Kas Dolphin Park Reopens

[nichola]

"Free the Kas Dolphins" Facebook group is now public.

http://www.facebook.com/groups/156684191098182/

If you have been deleted to reduce the number to below 250 so we could change the status to public please re add yourself.

[busybee]

This is bloody outragous, have joined the FB group.  They underestimate the power we have.  Did the Kas Dolphin Park not see or hear how we responded to Misha and Tom's plight. Let the battle commence.

[scot]

Yes it's off to work we go again.

[Libra]

Please don't forget to click the link that starts like     "http://www.yunuslaraozgurluk.com/petition/signature/confirmation/..."    on the returning e-mail after having signed the petition , to confirm your signature .

[nichola]

The latest up date as follows...

Response from Kas Coast Guard to the Freedom for Dolphins Platform, as of today, after official inspection onsite!

"YUNFO has rented the site from the district governorship in February at auction/bidding. Now they are completing all the permisson process in one week to get a license from the Kas Municipality. They are already in action to activate the dolphinarium in summer."

There are letters in Turkish and English available here that you can copy, paste and send.

http://www.yunuslaraozgurluk.com/new-dolphin-park-in-Kas-dolphinarium

[nichola]

Today's update from Darren in Kas

I was at the dolphin park this afternoon, minutes before an official car pulled into the car park. Two gentlemen got out and were greeted by a man I have not seen before, he addressed one of the two men as doctor.
At this point a group of people from a local dive center arrived armed with a great camera, enough attitude to try and gain access to the dolphins and being English speaking Turks, the ability to translate the brief conversation they entered in to.
I thank Marina & Selin for information I am about to relay.
The two gentlemen were from an official animal protection agency. We were not privy to the conversation as we were stopped from going too close by one person on the walk way. He answered some questions put to him.

Q, will the dolphins be used to perform.
A, no just for therapy.

Q, what nationality is the trainer.
A, Russian.

Q, did you have the correct papers to transport the dolphins.
A, yes.

Q, do you have the correct papers to operate now.
A, no, we apply for them next week.

Q, where did the dolphins come from.
A, from Bodrum

Not much new there then. One point of interest though, the sea pen is estimated to be not much bigger than 40 square meters!

The group from the local dive center are also going to question the validity of the auction, was just for land?

After the officials left a conversation was held between the dolphin sympathizers that had gathered. We have agreed to arrange a meeting, details to follow. Also a possible public screening of the cove, to raise awareness of the local population.

[nichola]

Today's update

There is to be a meeting with the Kas Belediye on Monday 19th 2.30pm

On Monday there will be a meeting to discuss the dolphin park & voice our objections & concerns.

There will be representatives from the Dolphin Park present according to the latest information.
 
http://www.facebook.com/events/217470461661841/

[nichola]

Dogan and I thought we would pop along to give some moral support at the meeting organised in Kas to discuss the arrival of 4 dolphins in the old and rusty sea pens. This is my report.

Mondays meeting was organised by local NGO's and took the form of presentations from SAD-DEMAG, the Tourism Association, the Divers Association whose name escapes me, a woman who does Dolphin Assisted Therapy and a couple of the local Belediye staff. It appeared to be an information sharing meeting.
 
The Mayor was invited to attend and he did briefly. There were also members of the Belediye including the head of the Zabita and a couple of staff in attendance along with people who have invested and or work at the new dolphin facility. There were opportunities for people to ask questions.
 
About 100 people were in attendance, three freelance journalists and the meeting was recorded on film. A proper translation of the meeting is being prepared and no doubt more video footage will be posted soon.
 
I asked for brief not (complete) summaries of the presentations to be given in English but this was not accommodated. It is my personal opinion that if local people are going to work together then some thought needs to be put into how to ensure everyone is able to participate. It is senseless to alienate people because they don't speak Turkish in order to prove the point (as I was later led to believe) that they should be able to speak the native language.
 
There was a lot of knowledge and useful information in that room yesterday and much of it was not shared because of this. Many people left the meeting early because they were unable to understand or participate. Unfortunately a lot of other people who wanted to attend were on the last flight back to the UK for the holidays.
 
This is a very brief summary of my feedback from the meeting on Monday. It does not cover all that was discussed but these are some of the key points that were remembered by those that translated to me during and after the event. Others may wish to add to or clarify:
 
1. SAD-DEMAG talked at length about their extensive experience of rehabilitation in particular with monk seals and also with Misha and Tom two bottlenose dolphins a project it should be noted they have withdrawn from. They offered the opinion that generally dolphin rehabilitation does not work, is expensive and the best that could be hoped for in Kas was the sea pen to be enlarged.
 
2. The Tourism Association that represents most if not all of the local businesses in Kas made it clear that they did not want the dolphins in Kas and that they had made a decision that they wanted tourism in the area to develop without dolphins.
 
3. Someone called Ece who does Dolphin Assisted Therapy talked about how useful and beneficial it was.
 
4. The divers association is clear and committed in their opposition to the new dolphin park and many of their members are well informed on the issues facing dolphins in captivity and have participated in the many nationally coordinated events across Turkey over the past 18 months.
 
5. Information previously posted on this wall about how the owners of the dolphins acquired the sea pens (by auction) appears to contradict more recent information that the land was leased from an estate agency.
 
6. The Mayor of Kas as has already been reported stated that he had been unaware of the dolphins move to Kas, no permission had been sought or given and that a punishment was in the offing. He also appeared deeply upset that they were being criticised before the facts had been sought and clarified.
 
7. The local Belediye staffs were initially of the opinion that no license from them was actually necessary (there wasn't one for the last dolphin facility where two dolphins and two Beluga whales died) because the dolphins are in the sea and this is covered by a different arm of Government. After some probing questioning they seemed less sure that this is the case.
 
8. In the pre meeting a representative of Kas Travel told me about the relatively recent report about Dolphin Assisted Therapy from Hacettepe University (Ankara) Faculty of Medicine Hospital who had been asked for a scientific opinion about Dolphin Assisted Therapy by the Ministry of Health.
 
9. It seems more likely now that rather than is implied in a recent news article that Bodrum is being refurbished and that the situation in Kas is temporary the truth of the matter is that they were asked to leave. It could be because the Mayor of Bodrum kept his promise to WSDF-ProWal or that they are in deep financial **** and thought they could do better in Kas. Maybe we will never know the answer to this:.
 
10. In conversation later that evening the fact that there is a huge market for Dolphin Assisted Therapy with Russian tourists was discussed. With an ever increasing number of Russians visiting Turkey now no visa is required it would be well worth exploring how we can influence Russian public opinion and travel agencies on the issue of Dolphin Assisted Therapy.

[nichola]

some news and video coverage

http://www.haberler.com/kas-ta-yunus-gosteri-merkezi-tartismasi-3210085-haberi/

Translation

DOLPHIN SHOW CENTER ARGUMENT IN KAS
After 4 dolphins are brought to Kas/Antalya from Bodrum/Mugla and were put in the center that is rented by Petr Karakalchev from Ukraine, the animal lovers in the town raised their voices. The complaint which is done by animal lovers to Presidential Information Center (BIM) revealed that the center had no working licence.
The transport of 4 dolphins from the park in Güvercinlik Village/Bodrum to the center in Kas, which was established as dolphin therapy center but was shut down when discovered that it was used as a center where the dolphins were used for show, caused the reaction of environmentalists.

Members of "Yunuslara Ozgurluk Platformu" which is organized to close the dolphin parks in Turkey and the NGO's in Kas got together in Kas Municipality Meeting Room this afternoon to discuss the details of the issue and determine a plan of action. Abdullah Gultekin, Kas Mayor from CHP who attanded the meeting, said that there is no application to the Municipality from the dolphin show center for a working licence. Mustafa Eris, the president of board of Kas Tourism and Publicity Association, said that as the association they will give the necessary support to close the dolphin park. Ozan Veryeri, member of the board of Underwater Research Association (SAD) which is working on researches and rehabilitation projects on sea mammals like dolphins and mediterranean monk seals, pointed that mammals that are captured die when they are put in cages.

THE MEETING COULD NOT BE FINISHED
Erhan Saricaoglu, who attended the meeting in the name of Whale Company which is running the dolphin show center in Kas, stated the importance of dolphin parks in terms of tourism. He said "We believe that this park will serve positively to Kas" and " The contribution of the dolphin park which is shot down last year to Kas tourism is clear". Saricaoglu who left the meeting room, disputed English Nichola Chapman, member of "Yunuslara Ozgurluk Platformu", who took his photos without permission. Saracoglu asked for help of the policemen, and the police force took Chapman to the Kas Police Station. Afterwords, the participants in the meeting room went all together to the Police Station. After two hours of waiting, Saracoglu dropped the charges.

THE CENTER HAS NO LICENCE
The answer to the letter written by Kas Environmental Protection Platform (Kas Cevre Platformu) and sent to Presidential Information Center and Kas District Directorate of Food, Agriculture and Livestock states that the area is inspected on 14th December. The answer also stated that there are 4 dolphins in the cage, and they were transported from Guvercin Bay/Bodrum on 28th November. Official answer also stated that Kas Directorate of Goods (Kas Mal Mudurlugu) rented the place to to Petr Karakalchev in the name of Whale Tourism Company by a notary contract dated 18th January to be used as dolphin and seal show center, and that it was detected that the firm had no opening workplace or working licence taken from any authorities.

Gokhan Ture, working in tourism business and a member of Kas Cevre Platformu, said that they will be followers of the issue.

[tinkerman]

Blimey Ms.Chapman, What are you like!

I take my hat off to you for carrying out such splendid work