CANCUN, Mexico (8 Sep 2003) -- Blowing conch shells, burning incense and chanting prayers in Indian languages, about 200 protesters wearing gray foam dolphin hats gathered in front of Cancun's city hall to demand the release of at least 30 dolphins imported from the Solomon Islands by a Cancun water park. The target of the protest, Cancun's Parque Nizuc, imported the dolphins in July. One from the Solomon Islands died in July, followed by a Mexican dolphin already at the park. Officials have said the deaths were unrelated. "Just so people can swim with the dolphins, the dolphins have to suffer pain, separation from their families and even death," said protest organizer Araceli Dominguez of the Environmental Group of the Maya Land. No one was from Parque Nizuc was immediately available to comment Sunday. Dominguez said Mexico's resort-studded Caribbean coast has one of the largest concentrations of captive dolphins anywhere, an estimated 130 at various parks. He demanded the release of all of them. | | The protest was also a warm-up and spiritual start for the week of marches and protests planned alongside the World Trade Organization meeting, which begins Wednesday in Cancun. "We asked Mother Earth to protect and guide all the alternative meetings and events here, that they might proceed with equity, justice and righteousness," said Guadeloupe de la Rosa, a member of the Citizen's Ecologist Movement. "We are the real diplomats, not those meeting at the convention center." Following the rituals, the dolphin-clad demonstrators marched through downtown Cancun. One young demonstrator, Jose Alberto Cisneros, 7, held up a sign saying "Your tuna is dolphin-safe, how about your vacation?" SOURCE - Daily Post |
