STOP a Dolphinarium on St.Maarten

Unfortunately, rumour has it, there are plans, again, for a Dolphinarium and Swim With Dolphin program here on our lovely island of St Maarten. If this is true, this will now be the 3rd such attempt!

Update Dec 2011 - this is no longer a rumour! The planned Dolphinarium is part of a large development project, currently referred to as the "Martin Quarter", a joint project between Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines and Trident, which also includes a hotel / timeshare resort, retail shops, bars and restaurants, to be situated in the port of Philipsburg.

Update Octo 2011 - Mr Ric O'Barry spent a week on St Maarten, showing the incredible documentary "The Cove". Together with The Nature Foundation St. Maarten and Dolphin Defenders St. Maarten, Mr Ric O'Barry presented the petition with over 8000 signatures (we have also been collecting paper signatures on island) to Ms Sarah Wescott-Williams, St. Maarten's Prime Minister. Meetings were also held with the Minister of Tourism and Education.

However, until the Dolphinarium is removed from the Martin Quarter project and the law of St Maarten is changed to prevent dolphin captivity on the island this signature drive will continue.

With your help we stopped this last time. With your help we WILL STOP IT AGAIN! With your help we will stop it FOREVER!

Protect the Dolphins and Keep Them FREE!
Join us to say:

• NO to a Dolphinarium on St. Maarten!
• NO to Swim With Dolphins on St. Maarten!
• NO to Dolphin Captivity on St. Maarten!

A Dolphinarium on St. Maarten would be purely for commercial gain. There is no educational, economical, conservation or environmental reason to open a Dolphinarium on St Maarten. There are many, many alternative activities which can be introduced to increase our tourism product for both cruise and stay-over guests, which would be economically beneficial to our island and generate jobs for the local labour sector without cruelty to animals. St. Maarten does not NEED dolphins in captivity to sustain and develop it,s tourism product.

SIGN THIS SIGNATURE DRIVE TO:

• Petition the Financiers behind this project
• Petition the Government of Country St. Maarten against this and any future Dolphin captivity projects
• Petition the Government to write a ban on Dolphins in Captivity in Country St. Maarten into LAW!

DOLPHIN DEFENDERS ST. MAARTEN MISSION STATEMENT

1. Stop any and all current plans for captive dolphins and all other marine mammals on St. Maarten.
2. Have it written into the Law of country St. Maarten that there will be no form of Marine Mammal captivity, in any type of facility, for any reason whatsoever, now or in the future.
3. Bring awareness to the island of St. Maarten in regards to the importance of protecting the freedom of dolphins and other marine mammals from the negative and cruel captive dolphin and marine mammal industry, destructive fishing practices and environmental hazards in our waters and internationally.