Animal activists staged a protest outside the Mediterraneo Marine Park on Saturday morning, calling for the immediate closure of the facility and “urgent action” to address animal welfare concerns.
A total of 29 NGOs joined forces urging for an independent investigation into animal welfare and an immediate suspension of all shows and swim-with-dolphins experiences.
They also demanded urgent veterinary care and proper oversight of all animals and a clear plan to shut down the park, rehome the animals and end marine mammal captivity in Malta.
The protest is part of the campaign “Waves not Walls” launched earlier this week to highlight the “dire conditions” in which the five dolphins are kept at the Mediterraneo Marine Park.
The NGOs are also calling for the revocation of the park’s zoo license.
Some of the protesters outside the Mediterraneo Marine Park on Saturday. Photo: Earth Systems AssociationThe campaign is led by Earth Systems Association together with Animal Liberation Malta, Friends of the Earth Malta, Marine Connection, Dolphin Project, and TideBreakers.
Other signatories included BirdLife Malta, Din L-Art Ħelwa, and Moviment Grafitti.
ADPD joined the protest saying it was “fundamentally wrong to treat [these animals] as a mere source of entertainment”.
They said that restricting dolphins to a confined area merely to provide entertainment amounted to “animal cruelty” with the hot summer weather simply “exacerbating their suffering”.
ADPD also expressed their concern over the quality of the water in which the dolphins are kept and called for regular sampling and testing to ensure that it meets minimum standards.
An official letter outlining the NGOs concerns was delivered to the Director General of Animal welfare Joseph John Vella.