A new aquarium project in Dieppe, we must act quickly!
Let us mobilize together to prevent the construction of an aquarium and a diving pool in Dieppe, where turtles, fish, manatees and tropical aquatic mammals will live in captivity.
Under the heat of the tropics, near the coastlines, manatees live their lives quietly. Here, delicious plants, immersed or floating on the surface of the water, delight their taste buds. Often, they take pleasure in scratching the banks with their legs to find succulent roots. But all this will be a distant memory for these nonchalant beings. The city of Dieppe has authorized the construction of a new aquarium. Sharks, turtles and many other species that live in tropical waters will soon be torn from their natural environment to be placed in this jar.
Edit
of March 9, 2019:
We
learn through the press (Dieppe information – March 8th,
2019) that there will eventually be no marine mammals (manatee,
dolphin) or turtle, even if it was initially considered at the
beginning of the project. Sharks, they will not be exempt form this
chance. There will be many in this jar …
Locked up to go crazy
What
did they do to deserve such a life? When they are stuck in this
aquarium, no one will hear their cries, yet they try with all their
might. It is not because we do not hear them, that they do not
suffer!
This
glass prison is so narrow, so oppressive, so devoid of any vegetation
peculiar to that of their tropical waters … Everything is wrong.
Difficult for sharks to flourish, they who are able to cross an
entire ocean. Here they are trapped. Sharks spend part of their day
roaming the water, ready to find their meal of the day! Here, no
hunting, no quest. The food is imposed on them and given directly.
The trouble is terrible.
An elaborate communication and still unknown to humans
Most
fish, including the smallest of them, have very fine hearing, far
superior to that of humans. They hear everything that goes on in the
water, sounds that are inaudible to us. The crashing and banging of
the filter machines hammer constantly in their heads. Not to mention
that of the crowd that taps on the glass and whose footsteps resound
all around!
How
do we communicate with aquatic beings around us? Even if they love to
do so by grinding their teeth or rubbing their bones, all this hubbub
hinders their social life. Artificial light, on the other hand, can
destroy part of their visual sensitivity, so very sensitive indeed.
Swimming with them, causes extra stress
As
if depriving them of their freedom was not enough, a diving pool is
planned inside the aquarium. A great sufferance for all tropical
fish, for which the human presence will be an important source of
stress. Their already reduced living space is invaded by human
beings, whose presence they feel, voices they hear and perceive each
time their movements into what little territory they have. Can they
not have just a little respite? A hint of rest?
Living
in captivity means trying to survive in an environment that leaves
almost no chance. The recent case of hammerhead sharks at the
Nausicaá aquarium demonstrates this: only two of the thirty
individuals survived in just a few months. In the same place, a manta
ray perished due to parasites in its digestive system. The
proliferation of bacteria is inherent in the systems of aquariums …
We constantly denounce this! Stress, overcrowding, boredom, premature
death, such is the harsh reality of life in captivity.
Let’s
act before it’s too late! Express your indignation to the city of
Dieppe and the Prefecture of Seine-Maritime and ask them to prevent
this aquarium project (Download the model letter at your disposal).
City
of Dieppe
- Email:
mairie@mairie-dieppe.fr
- Twitter:
@Dieppefr
- Facebook:
www.facebook.com/villedieppe
- Address:
Dieppe City Hall – Jehan Ango Park, BP 226 – 76203 Dieppe Cedex
Prefecture
of Seine-Maritime
- Contact
form: Prefecture website
- Twitter:
@Prefet76
- Address:
Prefecture of Seine-Maritime – 7, place de la Madeleine CS16036 – 76
036 Rouen cedex