Spain is one of the largest cetacean prisons in the world: it has three times more dolphinariums than any country in Europe, more than a third of the dolphinariums and more than 55% of all captive dolphins on the continent. In fact, Spain is the recipient of dolphins from dolphinariums that are closed in neighboring countries.
Despite the fact that the terrible consequences of having animals of high social intelligence such as killer whales and dolphins swimming in circles in a pool for the economic benefit of some companies are well known, our country is going against the current. Germany, Finland, Switzerland, Norway, the United Kingdom, Iceland, Poland, Chile, Uruguay, Costa Rica and some states in the United States have limited or vetoed the construction of dolphinariums and/or closed existing ones, while others such as France are opting for a scheduled extinction of these facilities, a path that Spain could perfectly follow.
Recently, Spain has taken important steps in the defense of animal rights, such as the creation of the General Directorate for Animal Rights, the modification of the Civil Code so animals go from being considered "things" to being considered "sentient beings" or the development of an Animal Protection and Animal Welfare law. But there is still much work to be done, including the protection of cetaceans.
More than two years ago, I started an online campaign for the closure of the dolphinariums that has already exceeded 138,000 signatures of support (
www.change.org/noespaisparadelfines). The signatories of this campaign and the organizations adhering to this manifesto ask the Spanish Government and legislators to continue down this path and approve the necessary legislation to achieve the scheduled closure of all dolphinariums. Until said closure is a reality, Spain will not be able to present itself to the world as a country truly concerned about the rights of animals.
