This is great everyone! I spoke to the Born Free Foundation to ask for their help, this is the reply I received:
Thank you very much for taking the time to contact the Born Free Foundation with your concerns regarding the new dolphinarium being built in Hisoronu, Turkey. On issues regarding whales and dolphins, Born Free works closely with the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society (WDCS). Together we are working to try and address the issues affecting dolphins in captivity and urge for these facilities to be phased out, so news of this new dolphinarium being built in Hisoronu was very sad indeed. It's heartening to know that many residents and regular holiday makers to the area feel so strongly about this issue. Sadly, dolphinariums which offer ‘swim with' activities are big business and bring in a lot of revenue, so they can be very hard to tackle. We have written to express our concerns the Governor of Mugla and the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment etc, as have other organisations, including WDCS. Born Free is also in discussion with our contacts in the travel industry as some of them have also expressed their concerns re this new facility.
You may be interested to know that Born Free has established the European Network to end the keeping of wild animals in Captivity (ENDCAP). ENDCAP brings together 30 Non-Governmental animal welfare organisations, representing 20 European countries, in order to work together on issues of captive animal welfare in Europe. You can find out more about our campaign to end the keeping of dolphins in captivity in Europe on our website at
www.bornfree.org.uk/get-involved/campaigning/petitions/dolphinaria-petition/For more information about our work, how you can get more involved, and how you can join us a member or adopt one of our rescued animals, please visit our website at
www.bornfree.org.uk.
Once again many thanks for contacting us and for the information you have provided. It will take all our combined efforts to bring about the changes we seek. Together we can make the world a better place for wild animals!
Yours truly,
Sarah Jefferson
Zoo Check Assistant
Born Free Foundation
WDCS has also let me know that what we are doing at the moment is the best that can be done, so again, great work everyone!!!
Will get emailing now, thanks for all the contact addresses!