"The Regional Administrative Court (here, trad.it: TAR) of Lazio has finally agreed with our juridical and ethical motivations that we have not been able to assert for a year and a half against the Ministry of the Environment, the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Agricultural Policies. These Ministries had surreptitiously and illegitimately allowed the swimming of the public with dolphins, in dolphinaria” Gianluca Felicetti, President of LAV declares.
Today we happily received the news of the sentence with which the Regional Administrative Court has cancelled the Decree-derogation signed on December 20th, 2017 by the Minister of Environment Galletti, in concert with the Minister of Health Lorenzin and with the Minister of Agriculture, Martina. Unfortunately the newly-cancelled decree, has been in force and active until two days ago due, in particular, to the will of the present Minister of Agricultural Policies, Centinaio.
The Decree, issued by the Ministers despite the negative opinions of the scientific Institutes of their Ministries themselves, represented a "gift" to the dolphinaria; in fact, removing the pre-existing ban and allowing the public to swim in the same tank with dolphins (for unlikely purpose of "Education and awareness of the public regarding the conservation of biodiversity with dolphins") has clearly favoured the increase in spectators with the consequent economic revenues.
Without considering the consequences on animals: swimming with the public, in fact, is an activity that produces additional stress to the dolphins, already held in limited spaces and forced to perform in shows with jumps and pirouettes, accompanied by very loud music. Finally, these contacts with humans, represent a sanitary hazard, both for dolphins and unsuspecting tourists.