The One Voice association carried out a flash action at the Asterix Park Dolphinarium on Saturday 1st September. During the morning show, a dozen activists silently questioned the tragic fate of Femke the dolphin using banners which called for "a sanctuary for Femke".
Femke has lived for 34 years in tiny pools. Two years ago, she was separated from her five-year-old son Ekinox who was sold to another dolphinarium in Greece. Since then, Femke remains motionless facing the wall most of the time. She does not interact with the other dolphins, even during the shows.
This time, it was for One Voice to challenge the audience. Adults should not let children think that it is natural for a cetacean to live most or all of its life in captivity. No wild animal can be happy under these conditions, the state of Femke is the sad proof.
One Voice had already acted for Femke, alerting the public about her journey through life, and filing a complaint for her. The petition that the association launched (in partnership with Cetacean Networks & the Brigitte Bardot Foundation) on May 12th on the website MesOpinions.com has already gathered more than 107,000 signatures. A rally in front of the Prefecture of Oise took place on July 7th to challenge the public services.
Beyond the case of Femke, One Voice calls for the closure of all dolphinariums and the placement of all captive cetaceans into marine sanctuaries. The association is calling for the adoption of a ministerial decree on the main lines as the one published in May 2017 (and cancelled in January 2018 by the Council of State for a technical detail). It provided for the prohibition of captive reproduction and of exchanges between dolphinariums.
