dolphins #4
Clemencia Rodner (crodner@conicit.ve)
Thu, 16 Jun 1994 06:04:42 -0400 (AST)
Republic of Venezuela (Part 1)
Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock
Ministry of the Environment and Renewable Natural Resources
TO THE CONSIDERATION OF THE GENERAL PUBLIC:
THE TRUTH BEHIND THE CLAIMS OF DOLPHIN KILLINGS ALONG THE COAST
OF VENEZUELA
On November 24, 1993, a US. television channel transmitted a
video produced by the conservation NGOs Bioma and Fundacetacea,
wherein our country is accused of allowing indiscriminate hunting
of dolphins. The immediate reaction that this video produced in
the United States and other countries greatly damages the
reputation of Venezuela and its institutions and promotes
animosity against all Venezuelans.In May, 1993, the ministries of
Agriculture and Livestock (MAC) and of the Environment and
Renewable Natural Resources (MARNR) learned from the Venezuelan
press that the environmental NGOs Bioma and Fundacetacea, were
denouncing an environmental crime ostensibly committed by
numerous independent small-craft fishermen, who were accused of
using dolphin meat for human consumption and for bait to catch
sharks. Simultaneously, the press releases indicated the
existence of a video where fishermen, accompanied by children,
were shown stabbing and beating to death a dolphin captured by
them. Bioma and Fundacetacea showed the press dolphin bones
supposedly "massacred" along our coasts and indicated that they
estimated the number of killings per year at between 9,000 and
67,000 animals.At the same time, these environmental groups
accused the Autonomous Wildlife Service of the MARNR, PROFAUNA,
and the Autonomous Fisheries Service of the MAC, SARPA, of
minimizing the importance of their claim and of covering up the
alleged killings.
The Directors of both Services were quoted out of context and
exposed to public contempt. Bioma and Fundacetacea have
organized public campaigns "in defense of dolphins" by radio,
television and press under the slogan "Save our Cetaceans", and
requested economic support from individuals and institutions for
such ends. They also promoted a "National Dolphin Day", as well
as the establishment of "Cetacean Sanctuary" in Eastern Venezuela
and a "Resolution for Cetacean Protection." The Venezuelan
Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, the Venezuelan Ministry of
the Environment and Renewable Natural Resources, the National
Fund for Farming Research (FONAIAP), the National Council on
Wildlife (CONAFASI), the University of the East, the
Oceanographic Institute, the La Salle Natural Sciences Foundation
(FLASA), the Los Roques Foundation, the Institute of Scientific
Research of Boca de Rio, the Simon Bolivar University (USB),
the Institute of Tropical Zoology of the Central
University of Venezuela, the Commander of the National
Coast Guard, the Commanders of Coastal Surveillance and
Environmental Guard of the National Guard, WISH TO INFORM
THE GENERAL PUBLIC OF THE FOLLOWING: This practice is banned
by our NationŐs laws, as well as by regulations and
resolutions issued by both Ministries mentioned above. There
exist no proofs, evidence or indication, scientific or of any
other nature, to show that such indiscriminate and
alarming mortality occurs in our country but, rather, there
exists a generalized opinion that the situation is quite the
contrary. On May 10, 1993, the General Direction of Fishing
and Aquiculture of the Ministry of Agriculture (nowadays called
SARPA), and the Wildlife Service PROFAUNA, requested the Bioma
Foundation to present all evidences and audiovisual
material they had available, in order to initiate an
investigation of the situation they had denounced. Bioma advised
verbally that these "proofs" had been submitted to the Attorney
General. In view of the fact that the records submitted to the
office of the Attorney General are under summarial secrecy, in
May 1993 both Ministries sent written communications to the
Environmental District Attorney, requesting an in-depth
investigation of those charges and offering their
collaboration.At the same time, both Ministries requested a
report on the situation from the Coast Guard, the Environmental
Section of the National Guard and the Inspectors of the Marine
National Parks. Also, the best reputed scientists, with years of
research experience along our coasts, were consulted, including
Dr. Fernando Cervigon, Dr. Edgardo Mondolfi, Luis
Rivas Larrazabal, Hermano Gines, Jose Luis Naveira, Ricardo
Molinet, Luis Marcano, Carlos Gimenez and Hector Lopez. The
opinions of these researchers can be summarized as follows:
1. No researcher has ever witnessed such a massacre. 2. Some
researchers have heard of individual cases but always as
isolated, sporadic and far-between instances. 3. They all agree
in the view that independent small-craft fishermen do not
persecute cetaceans, that they willingly collaborate with
research agencies, and that they have collaborated in attempts to
save beached dolphins and whales.
Regarding the charges, it has been impossible to confirm if the
events described really took place in Venezuela, because
neither of the accusing organizations, in spite of repeated
requests from the ministries, has presented the proofs and
evidences (bones, statistical data, audiovisual materials) that
they claim to have. Since neither Bioma nor Fundacetacea have
presented formal charges of the alleged crimes to either
Ministry, indicating precise places, numbers of animals or
dates, both institutions could be considered accomplices of the
perpetrators. It can not be denied that there exist persons or
fishermen that, for reasons of ignorance, thoughtlessness or
necessity, may kill dolphins illegally. Nevertheless, without
doubt this can not be considered as a frequent, general or
tolerated practice, and much less in the quantities denounced by
Bioma and Fundacetacea. Obviously, if these killings ever reached
the numbers indicated by the NGOs, there would exist some proof,
testimony or bibliography to support such claims. The
consultations with the institutions previously mentioned have
not provided any information to this effect. The bones of
marine mammals presented cannot be considered "proofs" of the
accusations formulated by the organizations - unless the bones
show evidences of violent death - as frequently, dolphins and
other cetaceans are beached along the coast. Of this latter
occurrence there exist sufficient national and international
records. To say that the dolphin bones presented to the press
constitute "proofs of a massacre" is as incongruent as claiming
that the human bones used by medical students prove that the
students committed a homicide.
Republic of Venezuela (Part 2)
Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock
Ministry of the Environment and Renewable Natural Resources
TO THE CONSIDERATION OF THE GENERAL PUBLIC:
THE TRUTH BEHIND THE CLAIMS OF DOLPHIN KILLINGS ALONG THE COAST
OF VENEZUELA
Taking advantage of the good faith of the public and the State
institutions to raise funds through a campaign for what appears
to be a noble cause but is really a fabrication, is an act that
can be considered punishable by law.
Declaring a National Dolphin Day or a National Manatee Day is
feasible and a question of using the proper channels, which do
not require the collection of 45,000 signatures at the doors of
schools or universities to introduce such a request. In the same
order of ideas, if all the marine mammal species are protected by
Venezuelan legislation, why should it be necessary to declare a
sanctuary for cetaceans? Is it that cetaceans are not considered
protected by the State outside of the sanctuary? Are the
dolphins of this projected sanctuary endemic species? Would the
marine mammals of other parts of the country be deprived of
protection by the State? Finally, we conclude that the
investigations carried out by the Ministry of Agriculture and the
Ministry of the Environment officials with the support of public,
private and military institutions, indicate that the video and
photographs presented by Bioma and Fundacetacea represent
deceptive actions committed by an illegal hunter, and do not
reflect the traditional practices of independent small-craft
fishermen. In no way do these documents reflect the policies of
the State or the Nation towards the protection of marine mammals
and other aquatic animals. This policy is the same that has
reduced the incidental mortality of dolphins by the Venezuelan
fishing fleet in the Pacific by at least 900 dolphins per year,
while maintaining, at the same time, optimum levels of tuna
fishing.The showing of this video in the United States has caused
great damage to Venezuelans international reputation. The
National Wildlife Service, PROFAUNA, has pledged to continue
investigating the claims made by Bioma and Fundacetacea and to
determine who, if any, are responsible, according to the results
from those investigations. In case that a simulation of a
punishable act has been committed, with which the image and the
economy of our country, as well as the reputation of the
independent small-craft fishermen and public officials charged
with law enforcement have been damaged, the Government will apply
the sanctions prescribed by the laws.As a final reflection, we
may ask why a State that has presented to the public the data on
dolphin mortalities by the Venezuelan Pacific Ocean tuna fleet
and publicly discussed the methods being applied to reduce them,
is going to tolerate illegal, wide-spread killings in our own
waters? Then, we may ask WHAT IS BEHIND THOSE CLAIMS OF DOLPHIN
KILLING IN VENEZUELA? Caracas, December, 1993
HIRAM GAVIRIA RINCON ADALBERTO GABALDON
Minister of Agriculture Minister of the Environment
FRANCISCO HERRERA TERAN, JOSE LUIS MENDEZ AROCHA
Director General, SARPA Director General, PROFAUNA,
CARLOSMACHADO ALLISON HERMANO GINES
General Manager, FONAIAP President, La Salle Natural
Sciences Foundation
FERNANDO CERVIGON EDGARDO MONDOLFI
Professor, Research Institute, Ecologist/Ambassador
University of the East
JOSE LUIS NAVEIRA LUIS RIVAS LARRAZABAL
Professor, Director, La Salle Natural
University of the East Sciences Foundation
Oceanographic Institute
RICARD MOLINET CARLOS GIMENEZ
Professor, Biologist/Advisor on
Simon Bolivar University Fisheries to the Commission
on Agriculture and Agrarian
Policies of the Senate
HECTOR LOPEZ, DONALD TAPHORN
Professor, Institute of Professor
Tropical Zoology University of the Llanos
Central University (UNELLEZ)
of Venezuela
FRANCISCO CARRILLO BATALLA CECILIA BLOHM
President, Foundation for Director, Foundation for the
Development of Natural, Defense of Nature
Sciences Physical & Mathematical (FUDENA)
Sciences (FUDECI)
GLENDA MEDINA MARISOL AGULERA
Executive Director, Foundation Director, National Council for the
Defense of Nature Technological & Scientific
(FUDENA) Research (CONICIT)
ELISEO MARTIN FOSSA WILMER ANTONIO MATA
Commander, Marine Coast Guard Coastal Surveillance Guard of
. the National Guard