Standing up for the belugas

Pakistan has set up an aquarium for performing belugas and dolphins despite serious concerns raised by international specialist conservation organisations, such as Whales and Dolphin Conservation, UK and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), Pakistan.

Belugas are small whales and probably not many would know that they are adapted to survive in the Arctic, where they eat over a 100 different types of species from fish to even crabs. The fat layer protects them from the freezing cold that surrounds them. The species is threatened by increasing levels of human activity in the beluga’s environment. There also is concern over the environmental and health risks associated with the development of drilling for oil and gas, or mining, in the Arctic. Some of the subpopulations of beluga are critically endangered.

The Pakistan Navy has involved a Russian group to perform in the Maritime Museum Karachi. There have been statements that the objections of the animal rights activists regarding suffering of the beluga in captivity are not valid because this performing beluga is a captive born animal.

A performing animal in a circus or a pool just portrays an animal subservient to people, performing tricks on human command, while animals are much more interesting and complex. This inculcates a wrong message. I am not sure how this beluga, suffering in a pool in Karachi, would help in conservation of belugas in the wild or how it would help in conservation of those 19 species of cetaceans (dolphin and whales) found in Pakistan and I wonder how many actually know that there are 19 species of whales and dolphins in Pakistan! This venture is totally commercial and only for entertainment. This is undoubtedly a controversial initiative that seems to have full support of the government authorities.

Pakistan is signatory to the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). Considering serious threats facing cetaceans, the movement of cetaceans or even a tissue sample from one country to another requires a CITES permit, which is issued by a CITES management authority. The CITES management authority in Pakistan is the Climate Change Division based in Islamabad, previously known as the Ministry of Environment. There are three things that the Climate Change Division must ensure prior to the issuance of the CITES import permit: that import will be for purposes which are not detrimental to the survival of the species involved, a scientific authority of the state of import is satisfied that the proposed recipient of a living specimen is suitably equipped to house and care for it and a management authority of the state of import is satisfied that the specimen is not to be used for primarily commercial purposes. In the case of the beluga whale, it is challengeable if the second and third conditions have not been fulfilled.

Recently, the SeaWorld San Diego issued a nationwide advertisement in newspapers in the US, defending itself against the claims that whales suffer in its captivity. But a school cancelled its visit to the SeaWorld after watching a documentary “Blackfish” premiere on CNN. The children recorded their messages on how they would not visit a facility that contributes to mistreatment and suffering of animals.

This battle will probably continue as there are businesses and profits at stake; however, we need to offer entertainment with responsibility. The Pakistan Navy should help and arrange trips to show people the naturally occurring whales and dolphins in Pakistan. One can see a herd of hundreds of dolphins, performing their natural acrobats in the Arabian Sea, which is much more fascinating. We need to mobilise our people to deal with the stranding of cetaceans on our beaches. We need the public to help these animals rather than to harass them or have their photographs taken with a suffering animal when it is beached. The Pakistan Navy is the custodian of our coastal areas, and whales and dolphins inhabit our waters; a little help to them will make a difference to their survival.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 17^th, 2014.

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