Dolphins kept in dolphinariums can pose threat to human life

Dolphins kept in a non-free environment often suffer from stress and can pose a serious threat to human life, the Foundation for the Preservation of Wildlife and Cultural Values and several Armenian environmental NGOs (Eko dar, Eko dashink and ProwPaws) have said in a joint statement, calling on the Yerevan Municipality to suspend the operation of the newly opened dolphinarium in the capital.

The activists of the joint environmental initiative find that dolphins which are kept in dolphinariiums cannot have theurapethic effect on humans, as the organization importing the dolphins had announced earlier.

"Taking advantage of society's non-awareness, businessmen today earn mega money in this way. I don't think Armenia is a proper country for such adventurers," the head of the foundation, Ruben Khachatryan, told a news conference on Friday.

He said a large quantity of chlorin is needed for keeping dolphins in blue water and that makes the animals blind.

Speaking further of the possible hazards, President of ProwPaws organization Elsik Azizyan enumerated five main conditions for keeping dolphins, adding that the the dolphinarium in Yerevan meets none of them.

"Dolphins pass an average of 100 meters per day and dive into water from a depth of 20 meters, while the dolphinarium in Yerevan is just 18 meters in diameter and 5 meters in depth. Besdies, the dolphins in Yerevan will be fed frozen fish, which violates their right to get proper food," he said.

The Armenian environmentalists' initiative is supported by their Ukrainian colleagues who are going to hold a protest outside Ukraine's Nature Protection Ministry on Monday.

The Ukrainian company Nerum reportedly intended to import four dolphins and other water animals to Armenia. The company's activities in Ukrain have been officially declared illegal, and it is currently facing several lawsuits.