I colleague altered me to this thread and as someone who actually worked with dolphins and other marine mammals from the 1970s my input maybe of interest.
First, the rumour of a dolphin facility: this, I think, came about due to some comments in the DEFRA Zoo Forum meeting which, unfortunately, no longer seems to be on-line. There appeared to be a general enquiry from an unnamed interested party regarding their plans to build a facility in the UK. Interestingly, DEFRA via the Zoo Forum are currently looking at revising the keeping regulation for cetaceans in the UK to amended the Standards of Modern Zoo Practice documents.
Details of this group and their functions can be found here:
Defra, UK - Wildlife and Countryside: Wildlife Protection - Zoos - Zoos Forum
Second, Dolphinaria in the UK ceased to operate due to a number of complex reason and certainly this had little to do with The Born Free Foundation (BFF).
Prior to 1981 there was no effective control of licensing of any zoological establishments let alone those that displayed dolphins and whales. After the Act came into power there where concerns regarding specific welfare needs for cetaceans in captive care in the UK. The then Department of the Environment – now DEFRA - commissioned biologist Dr Margaret Klinowska to prepare a report on UK dolphinaria with recommendations as to standards of care required or whether they should actually be kept at all in the UK. The report was published in 1986.
· Klinowska, Dr Margaret and Brown, Dr Susan (1986) A Review of Dolphinaria. Department of the Environment, London, UK.
The results of the review where the introduction of new standards of care and accommodation for UK cetaceans that would have to be implemented by 1993. Klinowska actually did not conclude that cetaceans could not, with the right care, be successfully maintain in captivity.
However, the review did recommend new minimum pool size regulations that none of the UK facilities currently met, e.g. pools had to have depths in parts of 24 feet*. Ironically, Marineland at Morecombe that was contrasted in 1964 had one of its two pools with a depth of 18 feet.
*This was a subject of much debate among zoo professionals at the time who worked with cetaceans. The point being made that area rather than depth being far more important; bottlenose dolphins, for example in Florida spend large amount of there time in areas less than 12 feet in depth or less.
Therefore, all faculties would have to seriously extended.
Untimely after the sale of Brighton Aquarium to the Sea Life Centre Group only Windsor Safari Park and Flamingoland had the financial ability to undertake construction to the new standards. Unfortunately Windsor Safari Park closed due to the failure of its parent company's interest in other areas. The Safari Park itself was an economically viable business; this fact was widely stated in the media at the time of its closing. Their animals - four adults and the five calves bred at the Park - were moved to the Harderwijk Marine Mammal Park in Holland.
http://www.dolfinarium.nl/taal/engels/default.htm
This left Flamingoland on it’s own and ultimately the owners of the dolphins transferred their animals to the Kolmarden Zoo in Sweden as a breeding loan for the zoo's new £12,000,000 extension to its dolphin complex.
These animals and Windsor’s have since successfully bred. It’s seem rather under reported that many cetacean species now breed successfully in captivity.
Two animals from Brighton Sealife Centre - Missie and Silver - and an animal from Morecambe - Rocky - were acquired by the 'Into the Blue' project for rehabilitation and release in the Caribbean in 1991. This project was co-ordinated by the celebrity-led BFF and various other animal groups.
The project has been considered by some to be very controversial, and serious scientific concern has been expressed regarding the eventual release of the three ex-British dolphinaria animals into the waters of the Caribbean due - among other considerations - to the released dolphins not being from the island waters and being, therefore, genetically 'foreign'. The fate of the animals is unclear. More information can be found here:
INTO THE BLUE
Ironically the very activist who were given the Brighton dolphins by Sealife Centres for the above project recently successfully opposed the Brighton Centre’s plan to build a seal and otter facility which just goes to show there is little or no mileage in trying to appease these anti-captive groups. IMHO: they start with dolphins then polar bears then move on the elephants etc, etc.
BBC NEWS | UK | England | Southern Counties | Animal pool debate reaches climax
Will we will ever display cetaceans in the UK again is open to debate. However, the reality is that there are proberly more dolphin facilities internationally as ever. Standards certainly have change in enlighten establishments as they have done with many other zoo animals and please bear in mind that any facilties that would be constructed now in the UK would not reflect the conditions of the UK in the seventies and eighties.
One further observation regarding the comment:
“I think a major issue if dolphins were to be kept in captivity again would be if they were used in shows and to perform tricks.”
I would just state that has this person been to a zoo or wildlife recently? They have more performing “tricks” than a circus but the shows are called “Meet The Animals”, “Animal In Action” etc. Actually there is nothing wrong with training and some would maintain it was some of the first animal enrichment in the captive enviroment if you look at the work of zoo biology pioneers such as Hediger.
Moreover, these zoos are using dolphin training techniquies developed mainly though the work of people like zoologist Karen Pryor who with a ex-husband set-up Hawaii Sea Life Park many years ago and was one of the first people to use the science of positve reinforement to shape behaviours in animals.
She has written an excellent book on the subject I always recommended on training both human and animals:
[ame=http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dont-Shoot-Dog-Teaching-Training/dp/1860542387]Don't Shoot the Dog!: The New Art of Teaching and Training: Amazon.co.uk: Karen Pryor: Books[/ame]
More background can also be found here.
Does the Carrot Need the Stick?
They aren’t “tricks” BTW they are behaviours.
As far as manatees are concerned that is a good idea. London Zoo were going to incorporate them at the new aquarium at Silver Keys but the idea was dropped which is a shame.
It may be of interest that I maintain a marine animal web site with various papers and article of marine animal welfare and care at:
Marine Animal Welfare - dolphins in captivity
