The Maldives: Working through Political and Ethical Struggles

 

By Laura Bridgeman
Program Associate
Dolphin Project

While the political situation in the Maldives has been heating up, plans for a proposed captive dolphin facility have been cooling down – giving something for activists and local industry to potentially celebrate.

Mohamed Nasheed, the nation’s first democratically-elected Prime Minister, voluntarily stepped down amid large and vocal protests. Rather than direct the army to use force on the protesters, Nasheed chose to step down, saying "I resign because I am not a person who wishes to rule with the use of power." His replacement, Vice President Mohammed Waheed Hassan, was sworn in shortly after Nasheed resigned. 

Nasheed’s government was in the midst of considering a precedent-setting decision regarding a proposed captive dolphin facility. The Dolphin Lagoon Maldives, brainchild of tennis player Amir Mansoor, is a facility that would serve tourism and, supposedly, educational purposes. The lagoon is to be stocked with dolphins imported from the Caribbean. 

If approved, however, this facility would not only lay waste to the nation’s “Always Natural” brand, but would also cause significant economic woes for the state-run tuna canneries. It has become all too clear that keeping dolphins captive is anything but natural, and does nothing to educate people about these animal’s lives, behaviors or habitats. Captive facilities are decidedly dolphin un-safe – and for a nation with such strong Dolphin Safe Tuna standards, this seems something of a contradiction.

First set up in 1991, Maldivian tuna companies proudly maintain the Dolphin Safe Tuna standards which are verified by the Earth Island Institute’s International Monitoring Program (EII’s IMP). Using the pole and line fishing techniques that have formed a cherished part of their culture for centuries, these Maldivian companies are able to sell their tuna to ethically-minded consumers the world over, thus gaining access to significant market share and developing a premium product. All of that would change, however, if the Dolphin Lagoon were given approval.

Point 12 of the Dolphin Safe licensing form states that a licensed fisheries’ “subsidiaries or affiliates worldwide do not participate in, or profit from, nor is the company connected to companies involved in, whaling operations, dolphin drive fisheries, live capture and or traffic of marine mammals for zoo and aquarium trade.” Should the government decide to approve the dolphin lagoon, government canneries would face serious risk as EII would consider its decision to reflect directly on their licenses.

In an effort to educate the public about the ills of captivity and bolster the grassroots campaign, Mark Berman, Associate Director of EII’s Dolphin Safe Tuna certification, recently spent time in the Maldives. With help from EcoCare, an outspoken Maldivian organization who has been working closely with EII, film screenings and educational presentations were arranged. At the Villa International High School, they showed over 300 students the documentary Keiko – The Untold Story, and engaged with the excited and interested students for an extended question and answer period.

Mr. Berman then headed to the Dolphin Lagoon’s website launch with EcoCare’s chairman Mohamed Zahir. The pair attended the event as peaceful observers, but the situation degraded quickly as pro-captivity supporters became aggressive. Mr. Berman was ‘shoved, threatened, and a bit manhandled’ by the aggressors.

Tensions are certainly high, and it remains to be seen how much higher they will go. EcoCare, EII and the tuna and captivity industries will all be watching to see how the new government will react to the proposed facility. For the time being, the Maldives is entirely Dolphin Safe – something that every nation should aspire to be. Let us hope that this beautiful place does, in fact, remain Always Natural.

Please take a moment to sign the petition to help stop dolphin abuse in the Maldives!

Photo Credits: Mark Berman