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Thursday, March 28, 2024
HomeNewsArchivesHearing Brings Crowd of Opposition to Dolphinarium

Hearing Brings Crowd of Opposition to Dolphinarium

More than 200 residents packed into the Charles W. Turnbull Regional Library on Thursday night for an Army Corps of Engineers public hearing that signaled more opposition than support to Coral World Ocean Park’s proposed dolphinarium.

Army Corps of Engineers representatives made it clear early on that they were not there to offer an opinion on the proposal. Instead, they said, they hoped to gather enough information from both sides to complete an analysis – done in conjunction with the National Marine Fisheries Services – to determine if a permit to construct the two-acre dolphin habitat can be issued. A land and water permit needed for the project was already approved in February 2013 by the local Coastal Zone Management Board.

Army Corps representatives speaking to the Source during the hearing said public opinion weighs heavily on projects such as these, along with any information provided about issues such as marine health and impacts on endangered or protected coral and marine species.

“About 95 percent of the projects that come through, they’re projects to be modified or changed to avoid, minimize or compensate for any impacts that could be out there,” said Sindulfo Castillo, chief of the organization’s regulatory office for the Antilles region. “Our projects provide for a zero net loss of any resources that we have in the area.”

For residents testifying Thursday, the concern about potential loss of resources ranged from turtles to corals, along with sea grass beds and other marine life. Testifiers were brought up in groups of five, and speaker after speaker cited his or her concerns for the health of Water Bay and the health of the dolphins, which they said were not meant to be raised in captivity.

One resident, Jane Higgins, said that for years there has been a global effort to limit projects such as these and referenced countries from Costa Rica to India, which she said has “outlawed” captive dolphins.

Higgins, along with other residents, also raised concerns about corals that would be displaced during the construction of the facility, and how the dolphins – a group of six that have been bred in captivity – would be protected once in the territory.

“Historically Water Bay has also been impacted from the dredging in the 1960s,” Higgins added. “Haven’t we learned yet how to expand our tourism product without major impact to our environment? When will we learn to embrace our nature?”

During last year’s CZM hearing, Coral World representatives cited the 90 percent survival rate of worldwide coral transplants in larger coral heads and the minimal shading that would potentially affect the sea grass in the area. The coral heads in question are estimated to be of softball size or less, according to testimony provided during the 2013 hearing.

On Thursday, Coral World employee Elissa Hodge said that all animals at the park benefit from “excellent care provided by a dedicated team of professionals.” The dolphins slated for the park are further part of an “intact” social group that were born into captivity and would be protected both by staff and by the federal regulations governing all aspects of the facility.

Hodge added that, over the years, Coral World has been committed to conservation education and has provided informational tours to hundreds of children each year. “We have the opportunity to inspire our children to care for the environment on a global and local level and the dolphinarium will help the park and continue our commitment to education,” she said.

Army Corps representatives also said during the meeting that the park has submitted a plan to protect the dolphins, and that if the construction permit is approved, the agency will continue to inspect the facility to make sure that it is “compliant with the scope of work” provided in the application. If the park isn’t compliant, the facility could be shut down, they said.

After the meeting, Castillo said that the next step for the Army Corps is to complete a biological assessment of the environmental impacts, which will then be turned over to the National Marine Fisheries Services.

“They will scientifically analyze that information and will come back with an opinion that will tell us if the activity is appropriate for the resources that exist in the area,” he said. “They might say no, or they might say that it can be done but that certain conditions must be adhered to in order to ensure that these resources are not compromised.”

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