More controversy could be brewing around the transfer of 16 dolphins to The Bahamas, which are to be used as part of Kerzner International’s new dolphin facility on Paradise Island.
Mississippi-based veterinarian, Mike Anderson, has expressed concern that the dolphins may carry the Morbillivirus, which can contaminate the waters surrounding The Bahamas, according to international press reports.
Morbillivirus is also said to be the cause of serious disease in several types of animals and in people.
“He says marine life officials asked him to sign a health certificate showing the dolphins are safe from disease,” according to the report.
The report further noted that Anderson, who reportedly worked with the dolphins for several years, declined to sign the health certificate, pointing out that he was no longer the primary vet and was not sure they would not contaminate the environment.
Dr. Anderson could not be reached for comment up to press time yesterday.
While Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries V Alfred Gray has said that the dolphins are in “excellent health,” the reports have raised serious concern amongst activists like Sam Duncombe, who heads the environmental group ReEarth.
“I think that it is absolute lunacy for the government of Te Bahamas to allow infected animals into this country because there is always the threat of them passing that virus on,” Mrs. Duncombe told The Bahama Journal yesterday.
“It has been responsible for several dolphins stranding all over the world, where 30 to 50 dolphins have died at one point, and are we prepared to jeopardise the health of the native population for one resort? This is absolute lunacy-.If they allow Atlantis to bring these animals in, then what is there to stop any other facility from requesting dolphins and whether they are or are not infected really does not matter. I think this is really a retarded move.”
International reports indicate that there have been several major die-offs among marine mammals caused by the Morbillivirus over the years.
Additionally, the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) recently implicated Morbillivirus infection as the primary cause of the 1987-1988 U.S. Atlantic coast bottlenose dolphin die-off.
In each of these events, thousands of animals are believed to have died, according to the reports.
Gerald Dukes, the veterinarian currently caring for the dolphins, insists that the animals have been tested repeatedly for various diseases and “none of them have displayed any ailments.”
According to Dukes, one of the dolphins had developed an immunity to the Morbillivirus. This means that the animal had the illness at some point in the past, but was not a threat to other animals.
“(There’s) almost no chance that they would contaminate any other environment,” Dukes reportedly said. “They have been isolated for some time. I think the animals are healthy – healthy enough to ship them to The Bahamas.”
In a recent interview with the Bahama Journal, Kerzner International’s Chief Marine Officer, Frank Murru, stressed that the company would do everything to ensure the health of the mammals, which will be kept at a facility that adheres to very strict international standards.
“This organisation will not take any animal that’s not fit for travel,” Mr. Murru said. “We are not in the business of compromising animals in any way.”
Kerzner’s dolphin facility, which expected to open in the coming year, will serve as the first marine mammal rescue and rehabilitation facility in The Bahamas. Officials say a permanent medical pool and six additional pools will be available for examinations and for quarantine, should the need arise.
Said Minister Gray: “My Ministry has done its due diligence. We have investigated and required of Kerzner International all of the health records, which were inspected by an independent veterinarian with expertise in sea animals – particularly dolphins – and we are satisfied that we were given professional advice that 16 of the 17 dolphins were purported to be in excellent health. One of them was said to be sick. We did not give permission to bring that sick animal to The Bahamas.”
According to international reports, the remaining 16 dolphins were to be transported to The Bahamas yesterday, but Minister Gray has confirmed that the dolphins should be arriving sometime this week.
Kerzner officials have limited their comments on the issue, citing security concerns.
“Consistent with the practices of the zoological industry and marine mammal facilities throughout the world, we will not be able to disclose any information about the transport of the animals at this time. This is a matter of security for both the animals and the staff that are managing this very intricate process,” said Sandra Eneas, Kerzner International’s senior director of public relations
This is not the first time Kerzner International has faced serious difficulties in bringing dolphins into The Bahamas.
Last year , its plan to bring in a pod of 40 dolphins from the Solomon Islands experienced a major setback when an international animals rights organisation claimed that the move would have been illegal.
But Mr. Murru said recently that Kerzner would continue to explore the option of the Solomon Islands’ dolphins.
The Bahamian Parliament passed legislation several months ago to govern the import of dolphins and their treatment at local facilities.
The legislation bans the capture of dolphins from Bahamian waters.
By: Macushla N. Pinder, The Bahama Journal
