Torture in Tenerife - is this really the image we want to give as we go "up-market"?

[Janet]

From posts I've made in the past regular readers will know me to be a great fan of Loro Parque. I admire beyond measure their environmental programmes, and am beyond words for the wonderful work they've done with birds, especially in saving species from extinction. All this, however, is now in danger, with the clamour about the Orcas in captivity – and especially the free-born Morgan - increasing to the point, in my opinion, where it cannot be ignored.

Sky News now is reporting on a front page spread in the Sunday People about Torture in Tenerife. Loro Parque's reputation will be on the line, and that would be a huge shame, but Tenerife's own reputation is also affected by this and we cannot, surely, have all hands to the pumps to portray our island as a top-notch, five-star, luxury destination for the discerning traveller while the Sunday tabloids are screaming about torture in one of Tenerife's flagship venues.

I have become increasingly uncomfortable about cetaceans in captivity as the evidence has mounted, but this is no longer only about animals – distressing as that might be. This is now about Tenerife, our reputation and our tourism market. The authorities need to listen or we will all suffer along with the dolphins and whales in Loro Parque and elsewhere. JA

[Perikles]

It is all relative. We live in a country where intentional ritual torture and slaughter of an animal is a national sport and recognised as such. Bullfighting does not seem to stop Brits visiting Spain.

[Guanche]

I suppose its a question of balance. As far as I understand the Park (Zoo) does good work repopulating endangered species and such, as all good and responsible zoos do. So its a payoff the forced captivity of one non endangered Killer whale that helps pay for the 'Good work' the zoo does. or not?

I would hazard a guess that most people couldn't care less. Alarmist and theatrical headlines like 'Torture in Tenerife' don't really do much for the cause.......all very Daily Mail.

Personally I have no problem with it. However if they were to close their research dept and stop breeding for the wild and become a 'Circus' THEN I would have a problem.

Just an after thought I have a Zoologist in the family one of my nephews and we have had many a discussion over this sort of thing and all things dogs! We agree that places like Loro Park and good Zoos like Chester (which we have a family membership) are at the moment a necessary evil. Don't know how to put his site up but if you Google 'Royles Safaris' you can see his work.

[Janet]

 

[Janet]

The Dutch court ruling that was expected next month was brought forward, perhaps in response to the issue's treatment in the press, and its judgment is that the transfer of Morgan to Loro Parque was legal. To reactions of disbelief and outrage, the court has stressed that it was not able to take questions of Morgan's welfare into account, and was only permitted to revisit the original ruling of the legality of the transfer to Tenerife. That transfer has now been confirmed as fully legal.

Loro Parque, in response both to the court ruling and the welfare organizations clamouring for Morgan's release, has held a press conference in which the foundation's deputy director Javier Almunia said that Morgan's health was perfectly guaranteed, and that she had integrated perfectly with the park's other orcas, and that rigorous quality control systems were in place. Javier Almunia also said that analysis indicated that Morgan had a hearing defect which represented a dreadful handicap which would hamper release to the wild.

The park had, however, he said, developed a lighting device as a means of communication for Morgan, and that the system would be expanded in the main pool so that Morgan could know at all times what was going on. The deputy director said that, moreover, Morgan's difficulties have helped research because projects and studies initially intended to locate her family have resulted in advances in acoustic and dialect knowledge, and these will now form a basis for further research with St Andrews University in Scotland.

Loro Parque Vice President Christoph Kiessling said that he regretted the "successive unfounded attacks", and the appeals by "some organizations that have been based on false and malicious information from those who present themselves as animal defenders". Mr Kiessling said that the court ruling made it quite clear that campaigns organized by such groups, and their systematic attacks on Loro Parque with false, dishonest and seriously deceitful information, are aimed solely at damaging the image and good reputation of one of the most prizewinning parks in the world.

No doubt this issue will continue. The history of cetacean captivity and campaigning in the US suggests there will be no easy solution, nor victory, for either side here. I'm keeping comments switched off on my blog because it serves nothing for it to become bogged down in the vitriol. My own personal view is that Loro Parque is a wonderful resource which does a phenomenal amount of good, and that all welfare and other considerations apart, cetaceans are now a distraction that risks damaging Tenerife's own reputation. I hope that some solution can be found before that happens. JA

[Nova]

Thanks for the update Journo-Janet 

[Myrtle Hogan-Lance]

Thanks for the update Journo-Janet 

I love that.  Back when Coast was in action and they used to have Janet's local news before the UK news and play the jingle, I always imagined Janet dissolved into black and white static like on an old TV, then emerged as a hologram for the duration.

[Janet]

At some point if I have the time I will translate this, but for the moment I hope Google Translate or similar will help those who aren't able to read Spanish. Here is an open letter from Wolfgang Kiessling, the President of the Loro Parque foundation.

En los últimos meses, la compañía que he creado con mucho esfuerzo y que presido desde hace 41 años con profundo respeto hacia los animales, viene siendo el blanco de las críticas de algunos grupos minoritarios de personas, que están en contra de la conservación y protección de los animales, aunque presuman de ello en sus campañas mediáticas. Esta larga polémica, que encuentra en las redes sociales su máximo esplendor, tiene como protagonista a una joven orca llamada Morgan, que apareció moribunda en las costas de Holanda en 2010 y que fue rescatada por el delfinario de Harderwijk. El animal era un montón de piel y huesos cuando fue encontrada y, pese a que nadie confiaba en que sobreviviría la primera noche, consiguieron alimentarlo y recuperarlo. Un año más tarde un tribunal holandés decidió su traslado a Loro Parque, en Tenerife.

El 23 de Abril de 2014, se ha convertido en una fecha importante para Morgan. Es la fecha en la que el Consejo de Estado de Holanda, la más alta instancia de la justicia administrativa holandesa ha confirmado, en su veredicto, la legalidad del traslado del animal a las instalaciones de Loro Parque. Esta es la 5a vez que la Administración de Holanda confirma la legalidad del permiso CITES para efectuar dicho traslado, a pesar de los sucesivos recursos presentados por estas personas que se autoproclaman defensores de los animales y que sistemáticamente vienen atacando a nuestra institución zoológica, con mentiras, información falsa, gravemente engañosa y sin importarles -en lo más mínimo si podría sobrevivir en la naturaleza o no. También la Comisión Europea ratificó en Bruselas, el cumplimiento estricto de la ley en este caso. ¿Y cuál fue nuestro terrible crimen? Ayudar a un animal en necesidad, como siempre hemos hecho cuando se nos ha pedido apoyo. Sinceramente, pienso que esta resolución puede considerarse como el indulto de Morgan, porque liberarla habría significado su sufrimiento y su muerte.

Ya en agosto de 2011 el Ministerio de Agricultura holandés efectuó un informe oficial en el que dictaminaba que, tras haber estudiado detalladamente los informes elaborados por diversos expertos independientes, las dos alternativas posibles que quedaban eran, la eutanasia o mantenerla bajo cuidado humano en otras instalaciones más apropiadas. En la opinión de los expertos consultados y del Ministerio holandés, las posibilidades de sobrevivir si era devuelta al mar eran muy escasas. Más información sobre la historia y la situación actual de Morgan.

Loro Parque jamás solicitó la incorporación de Morgan a su grupo de orcas, sino que fue el Gobierno holandés la entidad que pidió nuestra colaboración, que aceptamos, como siempre hacemos cuando una Administración nos pide ayuda para mejorar el bienestar de un animal rescatado o incautado. Sin embargo, algunos miembros de estas entidades insisten en responsabilizar sistemáticamente a los zoológicos como los culpables de todos los problemas que sufren los animales. Pero, curiosamente, no observamos el mismo empeño, ni esfuerzo en informar al público acerca de los verdaderos problemas de conservación de las especies verdaderamente amenazadas.

En un tiempo en el que el Planeta acoge a 7.200 millones de seres humanos, de los que 5.000 (el 70%) se han añadido solamente en los últimos 100 años y los más de 1.000 millones en los últimos 11 años, ¿Que será de los animales si se cierran sus embajadas que son los zoológicos? ¿Quién los defenderá? ¿Serán estos grupos de fanáticos, a los que no se conoce por haber conseguido mejorar el estado de ninguna especie amenazada? ¿Serán aquellas pequeñas organizaciones, que se empeñan en luchar solamente por los 257 delfines que hay en los delfinarios de toda Europa, pero que nunca han hecho nada por los más de 300.000 que mueren en el mar?

Loro Parque cumple sobradamente con la normativa vigente de parques zoológicos y lo hace desde antes que se promulgara la ley en España (2003) e incluso antes de que entrara en vigor la Directiva Europea sobre zoos en 1999. Por ello y por su constante esfuerzo por mejorar los estándares, es el primer zoológico en el mundo en haber obtenido el certificado Biosphere Parks: Animal Embassy otorgado por el Instituto de Turismo Responsable (vinculado a la UNESCO), además del certificado EMAS, ISO 14000 e ISO 9000; que acreditan la calidad ambiental. Numerosos y prestigiosos reconocimientos avalan nuestro compromiso activo en la protección de especies y a través de Loro Parque Fundación, desarrollamos diversos proyectos de investigación y conservación in situ, en los 5 continentes. En los últimos 20 años hemos invertido más de 15.000.000 de dólares en 96 programas de conservación de papagayos y cetáceos. Con este esfuerzo se logró rebajar de la lista de amenazas dos especies de papagayos, uno de Colombia y otro de Brasil, entre otras grandes victorias ambientales.

Loro Parque es, además, miembro activo de las asociaciones zoológicas profesionales más relevantes: AIZA, EAZA, WAZA, EAAM y AMMPA. Y, a través de su fundación, miembro de la UICN (Unión Mundial para la Conservación de la Naturaleza) y como reserva moderna y comprometida que somos, hemos colaborado siempre con todas las entidades que nos lo han requerido para ofrecer un hogar y los máximos cuidados a multitud de animales incautados, como loros, grandes felinos, chimpancés, pingüinos, focas y un largo etc.

Cada año 700 millones de personas visitan los parques zoológicos de todo el mundo, una cifra que equivale al 10% de la población mundial. Esto significa que los zoológicos modernos son -hoy en día- la herramienta más eficaz y potente de sensibilización para la conservación de la naturaleza. Por ello, nuestro compromiso es cada día más firme y seguiremos esforzándonos para garantizar el bienestar de nuestros animales, así como para proteger los hábitats y especies críticamente amenazados.

Estoy convencido de la importancia de los zoológicos para los animales y la naturaleza y somos los primeros en criticar a aquellos zoológicos que no cuidan de sus animales de forma correcta, que no se esfuerzan en educar a sus visitantes o que no trabajan por la conservación. Siempre estaremos junto a los que buscan hacer de los zoológicos herramientas más útiles para los animales y la naturaleza, trabajando para mejorar cada día.

Por lo antes explicado y ante la preocupación y las numerosas muestras de amor hacia los animales que ha generado el caso de Morgan, Loro Parque desea profundamente y recomienda a quienes -como nosotros- aman a los animales, que dediquen ese esfuerzo a la conservación de aquellas especies que están verdaderamente amenazadas y necesitan el compromiso sincero de todos. Estamos convencidos de que los más de 45 millones de personas que han visitado nuestro parque se han convertido, sin duda alguna, en defensores de la naturaleza.

Atentamente,
Wolfgang Kiessling
Presidente

JA

[Janet]

Update: The letter is now available in English. This is not my translation, but that which has been supplied by Loro Parque.

In recent months, the company that I have created with great effort and over which I have presided for the last 41 years with great respect for animals, has become the target for criticism from some minority groups who are against conservation and protection of animals, although they boast about it in their media campaigns. This long-lasting controversy, that has reached its peak in the social networks, features a young orca named Morgan. She was found dying on the coast of the Netherlands in 2010 and was rescued by the Harderwijk Dolphinarium. She was just skin and bones and although no one believed she would survive the first night, they managed to feed her and revive her. A year later, a Dutch court decided she should be moved to Loro Parque in Tenerife.

The 23rd April 2014 has become an important date for Morgan. It is the date on which the Dutch State Council, the highest court of the Dutch Administrative Justice confirmed its verdict, the legality of the transfer of the animal to the Loro Parque facilities. This is the 5th time that the Dutch Administration has confirmed the validity of CITES permission to make the said transfer, in spite of successive appeals by those that proclaim themselves defenders of animals, and who are systematically attacking our zoological institution with lies and false, seriously misleading information without caring in the least if the animal could survive in the wild or not. The European Commission in Brussels also ratified the strict compliance in this case. And what was our terrible crime? Helping an animal in need, as we have always done when we have been asked for support. I honestly think that this decision can be seen as a pardon for Morgan because her release would have meant suffering and death.

In August 2011 the Dutch Ministry of Agriculture made an official statement which dictated that, having studied in detail reports drawn up by various independent experts, the two possible options remaining were euthanasia, or for Morgan to be kept under human care in other, more appropriate, installations. In the opinion of the experts consulted and the Dutch ministry, the chances of survival, were Morgan to be returned to the sea, would be minimal. More information about the history and Morgan´s. This opinion has been ratified yet again for the fifth time by the highest Dutch court of law.

Loro Parque never asked to incorporate Morgan into its group of orcas, but the Dutch government requested our help which we accepted, as we always do when a government asks for help to improve the welfare of a rescued or captured animal. However, some members of these animal rights entities systematically insist on holding zoos guilty of all the problems faced. But, interestingly, we have not observed the same effort, or endeavour to inform the public about the real problems of conservation of endangered species.

At a time when the planet is home to 7,200 million people , of which 5,000 million (70%) were born in the last 100 years and more than 1,000 million in the last 11 years , what will become of the animals if we close their embassies – the zoos? Who will defend them? Will it be the groups of fanatics which are not known to have improved the status of any endangered species? Will it be those small organizations that are determined to only fight for the 257 dolphins in the dolphinariums across Europe, but have never done anything for the more than 300,000 who die at sea each year unnecessarily?

Loro Parque fully complies with current regulations for Zoos and it did so before the law in Spain was enforced (2003) and even before the European Regulations for zoos were introduced in 1999. Therefore, and owing to its constant effort to improve standards, it is the first zoo in the world to have obtained the certificate Biosphere Parks: Animal Embassy issued by the Responsible Tourism Institute (linked to UNESCO), in addition to EMAS , ISO 14000 and ISO 9000 certificates, all accrediting environmental quality. Numerous prestigious awards support our active engagement in protection of species and, through Loro Parque Foundation, we have developed several research and conservation projects in situ, on 5 continents. In the past 20 years we have invested over US$15,000,000 in 96 conservation programs for parrots and cetaceans. With this effort we were able to reduce the list of endangered species – two species of parrots, one from Colombia and one from Brazil, among other major environmental victories.

Loro Parque is also an active member of the most relevant professional zoological associations: AIZA, EAZA WAZA, EAAM and AMMPA. And, through its foundation, a member of the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature), and as a modern and committed reserve, we have always worked with all entities that have needed us to provide a home and maximum care to a multitude of captured animals, such as parrots, big cats , chimpanzees , penguins, seals etc.

Every year 700 million people visit zoos worldwide, a figure equivalent to 10 % of the world population . This means that modern zoos are – today – the most effective and powerful tool for raising awareness for the conservation of nature. Therefore, our commitment grows stronger day by day and we will continue to strive to ensure the welfare of our animals and to protect habitats and species seriously in danger of extinction.

I am convinced of the importance of zoos for animals and nature and I am the first to criticize those zoos where the animals are not properly cared for, no effort is made to try and educate the visitors, and no work is aimed at conservation. We will always work together with those looking to make zoos more useful tools for animals and nature, striving everyday for improvement.

Due to the reasons mentioned above and to the many expressions of concern and love for animals that the case of Morgan has generated, Loro Parque profoundly wishes and recommends to all those who – like us – love animals, to stop destroying the work we do for nature, and the effort we devote to the conservation of endangered species that are seriously threatened and need sincere commitment. We are convinced that more than 45 million people who have visited our park have become, without a doubt, defenders of nature.

Sincerely,
Wolfgang Kiessling
President

[Guanche]

Agreed