Guyanese dolphins may be in Venezuelan aquarium
Stabroek News
June 27, 2004
In May, the Venezuelan Coast Guard confiscated several dolphins said to have been exported from Guyana, says a source in that country.
This was at a time when the Guyanese government hadsaid it was waiting for approval of a population study, or non-detrimental finding (NDF), from the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) before allowing exports.
And information from the internet suggests that on May 21 four dolphins from Guyana arrived at the Venezuelan Dolphinarium Waterland Mundo Marino, located on Margarita Island in northeastern Venezuela.
However, in a May 28 interview Khelawan Lall, the political adviser to the president said the government did not authorise these shipments or any others, after Stabroek News inquired about the report.
It has now been established that Guyana was exporting dolphins all along and it is not clear whether the government collected the full levy on the animals.
Two weeks ago the head of the wildlife division, Khalawan was sent on leave amid allegations of corruption in the department. He had previously stated that the division would not issue permits until CITES responded to the NDF.
The source in Venezuela told Stabroek News via email that: "Last May 22 or so, about a dozen... bottlenose dolphins were confiscated by the Venezuelan Coast Guard while maintained in a sea pen in Ensenada Uquirito, near the Dragon mouth... [the Orinoco delta] with Trinidad and Tobago.
Apparently, these dolphins were the ones supposedly authorized by the [Guyana] Government to be exported to Venezuela and/or Mexico... Some reports by veterinarians contracted by the exporting enterprise... dated in Point Waini... near the Orinoco River delta, inside the zone where Venezuela claims jurisdiction," the source noted.
Last week as news of the scandal broke, Cabinet Secretary Dr Roger Luncheon noted that the exports of dolphins and anteaters was without the necessary input from the Scientific Authority.
In every CITES signatory country, there is a scientific authority which authorises exports based on safety and sustainability, after conducting the necessary research.
Bottlenosed dolphins come under Appendix 11, meaning an NDF has to be done to show that the trade would not be detrimental.
No local wildlife exporters have admitted to being interested in the dolphin trade, but a Mexican exporter was identified by wildlife officials as having made inquiries.
Reports have also surfaced that several dolphins were bound for Mexico. However, Mexico is currently not accepting foreign dolphins owing to a controversy with the Solomon Islands, according to a wildlife authority.
Dr Karen Pilgrim, once a director of the Guyana Wildlife Division for 12 years and a veterinarian, advised local authorities against dolphin exports claiming that their population could not be ascertained.
Pilgrim notes that since Guyana is now exporting the dolphins she would like to know which veterinarian visited the animals; how they were packaged and what were the real quantities of the exports. She explained that of importance would be if the exporter conformed to the convention and to the International Air Transport Association (IATA) regulations for exporting live animals. The IATA stipulates that the exporting country must have measures in place to ensure the safety of the animals being exported. In May, a decision was taken to appoint Pilgrim to the Scientific Authority.
In March, over 20 non-governmental organisations from six different countries addressed a letter to Khalawan and CITES protesting Guyana's plans to export dolphins based on lack of scientific evidence.
CITES officials have said that the decision to export wildlife is made by exporting governments and not by CITES but that governments must conform to the convention's regulations.
On Wednesday, John Sellar, CITES' senior enforcement officer, again noted that the secretariat does not authorise exports but will give advice.
He said if countries seek advice on issues such as sending an NDF for advice then "it is normal practice to wait" on a response.
However, Tom De Meulenaer, CITES' senior scientific officer contended that CITES has seen the NDF and until other signatories dispute its findings they do not have to make a decision on the findings.
De Meulenaer also stated that he has yet to see statements sent by the Guyana government notifying the authority of the unauthorised exports.
He added that the government was told that since the dolphin trade is a very sensitive issue much care should be taken when exporting the animals.
Over a year ago the government told CITES of its plans to export dolphins, De Meulenaer says, and was told about issues such as transporting the dolphins.
He says the dolphin population worldwide is abundant and the internationally traded quantities are not very high, hence trading in dolphins is not seen as a big threat.
He says if the trade was conducted illegally, then CITES will ask the country to resolve the problem.