediately raise their profile by showing compassion and allowing these dolphins the opportunity of release. By supporting this campaign, the public could help these dolphins to once again swim free in Solomon Islands waters and discourage any future captures for the captivity trade” said Margaux Dodds, Director of Marine Connection.
Cathy Williamson, WDC’s Captivity Programme Manager, said: “As more and more people become aware of the dangers posed to the welfare and conservation of dolphins by their capture and confinement in captivity, these activities are being brought increasingly into question. India, the world’s largest democracy, has recently announced a national ban on dolphin captivity and suggested that dolphins should be seen as “non-human persons”. We call on Genting to allow the dolphins at Resorts World to return home to freedom in the Solomon Islands”.
Liz Tyson, Director of The Captive Animals’ Protection Society, said: “It has long been recognised that dolphins suffer immensely in captivity and, thankfully, we no longer have any captive cetacean facilities here in the UK. However, whilst companies such as Genting continue to hold wild-caught dolphins captive in their overseas facilities, the UK continues to be complicit in their suffering. The global boycott, organised by friends at ACRES, will send a clear message to Genting that out of sight is certainly not out of mind. We hope members of the public will join us in demanding the rehabilitation and release of these majestic animals”.
“The dolphins have endured being removed from their natural habitat in the Solomon Islands and stressful transportations between countries. They’ve been subjected to training sessions in small enclosures in other countries. They are now being housed in small, barren pools: a far cry from the ocean habitat to which they are adapted. It’s time for Genting to make an ethical decision about the future of the individual dolphins and the species in the wild as well, and agree to rehabilitate and release them back into the Solomon Island waters. We hope that the public will support this boycott, to pressure Genting to make the right decision” said Louis Ng, Chief Executive and Founder of ACRES.
Members of the public can sign the online petition “Boycott Genting casinos, until the 24 wild-caught dolphins at Resorts World Sentosa are free” at www.thepetitionsite.com.
Contact:
Louis Ng (Chief Executive and Founder, ACRES)
Email: louis@acres.org.sg
Tel Hp: +65 9796 8592
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Notes to editors
• “Genting” refers to Genting Group: a Malaysian conglomerate. Genting Singapore PLC is one of its member companies. Genting Singapore PLC operates Resorts World Sentosa (RWS), where the Marine Life Park attraction which houses the dolphins is located.
• Genting Casinos is one of the U.K.’s largest casino operators, operating 38 casinos in the U.K.
• Photos of RWS wild-caught dolphins are available on request.
• The “Save the World’s Saddest Dolphins” campaign, a Singapore – based campaign to free the Resorts World dolphins, was launched by ACRES in May 2010. The official campaign website is www.saddestdolphins.com
• The link to the online petition is http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/430/927/849/
• ACRES (Animal Concerns Research and Education Society) is a pioneering Singapore-based charity and Institution of Public Character, founded by Singaporeans in 2001 with the aim of promoting animal welfare.
• The Captive Animals’ Protection Society (CAPS) is a UK-based charity leading the campaign to end the exploitation of animals in captivity. Through a combination of undercover investigations, research, campaigns, political lobbying and education, CAPS aims to stop the use of animals in entertainment, particularly in circuses, zoos and the exotic pet trade.
• Marine Connection is a London-based charity working internationally on the welfare and protection of all cetaceans. The charity believes that it is ethically and morally wrong to keep these mammals in a captive environment and no facility is able to fully replicate the natural habitat, nor provide the diversity of social structure and diet enjoyed by their counterparts in the wild and works with colleagues around the world to put an end to wild captures for the captivity industry.
• WDC, Whale and Dolphin Conservation, is the leading global charity dedicated to the conservation and protection of whales and dolphins. WDC defends these remarkable creatures against the many threats they face through campaigns, lobbying, advising governments, conservation projects, field research and rescue.
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Source: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/
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