The Verkhovna Rada voted in April 2015 to amend the Law of Ukraine “On Protection of Animals from Cruel Treatment.” Environmentalists were then happy to see Ukraine making a significant step towards humanization of its animal protection legislation. Environmentalist Kateryna Polianska recalls that the April vote amended Article 25 Section 5 of the law to “prohibit the use of animals in bullfighting, establishment and operating of mobile menageries, mobile zoos and traveling wildlife exhibitions, as well operating of dolphinariums that have no natural seawater supply.” The law became another argument in favor of closing down a few dolphinariums in Ukraine. After all, how can one obtain seawater in Kyiv or, say, Kharkiv?
However, a meeting of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Environmental Policy, Natural Resources, and Elimination of the Consequences of Chornobyl Catastrophe, scheduled for Wednesday, June 17, will see MPs considering a new amendment to the Law “On Protection of Animals from Cruel Treatment.” The submitted amendment deals with... seawater, proposing to delete this word from the law’s text, which would, in fact, allow illegal dolphinariums to stay in business.
So, it seems that the parliament may greenlight such establishments instead of redlighting them. After all, the Ministry of Environment supports the bill that would allow dolphinariums with any kind of water supply. It seems that experts hoped in vain that chlorinated dolphin prisons, as they call dolphinariums among themselves, would finally close. It is worth remembering how long have Kyiv environmentalists been fighting to close down the Nemo dolphinarium, they have even got a court order requiring it to be closed for visitors at least a year ago, but it is still functioning, and minibuses still carry its ads while plying the city’s streets.
Deputy head of the National Environmental Centre Oleksii Vasyliuk reminds that keeping dolphins in dolphinariums is a breach of Articles 7, 8 and 25 of the Law of Ukraine “On Protection of Animals from Cruel Treatment,” for they require that all captive animals’ living conditions satisfy their natural needs for food, water, sleep, and movement, while keeping wild animals in captivity is allowed only if proper conditions have been created, such as the necessary space, temperature, humidity, and natural lighting.
However, some environmentalists believe that the issue is not only with dolphins, but also with some MPs who openly lobby for illegal businesses. To prevent the law being amended again, environmentalists are preparing to picket the committee meeting; they are also hoping that public support and publicity now surrounding the issue will make a difference.
