Independent investigation launched by One Voice to save them!

Independent investigation launched by One Voice to save them!
23.05.2017
Independent investigation launched by One Voice to save them!
Exploitation for shows

Five elephants, five tragic stories. Trapped in circuses, these animal persons need to be rescued urgently. For them, One Voice calls for freedom and launches for the first time procedures usually reserved for humans.

Lechmee, Mina and Kamala

Lechmee‘s permanent suffering, caused by a problem of stiffness in her forefoot which prevents her from walking properly, this is a particular concern. Her blindness is already a serious handicap, to the point that it is Mina who must help her to eat! She does not participate in the shows, unlike her two companions Mina and Kamala who, despite their advanced age, continue to be exploited. Dr. Pierre Gallego, a wildlife specialist, described the case of Lechmee as proven maltreatment and judged that the three elephants in this circus were in a state of physiological misery! According to him, it is « imperative to get them out of the circus to offer them a retreat in an environment appropriate to their species. Moreover, it is necessary to plan to keep these three elephants together because they have forged very important social ties whose survival depends.  »

Samba et Maya

Two other elephants: Samba, for whom One Voice has been fighting for since 2005, as well as Maya, are both also in a desperate and urgent situation. They do not have in their respective circuses any comfort or enrichment to their lives. Their captivity and isolation makes their daily lives unbearable to the point that Samba escaped in December 2013, jostling and killing in his wake a local person…

Elephants are animals for whom social and family ties are of extreme importance. According to a 1997 report by Drs. Gsandter, Pechlaner and Schwammer at the request of the Environmental Commissioner of Vienna, « because of their biological characteristics leading to highly developed social behaviour,
it is impossible for circuses to hold elephants under conditions in accordance with the needs of each animal. »

Animal Personhood

The Act recognizes that animals are sentient beings and must be held in conditions that are in keeping with their physiological needs. For One Voice, who has embarked on this reflection with Steve Wise’s Nonhuman Right Project, this is sufficient to recognize them as animal persons and grant them fundamental freedoms and, in particular, the right to live in accordance with their nature and their needs.

Two new procedures to save them

For Lechmee, Mina and Kamala, whose situation is particularly serious, One Voice therefore wished to initiate a special procedure in parallel with a standard procedure. Since their fundamental rights were clearly being violated, on 12 May the association filed an application for a referral of freedom with the Judge at the Court of referrals in Toulouse. This request is usually addressed to human persons whose freedoms are violated. But, for One Voice, these animal persons must also be able to benefit. Furthermore, the association has also referred the case to the Inspector in chief for freedom deprivation centres for them and for elephants Samba and Maya (as well as for the hippopotamus Jumbo). This move is usually only reserved for human prisoners, but justifies itself by the completely outrageous conditions in which these animal persons are being kept.

One Voice calls for an immediate transfer of Lechmee, Mina, Kamala, Samba and Maya to a sanctuary. And to put a definitive end to the exploitation of wild animals in circuses, the association has launched a petition for the annulment of the 2011 decree. Please
sign here and share! 

 

Response to the Marineland trainers

Response to the Marineland trainers
18.05.2017
Antibes
Response to the Marineland trainers
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The new legislation of May 3rd, 2017. In addition to imposing some measures aimed at making the deprivation of Freedom imposed on captive cetaceans a little less painful, this has been a major surprise to the dolphinariums: The end of breeding captive individuals – An import ban – and ultimately, the end of captivity in France.

The announcement came as a bomb to the dolphinariums, especially to Marineland of Antibes. And for good reason, it sounds the death knell for a lucrative industry, especially for the British pension fund
Arle Capital Partners, the main shareholder of Parques Reunidos, now a multinational owner of Marineland, which had a net profit in 2014 of 5.5 million Euros.

In an open letter in reaction to the passing of the decree the trainers of the Marineland Park protested against the accusations of maltreatment which did not support the case according to them, neither on scientific grounds.

Yet many scientific studies attest to the evidence that is no longer disputed, except for the dolphinariums themselves: dolphins born or living in captivity lead a much shorter and morose existence than that of their free cousins. Captivity deprives them of their: physiological needs, their complex social organization, and their extraordinary emotional capacities, which in many respects surpass those of humans. In addition to informing them about their environment, a dolphins sonar acts as a decoder of emotions that gives them access to a sensory world that we cannot even imagine.

In their letter the trainers assert their love of the dolphins but the cruel and painful character of their captivity has little to do with the feeling of real attachment that trainers may experience for captive dolphins. The trainers for their part certainly like dolphins. The repentant trainers of this industry like John Hargrove, former trainer at Sea World and Marineland, provides an enlightening testimony on this subject and speaks of a blindness, of a form of profound naivety which has led them, despite all the love they bore to the dolphins, to become complicit in their ordeal.

But if we do not doubt the love of trainers for dolphins, they still remain in a relationship of domination and exploitation of animals that have not chosen to be there and whose living conditions in pools prohibit their basic natural needs. Depriving them of their abilities to express themselves, namely to use their sonar to understand the vast world around them, to hunt in groups, to dive up to 100 meters deep, to traverse a hundred kilometres a day, to surf the waves, and to choose their partners sometimes for life …

Strangely, of all these privations, the only one that seems intolerable in the eyes of the trainers is the very one which perpetuates their sad fate, generation after generation:

Reproduction, often obtained through artificial insemination and imposed on dolphins that have no choice or even incestuously. How many stillbirths? (The Orca Freya in Antibes had at least 4 stillbirths). How many infanticides? (The young Aicko at Planète Sauvage or the little Aloa at the Parc Asterix) How many kidnaps and separations from their mothers? Like the dolphin Femke who is currently suffering from grief at Parc Asterix since her son Ekinox was taken away and transferred to another dolphinarium?

The trainers of Antibes claim that thanks to the dolphinariums, visitors learn to respect the animal world. But there is no respect for coercion and deprivation of liberty. The message transmitted by dolphinariums is that it is acceptable to enclose physiologically large animals in tiny pools, which does not represent travelling in the vast oceans. Recent work demonstrates evidence already provoked by common sense that captive live animal shows cause children to believe that this is reality and do not allow them to develop a respectful and empathic relationship with the living world.

In the relation of the trainer with the animal, even with the best intentions, there is no respect. The animal still remains subject to human domination.

You, the trainers of Marineland, who « live with these dolphins and orcas every day », do not share their prison. Every day, you enter the pools and every day unlike dolphins you are free to go out and go home, return to the ones you love and to the ones you have chosen. You, who know how deeply the dolphin’s psychology and emotional capacities are close to us, you who obviously love them, you who cannot show more empathy? Would you exchange your place with theirs? If the answer is no, then instead of fighting us, help us give them the keys to a new life.

A life where their instincts, their physiological behaviours, their extraordinary cognitive and affective abilities will be free to be expressed again. Captive dolphins have already regained their freedom, it is possible. To set up new programs to rehabilitate these orcas and dolphins back to the wildlife, all of the good energies and efforts will be necessary; yours would have all its meaning. As you say in your letter, you owe them everything, so in reality you do owe them something.

May this generation of captive dolphins be the last but not necessarily a generation sacrificed.

We protect what we love.

We love what we understand.

Love knows no prison.

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The Emergency of Femke: Refers the case to the courts

The Emergency of Femke: Refers the case to the courts
16.05.2017
Parc Asterix, France
The Emergency of Femke: Refers the case to the courts
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Femke, a female dolphin held by Parc Asterix, has been at her worst ever since her son was taken away. To try to help, One Voice launches an emergency legal procedure.

Femke was captured by the captivity industry off the coast of Florida nearly 40 years ago. Since 2008, she has been locked up in Parc Astérix. Last year, Ekinox, her only son, was sent to another dolphinarium. Since then, her wellbeing has continued to decline.

Concerned about her, One Voice called Dr. Pierre Gallego, a veterinarian specializing in marine mammals. He went to Parc Astérix and his conclusions are without doubt: in addition to multiple skin lesions, Femke’s body exhibits alarming symptoms including excessive overweight and blistering in the abdomen and neck. She probably suffers from muscular atrophy, which prevents her from moving properly. She swims very little and very slowly, allowing herself to float most of the time. The way she makes her turns also suggests a mobility problem from the head or the spine and she finds it very difficult to dive and stay under water. She is regularly found in a prostrate position in a corner of the pool; this is not normal behaviour and can be a sign of suffering or depression.

He concludes his observation:
« It is my professional opinion that the physical and mental health of Femke is extremely alarming and requires urgent specialist veterinary expertise. Moreover, the situation in which Femke is held in captivity is not at all appropriate.  »

Faced with this alarming situation, on 24th April 2017, One Voice sent the prefecture of Amiens a request for an expert opinion. Faced with their silence and the urgency of the situation, One Voice applied to the courts for a referral on 15th May 2017. The recent decree that officialises the closure of dolphinariums should not let us forget the dolphins that are still captive. And contrary to the comments of the dolphinariums, that the absence of reproduction does not harm their well-being. Remembering that it is the possibility of a normal sexual behaviour that is important for dolphins, not access to reproduction.

Dr. Gallego, to whom we asked this question, confirmed it. In captivity, cetaceans are often under contraception to avoid inbreeding and it is often by insemination that pregnancies are caused.
« Contraception has no effect on the natural behaviour of cetaceans and does not prevent them from having normal sexual behaviour that can fulfil all the necessary social functions. It is my professional opinion as a veterinary expert in cetaceans that breeding is by no means a key element for the welfare of cetaceans in captivity.  »

Muriel Arnal, President of One Voice: « The wise decision taken by France is currently being relayed throughout the world, from Saint Lucia to Turkey or even Germany. Everywhere, our counterparts and partners in the fight for the closure of the dolphinariums welcome this courageous commitment. But this immense progress, which aims to raise awareness, must also benefit cetaceans that suffer most. Femke is one of them. Her situation is extremely worrying. We must act for her.  »

Arielle Moreau, animal rights lawyer and consultant for One Voice: « There are animal species for which captivity is a real punishment. This is not only the case for humans but also for cetaceans such as orcas and dolphins. They are not stuffed animals or toys but beings with a high sensitivity and with needs to match their performance. To deprive them of liberty for our own pleasure is not worthy of a civilized society. With this decree, France returns to its tradition of freedom and a country of human rights. « 

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The end of a slave trade

The end of a slave trade
10.05.2017
France
The end of a slave trade
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It’s a historic victory! A much deserved reward after One Voice’s relentless battle which began some years ago. The ministerial decision which has just been taken marks a major turning point. Soon, dolphinariums will be just a sad memory. Feedback on our campaign…

Since the 3rd of May, the fate of the French marine circuses is sealed. The Minister of the Environment has banned the reproduction of orcas and captive dolphins, as well as exchanges between parks, signifying the eventual closure of dolphinariums. Even if the fight for those who are still held continues, One Voice – member of the coalition, Dolphinaria Free Europe – is delighted with this result in which it has worked relentlessly over the last several years.

This brave statute comes along at the same time as the industry was requesting new installations which would impose further animal suffering which One Voice has been opposing for the last 20 years. Recap of a year of fighting towards victory…

• April 2016: One Voice learns that the industry is attempting to renegotiate the the ruling of the 24th of August 1981, regulating dolphinarium activity. The globally recognised New Zealand biologist, Ingrid Visser, is invited to visit the French sites by One Voice. She is particularly concerned about the state of Galeo, detained at Port-Saint-Père…
• May 2016: publication of Ingrid Visser’s report, translated by a court certified translator, and transmission of case documents to the Minister for the Environment. Complaint filed on behalf of Galeo.
• June 2016: Application to the tribunal for a visit in a bailiff’s presence of the Port-Saint-Père marine park. Libération publishes an article by Corine Pelluchon, philosopher, exposing the truth about dolphinariums and to save Galeo.
• August 2016: the Bailiff visit takes place, but the dolphinarium attacks One Voice with an interim order before the findings can be used.
• October 2016: visit to the dolphinarium with Naomi Rose, Doctor in Biology and American specialist in marine mammals. An urgent report concerning Aicko (Port-Saint-Père) provokes a new complaint; discovery of Femke’s state (Park Asterix), monitoring is initiated.
• November 2016: the death of Aicko (6 years old), emergency procedure launched for expertise into the conditions of his death. Meeting at the Ministry, handing over of all produced reports: explicit request to ban reproduction in captivity and exchanges between dolphinariums.
• February 2017: a judicial expert is appointed by the High Court of Nantes, where the president looks at One Voice’s arguments and raises the issue of the fundamental rights of dolphins, a first in France!
• February 2017: One Voice runs its campaign as part of the public consultation opened by the Minister of the Environment on the revision of the 1981 ruling. More than 16,000 citizens protest at our request regarding this consultation…
• March 2017: a meeting of experts (lawyers and specialised veterinarians) at Port-Saint-Père as part as the legal expertise consultation.
• April 2017: the park visits being reopened, Femke is seen (Park Asterix), evaluation of her critical state by Doctor Pierre Gallego, specialist cetacean veterinarian; our video is shown abroad (more than 1 million views). Final contacts with the minister, sending of arguments in a letter / file on the 13^th of April.
• May 2017: final decision by the Ministry. Victory! The reproduction and transfer of cetaceans between parks is now banned. The dolphinariums are going to have to close.

One Voice continues its fight for captive dolphins. They won’t be replaced but their plight is still ongoing. An emergency proceeding has been launched regarding Femke, for whom we are very concerned.