Exploitation of Dolphins to be Banned in Belgium

Persistence pays off! Belgium’s last dolphinarium, located in Bruges, which is the capital of West Flanders in northwest Belgium, is due to close down. This means that Belgium will finally become dolphinarium-free!

Flemish Minister for Animal Welfare Ben Weyts announced on November 17th that Flanders will enforce a permanent ban on dolphinariums. The Boudewijn Seapark, where seven bottlenose dolphins languish inside a dreary concrete theater, has been told it must close its doors no later than 2037.

Ric O’Barry has lent his support to the Belgium dolphin captivity issue for over 25 years. Credit: GAIA

Dolphin Project first began protesting dolphin captivity in Antwerp, Belgium in 1999, alongside dolphin freedom activist Yvon Godefroid, who sadly passed away in 2020, and the Belgian animal rights organization GAIA. When the dolphin theater at the Antwerp Zoo closed down that same year, the Boudewijn Seapark became the owner of the country’s last remaining dolphinarium. GAIA played a significant role in the closure of the Antwerp Zoo’s dolphinarium in 1999, and they have since worked tirelessly to change legislation and end dolphin captivity throughout Belgium during hearings in the Flemish Parliament.

Credit: Ric O’Barry/GAIA, circa 2004

“Dolphin Project had already been working with GAIA, Yvon Godefroid, Bite Back, and several other activists on the dolphin captivity issue in Belgium five years before I wrote this note on a napkin GAIA sent me yesterday. It’s dated 2004. I am shocked to discover we’ve been campaigning in Belgium for over 25 years! And now we’re almost across the finish line. What a wonderful feeling!” ~ Ric O’Barry, Founder/Director of Dolphin Project

Of the seven dolphins at Boudewijn Seapark, one was allegedly captured in the Caribbean in 1966, and two others were captured years ago in the Gulf of Mexico and the Gulf of Mississippi. The remaining four were born in captivity.

2037 is a long way off, and sadly, the dolphins will likely perish before then. Thankfully, Ben Weyts has given us reason for hope, as he has informed our colleagues at GAIA that the closure could happen much sooner.

The closure of dolphin stadiums in Europe illustrates the urgent need for a sanctuary, where non-releasable dolphins can retire in natural sea water without ever again having to perform tricks for food rewards of dead fish. Dolphin Project fully supports GAIA’s efforts to create better lives for the dolphins. We are determined to help make that happen.

Featured image: Captive dolphin show at Boudewijn Seapark, Belgium. Credit: Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license, user: Paul Hermans

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