Letter to Parliament Regarding Dolphin Parks
The following is the letter we sent on March 1, 2021, to the Presidency of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, to the Members of the Agriculture and Forestry Commission, regarding our views on dolphin parks.
TO THE PRESIDENCY OF THE GRAND NATIONAL ASSEMBLY OF TURKEY
TO THE MEMBERS OF THE AGRICULTURE AND FORESTRY COMMISSION
Our foundation has been closely following the expert opinions and open letters published by professional organizations submitted to the Grand National Assembly of Turkey regarding the planned amendments to the Animal Protection Law, requesting the banning and closure of dolphin parks. These letters, which draw attention to extremely important points both in terms of rights and in terms of human/animal health and abuse, reveal the necessity of urgently closing dolphin show and so-called therapy centers and creating lifelong protection and rehabilitation opportunities for all captive animals in these facilities, regardless of species, from scientific, ethical, and legal perspectives.
In recent years, the level of public awareness against animal captivity, which has developed in Turkey and worldwide in parallel with the growing awareness of animal rights, places greater responsibility on state institutions, lawmakers, decision-makers, and governments obligated to uphold the rights of animals. In particular, the closure of these commercial centers in popular coastal regions of our country, which have repeatedly reopened after being shut down due to public outcry and civil society efforts over the last 15 years, was included as a recommendation in the October 2019 report of the Turkish Grand National Assembly's Animal Rights Research Commission. The decision, which bans land and water circuses and marine mammal show and therapy centers and mandates the closure of existing ones, highlights the physical and psychological damage caused to animals by captivity.
While the joint decision of five political parties in the Turkish Grand National Assembly has been announced in favor of closing dolphin parks and protecting animals, and while the general level of public awareness in our country has reached this point, bringing legal regulations to Parliament that would allow these facilities to remain open—a step backward—is far from a progressive and transformative legal framework.
As a foundation that has been operating for 22 years in our country, conducting research in marine sciences to protect marine life and to instill a love and appreciation for the sea in our people, especially future generations, we know that animals can only be protected in their natural habitats. As a foundation focused on research, education, and conservation, we know that these highly sensitive marine creatures, from walruses and seals to beluga whales and dolphins, can be protected until the end of their lives in rehabilitation areas that can be opened through public and civil society cooperation (and transformed after the commercial activities of existing facilities cease). We also know that those who have not yet deeply experienced the effects of captivity can regain their freedom by having their forgotten natural abilities restored.
Allowing the continuation of commercial practices such as dolphin therapy/swimming with special needs children, which are conducted at exorbitant prices and carry risks of accidents/death/injury and infectious diseases, and keeping these facilities open where physical and psychological violence is a daily routine, will negatively impact the relationship between future generations and nature and animals.
The years when animal and nature rights were overshadowed by economically driven discourses such as "tourism revenue and employment opportunities" must be left behind. Turkey has the infrastructure to take a step that will set an example for the world by urgently closing existing facilities, banning new ones, and providing lifelong protection for marine mammals under the supervision of current experts. This is what we want to see as soon as possible in 21st-century Turkey, and what we want to pass on to future generations: a true understanding of nature and animal conservation, and the moral responsibility of states.
Sincerely,
Prof. Dr. Bayram Öztürk
President of TÜDAV
TO THE PRESIDENCY OF THE GRAND NATIONAL ASSEMBLY OF TURKEY
TO THE MEMBERS OF THE AGRICULTURE AND FORESTRY COMMISSION
Our foundation has been closely following the expert opinions and open letters published by professional organizations submitted to the Grand National Assembly of Turkey regarding the planned amendments to the Animal Protection Law, requesting the banning and closure of dolphin parks. These letters, which draw attention to extremely important points both in terms of rights and in terms of human/animal health and abuse, reveal the necessity of urgently closing dolphin show and so-called therapy centers and creating lifelong protection and rehabilitation opportunities for all captive animals in these facilities, regardless of species, from scientific, ethical, and legal perspectives.
In recent years, the level of public awareness against animal captivity, which has developed in Turkey and worldwide in parallel with the growing awareness of animal rights, places greater responsibility on state institutions, lawmakers, decision-makers, and governments obligated to uphold the rights of animals. In particular, the closure of these commercial centers in popular coastal regions of our country, which have repeatedly reopened after being shut down due to public outcry and civil society efforts over the last 15 years, was included as a recommendation in the October 2019 report of the Turkish Grand National Assembly's Animal Rights Research Commission. The decision, which bans land and water circuses and marine mammal show and therapy centers and mandates the closure of existing ones, highlights the physical and psychological damage caused to animals by captivity.
While the joint decision of five political parties in the Turkish Grand National Assembly has been announced in favor of closing dolphin parks and protecting animals, and while the general level of public awareness in our country has reached this point, bringing legal regulations to Parliament that would allow these facilities to remain open—a step backward—is far from a progressive and transformative legal framework.
As a foundation that has been operating for 22 years in our country, conducting research in marine sciences to protect marine life and to instill a love and appreciation for the sea in our people, especially future generations, we know that animals can only be protected in their natural habitats. As a foundation focused on research, education, and conservation, we know that these highly sensitive marine creatures, from walruses and seals to beluga whales and dolphins, can be protected until the end of their lives in rehabilitation areas that can be opened through public and civil society cooperation (and transformed after the commercial activities of existing facilities cease). We also know that those who have not yet deeply experienced the effects of captivity can regain their freedom by having their forgotten natural abilities restored.
Allowing the continuation of commercial practices such as dolphin therapy/swimming with special needs children, which are conducted at exorbitant prices and carry risks of accidents/death/injury and infectious diseases, and keeping these facilities open where physical and psychological violence is a daily routine, will negatively impact the relationship between future generations and nature and animals.
The years when animal and nature rights were overshadowed by economically driven discourses such as "tourism revenue and employment opportunities" must be left behind. Turkey has the infrastructure to take a step that will set an example for the world by urgently closing existing facilities, banning new ones, and providing lifelong protection for marine mammals under the supervision of current experts. This is what we want to see as soon as possible in 21st-century Turkey, and what we want to pass on to future generations: a true understanding of nature and animal conservation, and the moral responsibility of states.
Sincerely,
Prof. Dr. Bayram Öztürk
President of TÜDAV
