SJS6638

8 Dec 12, 16:28

Dolphins at Resorts World Sentosa: To boycott or not?

By Fann Sim | Yahoo! Newsroom – 21 hours ago

The highly-anticipated final attraction of Resorts World Sentosa(RWS), the Marine Life Park (MLP), opens its doors on Friday but not without a dark cloud hanging over the sprawling attraction.

Much of the headlines in recent weeks has been surrounding the condition of the 24 bottlenose dolphins now under its care.

Three died before even arriving in Singapore – two during their initial confinement period in Langkawi, Malaysia, and one just last month on its plane flight into Singapore.

Now animal welfare group ACRES has urged a boycott of the MLP and related properties under the Genting family as a final resort until the dolphins are released from captivity.

"You can see that the swimming pools are not only small but also filthy," said Louis Ng, founder of ACRES, after a visit to the dolphin enclosure at MLP.

Labelling the conditions the dolphins live in as “appalling”, he said even humans may shy away from taking a dip in the pool.

One of the pools housing the bottlenose dolphins looked dirty, according to Louis Ng, founder of ACRES. (Photo …
"We have tried our very best to establish a dialogue with RWS, but they have ignored our calls for meetings and turned a deaf ear to our concerns,” he said in a media statement.

“RWS continues with their plans to confine the dolphins, despite the deaths of three dolphins under their care and scientific studies confirming that the trade in these dolphins was unsustainable and pushed this species one step closer towards extinction in the Solomon Islands."

In a final push to get them released, ACRES said its final ultimatum would be to launch a full-fledged boycott against all Genting properties unless RWS works with ACRES to rehabilitate and release the dolphins.

Will the public support a mass boycott, though?

Wildlife conservation undergrad Delia Quek, for one, told Yahoo! Singapore that the methods used by ACRES are a tad bit extreme.

"Eco-tourism can be sustainable if handled properly, and pink dolphins aren't exactly endangered," Quek said.

"But I think RWS will still go ahead with the dolphins because the profits they earn over the long run would still be more than that spent on fending off ACRES," she added.

Yahoo! reader Lim Yi Shan 28, said she feels ashamed as a Singaporean because a profit-only company to tarnish our reputation.

"This December, my three dearest friends from overseas will visit Singapore but I will not be bringing them to Sentosa even though that's a highlight in most guidebooks," said the business development manager.

"More than one internationally recognized agencies have opposed the import of dolphins and have shared how keeping dolphins in captivity may be detrimental... Why then has Singapore allowed a profit-driven entity to go against this and give the country a bad name?" Lim continued.

Student Sarah Peh, 22, said she was planning to visit the Marine Life Park with friends but is now re-considering because of the dolphins' plight.

"I'd support ACRES but I don't think I'll boycott RWS. I might sign a petition and if they don't take action, I'll re-consider going to the marine park. It's going to be a tough one because I'm not usually keen on such things, but this time round, RWS is making the attraction such a big thing that people like me do want to go and visit," said Peh.

"I'll see how the situation develops and decide if I want to go later in the future," she added.

How about you? Would you support a boycott of RWS because of the dolphins?

FireIce

8 Dec 12, 16:30

i dont support

but not to the extent of boycott

SJS6638

8 Dec 12, 16:33

Sad about the way the dolphins are treated. Please have compassion.

FireIce

8 Dec 12, 17:52

could have done better.

Bobby Theo

8 Dec 12, 18:45

Originally posted by FireIce:

i dont support

but not to the extent of boycott

agree

troublemaker2005

8 Dec 12, 21:25

what is theestimated number of dolphins left in the world now?

do you think if we release them bak into the ocean how fast they can multiply back to a healthy population befiore getting fished by hunters again? esp cheena ones.

or shoudl we also look at breeding them on safer grounds before leting some of them back into the ocean?

kuji-in

8 Dec 12, 23:24

the dolphins must be freed.

i will boycott RWS

troublemaker2005

9 Dec 12, 03:26

actually i wil not boycott RWS lah. but indirectly i will becasue now no money no job, so no visit RWS. actually i dont mean ti but nomarnie so no visit nosarport.

SBS6301T

9 Dec 12, 10:05

I wont boycott...

PJ_Quek

9 Dec 12, 11:22

Don't support lar, but other people will support one.

troublemaker2005

9 Dec 12, 16:29

its not logical to return them to ocean now easp when their numebrs are small and they stand a chance of getting poached by those cheena hunters. better to breed them and increas their population before releasing their numbers consistantly back to the sea.

they are intelligent animals, i can saybetween humans and the lesser mamals and animals and insects on earth. if theyr are understree=ss i am sure they will show and humans can easily understand them.

after all if they are treated well fed and they perform their job why not? they are just like humans getting loging pay with food for doing tasks.

unlike humans like cheenas who give them lodging and pay still complain say their country can offer them better. then just fuck off lah? that one no one force them they can return to south cheena sea anytime man.

in short they are more intelligent than teh avaerage cheenaman.

TIB783G

9 Dec 12, 16:37

If they want to boycott, Go ahead.

Make sure they keep their promises and never to step on RWS property again.

It's a really juvenile thing that MR Louis Ng has made just because of this.

charlize

9 Dec 12, 16:43

Imagine if you were the dolphin.

Damn stressed.

Medicated Oil

9 Dec 12, 18:46

Irony of life:

Stressed human go there to relieve their stress by watching stressed dophins performing.

troublemaker2005

9 Dec 12, 21:20

if you dont sarpork RWS, they no show no income, then dolphin no have geerate inomce to pay for their home and dolphin pool, thye no job suffer and have to really return to the ocean.

storywolf

10 Dec 12, 18:20

I do not agree with ACRES action - I call it childish & extreme !!!

What the different for ACRES action - when compare to the SMRT drivers action - yes just because things do not agree to with them - let boycott !!!

The dolphins captured, already been domesticated, you think just say ok let undomesticated them and release them back to the wild is the solution ? We just kidding ourselves. Return to the wild ? human already invade their habital - you think just pretend releasing them back - they go back to the good old days ?

In fact too extreme view like ACRES are doing more harm to animals conservation then good. Let imagine ACRES have their way - all dolphines are release back into the wild from all seaworld & aquarium. Yes now to even get to see a real dolphine and have first hand encounter , and contact - is now excusive to only the rich who can afford to travel across the world to see them. Future generation who cannot afford, can only look at video, pictures or drawings. Now to kids with first hand encounter or experience - a dolphine is just a blah blah ... grandpa told me that is it is suppose to be smart , but who cares .. cause i only get to see it from book or video....This is infact a backward steps - in the direction in promoting education and awareness.

I think Zoos, aquarium & seaworlds still have a huge part to play in the future of education and conservation. I think we should not be extremist but more of animals advocate - work with organisation to improve the animals living conditions and other .... be constructive.

troublemaker2005

10 Dec 12, 19:32

we can release them to the ocean. being intelligent theywill call for helop if they cant adapt. when we say relase them its not just like release tortise to xiao guilin. releasing domestic anaimals back to the wild we have to tag them and monitor them. that's whyi say increas etheir numebrs then release some of them to see whre they go how they adapt.

out jurong bird park. they release lots of breed birds to the wild. many of them can be seen flying all ove rthe island, surviving and hunting for food on their own. whenever they cant they will flock bak to jBP becasye they know they can somehow scvage for foo dthere. a lot of these birds areflying all over JPBP, at uncaged areas. that;s why next time take a look wehn you see some birds, they feet they have tags from JBP conservation unit.

acres can strike and voice their concern, but they have to submit a propoasal how to do it right should the dolphins be released.

like i wrote it is still not advisable now since lots of cheena poachers around.

storywolf

11 Dec 12, 11:25

troublemaker2005,

What you say about the birds release into the wild - they fly all over the island savage for food ...... !!! - don't you realise that is a the problem !!! If in perfect solution, they should fly to some where remoter away from human & try to live in the wild. Instead they are force to change to live and survive in the city instead .... this is not proper animals rehabitation.

For dolphines - even worse they are more intelligent, thus after domesticated and interact with humans - even if you return them , they will still be attract to humans , and will seek out human interactions ( they been alter forever ) - they will be attracted to boats and other stuff that will endanger their lives even if they are relocate back to the wild.

Why RWS ? - 1st it is the bashing shark, then the dolphines ?
WHy not the panda ? aren't they more endangered !!! and more unsuitable for Singapore ?

troublemaker2005

11 Dec 12, 13:30

Originally posted by storywolf:

troublemaker2005,

What you say about the birds release into the wild - they fly all over the island savage for food ...... !!! - don't you realise that is a the problem !!! If in perfect solution, they should fly to some where remoter away from human & try to live in the wild. Instead they are force to change to live and survive in the city instead .... this is not proper animals rehabitation.

For dolphines - even worse they are more intelligent, thus after domesticated and interact with humans - even if you return them , they will still be attract to humans , and will seek out human interactions ( they been alter forever ) - they will be attracted to boats and other stuff that will endanger their lives even if they are relocate back to the wild.

Why RWS ? - 1st it is the bashing shark, then the dolphines ?
WHy not the panda ? aren't they more endangered !!! and more unsuitable for Singapore ?

why the birds released to the wild are to maintain our own singapore eco system, really. we know we need the brids to maintain the food chain, and some of the birds used to be endanagered and with our actions we actually brought them back to the healthy numbers winthin singapore.

for dolpins, what i am looking at to return are not those that have been put to captivity, AND trained for entertainment purposes. what i say ACRES need to do is to have a seaparet place to keep and breed them, then return to the sea. dolphins with high inteleigent do not see humans as what other naimals sees them. that's why you hear news of people getting rescued by dolphins in the sea.

ACRES problem as with all caharity animal welfare groups - are money and funds, to run the place pay rental, to feed the anaimals and all other expenses. worse are the increasing land prices of palces and the gahmen ever shifting their decision to take over lands increase rental.

for RWS thera re in bad luck, SCREs and most people kows withi=out shark, lossing them in great numbers tipping the balance in quick time, means no humans anymore. do i need to google and tell everyone wbout this? i can do it in my next post. now hungry like zombie lookin for food.

Pandas, - except eat and sleep i dont see a need for them. maybe you can help google and give us some information about their usefulness. pandas i dont care anyone say anyshit. they represent cheenaland, just like the lazy hungry waiting to be feed cheenas like that.

Seowlah

11 Dec 12, 15:41

Originally posted by SBS6301T:

I wont boycott...

Why must be boycott, not girl-cott leh ?

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The word boycott entered the English language during the Irish "Land War" and is derived from the name of Captain Charles Boycott, the land agent of an absentee landlord, Lord Erne, who lived in Lough Mask House, near Ballinrobe in County Mayo, Ireland, who was subject to social ostracism organized by the Irish Land League in 1880. As harvests had been poor that year, Lord Erne offered his tenants a ten percent reduction in their rents. In September of that year, protesting tenants demanded a twenty five percent reduction, which Lord Erne refused. Boycott then attempted to evict eleven tenants from the land. Charles Stewart Parnell, in a speech in Ennis prior to the events in Lough Mask, proposed that when dealing with tenants who take farms where another tenant was evicted, rather than resorting to violence, everyone in the locality should shun them. While Parnell's speech did not refer to land agents or landlords, the tactic was first applied to Boycott when the alarm was raised about the evictions. Despite the short-term economic hardship to those undertaking this action, Boycott soon found himself isolated — his workers stopped work in the fields and stables, as well as in his house. Local businessmen stopped trading with him, and the local postman refused to deliver mail.^[1]

The concerted action taken against him meant that Boycott was unable to hire anyone to harvestthe crops in his charge. Eventually 50 Orangemen from Cavan and Monaghan volunteered to do the work. They were escorted to and from Claremorris by one thousand policemen and soldiers, despite the fact that the local Land League leaders had said that there would be no violence from them, and in fact no violence materialized.^[2] This protection ended up costing far more than the harvest was worth. After the harvest, the "boycott" was successfully continued. Within weeks Boycott's name was everywhere. It was used by The Times in November 1880 as a term for organized isolation. According to an account in the book “The Fall of Feudalism in Ireland” byMichael Davitt, the term was promoted by Fr. John O'Malley of County Mayo to "signify ostracism applied to a landlord or agent like Boycott". The Times first reported on November 20, 1880: “The people of New Pallas have resolved to 'boycott' them and refused to supply them with food or drink.” The Daily News wrote on December 13, 1880: “Already the stoutest-hearted are yielding on every side to the dread of being 'Boycotted'.” By January of the following year, the word was being used figuratively: "Dame Nature arose.... She 'Boycotted' London from Kew to Mile End" (The Spectator, January 22, 1881).

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Girlcott is a neologism that combines "girl" and "boycott" to focus on strictly female boycotts. The term was coined in 1968 by Americantrack star Lacey O'Neal during the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City, in the context of protests by male African American athletes. Speaking for black women athletes, she advised that the group would not "girlcott" the Olympic Games, because female athletes were still focused on being recognized. It also appeared in Time magazine in 1970, and was later used by retired tennis player Billie Jean Kingin reference to Wimbledon, to emphasize her argument regarding equal play for women players.

The term girlcott was revived in 2005 by a group of young women in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania protesting what they deemed sexist and degrading T-shirt slogans on Abercrombie & Fitch merchandise.^[3]

storywolf

11 Dec 12, 15:45

I do agree with you troublemaker2005 on this - " for dolpins, what i am looking at to return are not those that have been put to captivity, AND trained for entertainment purposes " . However for RWS dolphins already have been in captivity and trained for a length of period, thus really make them unsuitable already for release.

As for your point - "dolphins with high intelligent do not see humans as what other naimals sees them" ? Please read the below article on Keilo - the killer whale that was free - on how he actively sought out human company, swimming to boats and people - this will too happen to these dolphins when free.

How many of you have seen "Free Willy" ? - Please read the below real life story.

Why freeing Willy was the wrong thing to do ?

10:16 28 April 2009 by Catherine Brahic

Willy was never really free. The killer whale star of the Hollywood movie Free Willy had to be cared for by humans even after he was released and he never successfully integrated with his wild kin. Researchers now say attempts to return him to the wild were misguided.

"We believe the best option for [Willy] was the open pen he had in Norway, with care from his trainers," says Malene Simon of the Greenland Institute of Natural Resources, who participated in efforts to reintegrate the cetacean in the wild and is lead author of the study. "He could swim as much as he wanted to, had plenty of frozen herring – which he was very fond of – and the people that he was attached to kept him active."

The killer whale, whose real name was Keiko, died in December 2003, at about 26 years old. Despite efforts to integrate him with wild killer whales in Iceland towards the end of his life, he proved unable to interact with them or find food.

"While we as humans might find it appealing to free a long-term captive animal," the researchers say in the paper, "the survival and well-being of the animal may be severely impacted in doing so." The only cetaceans that have successfully been returned to the wild have been young and only kept in captivity for short periods.

The team's comments contradict those made by members of the Free Willy-Keiko Foundation, who declared in 2003 that his case had challenged the perception that whales cannot be returned to the wild. But Simon's account of Keiko's last few years shows just how unsuccessful his release was.

Public pressure

Keiko was born into a wild group of killer whales, also called orca, in Icelandic waters. He was captured in 1979 at about two years old and spent over a decade in a small tank in a Mexican amusement park, isolated from others of his species.

It was during this time, in 1993, that Keiko made animal stardom when he "played" a leading role in the hit film Free Willy, which tells the story of a boy who befriends and eventually releases a captive orca.

The film's success engendered an international letter-writing campaign, Free Keiko, which sought to release him into the wild. "There was a strong public pressure to release Keiko to the wild, preferably to his 'family' group in Iceland," say the researchers.

Yielding to this pressure, Keiko's owners transferred him to Iceland and in the summers of 2000 and 2001, he was trained to follow a boat out into the open water where wild orcas were feeding.

Going hungry

In 2002, he was fitted with tracking devices, and once again led out to join the wild orcas. This time, his trainers would hide below deck when Keiko approached in an attempt to minimise human contact. But lacking the necessary social skills, Keiko at first mostly floated motionless at the surface, facing towards the wild pods several hundred metres away.

After 10 days, he returned of his own accord to his penned-off area in a nearby bay. Vets extracted a sample from his stomach – the transparent, slimy liquid they found suggested Keiko had not fed.

Two days later he was led back out to sea. Again he didn't feed, although he did start to make dives. The tracking devices showed that he spent most of his time above 4 metres, and most of his dives were less than 26 metres. In contrast, wild orcas spend most of their dive time between 50 and 75 metres.

He was seen diving among the wild orcas only once, on 30 July 2002. And after physical contact at the surface, Keiko swam away, seeking out human company on the tracking boat.

Crowded out

Keiko managed to migrate to Norway for most of August, arriving in apparently good health. However, his film-star status and love of humans were to bring to an end his stint in the wild.

"When Keiko arrived in Norway, he actively sought out human company, swimming to boats and people," say the researchers. "After a few days, he became inactive, staying near a small boat, possibly to avoid the large and steadily increasing crowd of people now seeking his attention."

"At that time there was a crowd of people very close to Keiko," says Simon. "All the kids of the town wanted to touch him and swim with him." Local authorities forbade people from approaching or touching him, and his trainers – who thought he may have caught an infection from his human admirers – took him to live in a new open pen.

Keiko's activity levels increased to previous levels, thanks to regular trips with his carers outside the bay. A year after his failed migration, Keiko died at the age of 26 or 27, apparently of pneumonia.

Journal reference: Marine Mammal Science (DOI: 10.1111/j.1748-7692.2009.00287.x)

troublemaker2005

11 Dec 12, 16:24

Originally posted by Seowlah:

Why must be boycott, not girl-cott leh ?

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

wny yeh ar? not tok cock, soft cock or hard coclk? colorful rainbow cock?

troublemaker2005

11 Dec 12, 16:27

Originally posted by storywolf:

I do agree with you troublemaker2005 on this - " for dolpins, what i am looking at to return are not those that have been put to captivity, AND trained for entertainment purposes " . However for RWS dolphins already have been in captivity and trained for a length of period, thus really make them unsuitable already for release.

As for your point - "dolphins with high intelligent do not see humans as what other naimals sees them" ? Please read the below article on Keilo - the killer whale that was free - on how he actively sought out human company, swimming to boats and people - this will too happen to these dolphins when free.

How many of you have seen "Free Willy" ? - Please read the below real life story.

Why freeing Willy was the wrong thing to do ?

10:16 28 April 2009 by Catherine Brahic




Willy was never really free. The killer whale star of the Hollywood movie Free Willy had to be cared for by humans even after he was released and he never successfully integrated with his wild kin. Researchers now say attempts to return him to the wild were misguided.

"We believe the best option for [Willy] was the open pen he had in Norway, with care from his trainers," says Malene Simon of the Greenland Institute of Natural Resources, who participated in efforts to reintegrate the cetacean in the wild and is lead author of the study. "He could swim as much as he wanted to, had plenty of frozen herring – which he was very fond of – and the people that he was attached to kept him active."

The killer whale, whose real name was Keiko, died in December 2003, at about 26 years old. Despite efforts to integrate him with wild killer whales in Iceland towards the end of his life, he proved unable to interact with them or find food.

"While we as humans might find it appealing to free a long-term captive animal," the researchers say in the paper, "the survival and well-being of the animal may be severely impacted in doing so." The only cetaceans that have successfully been returned to the wild have been young and only kept in captivity for short periods.

The team's comments contradict those made by members of the Free Willy-Keiko Foundation, who declared in 2003 that his case had challenged the perception that whales cannot be returned to the wild. But Simon's account of Keiko's last few years shows just how unsuccessful his release was.

Public pressure

Keiko was born into a wild group of killer whales, also called orca, in Icelandic waters. He was captured in 1979 at about two years old and spent over a decade in a small tank in a Mexican amusement park, isolated from others of his species.

It was during this time, in 1993, that Keiko made animal stardom when he "played" a leading role in the hit film Free Willy, which tells the story of a boy who befriends and eventually releases a captive orca.

The film's success engendered an international letter-writing campaign, Free Keiko, which sought to release him into the wild. "There was a strong public pressure to release Keiko to the wild, preferably to his 'family' group in Iceland," say the researchers.

Yielding to this pressure, Keiko's owners transferred him to Iceland and in the summers of 2000 and 2001, he was trained to follow a boat out into the open water where wild orcas were feeding.

Going hungry

In 2002, he was fitted with tracking devices, and once again led out to join the wild orcas. This time, his trainers would hide below deck when Keiko approached in an attempt to minimise human contact. But lacking the necessary social skills, Keiko at first mostly floated motionless at the surface, facing towards the wild pods several hundred metres away.

After 10 days, he returned of his own accord to his penned-off area in a nearby bay. Vets extracted a sample from his stomach – the transparent, slimy liquid they found suggested Keiko had not fed.

Two days later he was led back out to sea. Again he didn't feed, although he did start to make dives. The tracking devices showed that he spent most of his time above 4 metres, and most of his dives were less than 26 metres. In contrast, wild orcas spend most of their dive time between 50 and 75 metres.

He was seen diving among the wild orcas only once, on 30 July 2002. And after physical contact at the surface, Keiko swam away, seeking out human company on the tracking boat.

Crowded out

Keiko managed to migrate to Norway for most of August, arriving in apparently good health. However, his film-star status and love of humans were to bring to an end his stint in the wild.

"When Keiko arrived in Norway, he actively sought out human company, swimming to boats and people," say the researchers. "After a few days, he became inactive, staying near a small boat, possibly to avoid the large and steadily increasing crowd of people now seeking his attention."

"At that time there was a crowd of people very close to Keiko," says Simon. "All the kids of the town wanted to touch him and swim with him." Local authorities forbade people from approaching or touching him, and his trainers – who thought he may have caught an infection from his human admirers – took him to live in a new open pen.

Keiko's activity levels increased to previous levels, thanks to regular trips with his carers outside the bay. A year after his failed migration, Keiko died at the age of 26 or 27, apparently of pneumonia.

Journal reference: Marine Mammal Science (DOI: 10.1111/j.1748-7692.2009.00287.x)

trust me, each and every anaimal though behave predictably, have their own sets of unqiue chracter at times. i believe if every dolphin has their unique character too.

my point is - to keep them safe and breed them, then return them to the sea wher ethey belong. however this process is not easy, money being one of th major factor.

charlize

13 Dec 12, 21:59

Originally posted by Medicated Oil:

Irony of life:

Stressed human go there to relieve their stress by watching stressed dophins performing.

The circle of stress.

PJ_Quek

14 Dec 12, 17:51

Originally posted by troublemaker2005:

if you dont sarpork RWS, they no show no income, then dolphin no have geerate inomce to pay for their home and dolphin pool, thye no job suffer and have to really return to the ocean.

then return to the ocean lar.