Animal Liberation Malta and Moviment Graffitti this morning held a demonstration in front of Mediterraneo Marine Park for global Empty the Tanks day. 40 demonstrations are taking place across the world, with Malta’s activity highlighting the several dolphin deaths at the Marine Park. This global event aims to educate the public in a productive manner.
The organisations are reminding the Veterinary and Phytosanitary Regulation Division that the licence of the Mediterraneo Marine park has yet to be revoked. The establishment is clearly nothing more than a circus using animal performances for profit and the zoo licence should be revoked to stop any further dolphins being imported into Malta’s captivity.
The negligence of the park has led to a total of 11 dolphin deaths, with 3 in 2021 alone. Despite this, the park continues to use them for shows and interaction programs on a daily basis. The organisations are continuously urging the authorities, public and education sectors to consider the wellbeing of the dolphins and other animals held in captivity.
The park should stop these performances and interactions to protect the animal’s wellbeing, and work alongside experts and activists to explore their rehabilitation. Some young dolphins only know the confines of their tanks, and they deserve to live freely in the wild not as an entertainment prop.
Dolphinariums are so outdated that many parks internationally have closed, and Malta should follow suit. There is no need to imprison sentient beings for entertainment and money. We should be teaching people to respect wildlife in their natural habitat. Swimming with a captive dolphin that is performing forced behaviour due to food deprivation is not teaching respect – it is teaching dominance.
We reiterate our demands for the marine park’s zoo licence to be revoked, aiming to end animal entertainment once and for all. We hope that one day, Malta too, will empty the tanks.
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Stqarrija ta’ l-Istampa – 13/05/2023
Empty the Tanks
Animal Liberation Malta u Moviment Graffitti dalgħodu għamlu dimostrazzjoni quddiem il-Mediterraneo Marine Park għal jum globali Empty the Tanks. Qed isiru 40 dimostrazzjoni madwar id-dinja, bl-attivita’ ta’ Malta tenfasizza d-diversi mwiet tad-dniefel fil-Marine Park. Dan l-avveniment globali għandu l-għan li jeduka lill-pubbliku b’mod produttiv.
L-għaqdiet qed ifakkru lid-Diviżjoni tar-Regolamenti Veterinarji u Fitosanitarji li l-liċenzja tal-Mediterraneo Marine Park għad trid tiġi rivokata. Jidher ċar li l-istabbiliment mhu xejn ħlief ċirku li juża wirjiet tal-annimali għall-profitt u l-liċenzja ta’ żoo għandha tiġi revokata biex twaqqaf milli dniefel oħra jiġu importati fil-jasar ta’ Malta.
In-negliġenza tal-park wasslet għal total ta’ 11-il mewt tad-dniefel, bi 3 fl-2021 biss. Minkejja dan, il-park ikompli jużahom għal wirjiet u programmi ta’ interazzjoni ta’ kuljum. L-organizzazzjonijiet qed iħeġġu kontinwament lill-awtoritajiet u lis-setturi pubbliċi u edukattivi biex jikkunsidraw il-benessri tad-dniefel u annimali oħra miżmuma fil-magħluq.
Il-park għandu jwaqqaf dawn il-prestazzjonijiet u l-interazzjonijiet biex jipproteġi l-benessri tal-annimal, u jaħdem flimkien ma’ esperti u attivisti biex jesploraw ir-rijabilitazzjoni tagħhom. Xi dniefel żgħażagħ jafu biss il-konfini tat-tankijiet tagħhom, u jistħoqqilhom jgħixu liberament fis-selvaġġ mhux bħala għodda għad-divertiment.
Id-delfinarji tant huma ħaġa antikwata li ħafna parks għalqu internazzjonalment, u f’Malta għandu jiġri l-istess. M’hemm bżonn li ħlejjaq sensibbli jsiru priġunieri għad-divertiment u l-flus. Għandna ngħallmu lin-nies biex jirrispettaw l-annimali selvaġġi fl-abitat naturali tagħhom. L-għawm ma’ dniefel fil-magħluq li jkunu qed iwettqu mġieba sfurzata minħabba ċ-ċaħda tal-ikel ma jgħallimx ir-rispett – jgħallem biss id-dominanza.
Intennu t-talbiet tagħna biex il-liċenzja taż-żoo tal-marine park tiġi revokata, bil-għan li jintemm id-divertiment tal-annimali darba għal dejjem. Nittamaw li xi darba, Malta wkoll tbattal it-tankijiet.
