ACRES urges Resorts World Sentosa to release dolphins

Imelda Saad Channel NewsAsia 7 Dec 12;

SINGAPORE: Animals rights group ACRES has issued a final ultimatum to Resorts World Sentosa (RWS) to release its 24 captive dolphins.

Otherwise, ACRES (The Animal Concerns Research and Education Society) said it will launch a full-fledged boycott against not just RWS, but all Genting properties.

The dolphins, which were flown in from the Philippines, are now under quarantine before being displayed as part of the resort's new Marine Life Park.

ACRES told Channel NewsAsia that it took pictures of the dolphins in quarantine on Thursday at 5pm.

In a statement, it said the dolphins are housed in "appalling conditions; in tiny barren swimming pools".

It added surrounding the dolphins within four walls compromises their welfare.

ACRES quoted a report by The Humane Society of the United States and the World Society for the Protection of Animals, which states that "Smooth concrete walls usually surround these sound-sensitive animals and inhibit or discourage the natural use of their acoustic abilities".

The group has asked RWS to work with it and environmental group, the Earth Island Institute, to rehabilitate and release the dolphins back into the wild.

Animal rights groups in both the Singapore and Philippines have been lobbying for the release of the dolphins since they were captured in the waters of the Solomon Islands.

Mr Louis Ng, Chief Executive of ACRES, said: "We have tried our very best to establish a dialogue with RWS, but they have ignored our calls for meetings and turned a deaf ear to our concerns. RWS continues with their plans to confine the dolphins, despite the deaths of three dolphins under their care and scientific studies confirming that the trade in these dolphins was unsustainable and pushed this species one step closer towards extinction in the Solomon Islands.

"ACRES appeals to RWS to review the facts provided to them and reconsider their decision. We hope that we won't need to launch a boycott, but we are ready to do so if needed and we are confident that members of the public will support this."

Twenty-seven dolphins were captured from the Solomon Islands between 2008 and 2009, and sent to Malaysia and the Philippines for training while the Marine Life Park was under construction.

One of the dolphins died en route to Singapore last month, while two others died in 2010 in Malaysia from bacterial infections.

Singapore's Marine Life Park has said that its acquisition of the Indo-pacific bottlenose dolphins followed international requirements.

- CNA/de

RWS' top man defends dolphin plan
Straits Times 8 Dec 12;

RESORTS World Sentosa's (RWS) head honcho defended its decision to have dolphins at its marine park, by emphasising that the species is not endangered and that the company was fulfilling the terms of its proposal.

Tan Sri Lim Kok Thay, chairman of Genting Group, RWS' parent company, said at a press conference yesterday that if the bottlenose dolphins were endangered, the Government would not have allowed them to be imported. "What we are doing here is part of our proposal, which the Singapore Government will expect us to fulfil," he said. "We are continuing with our commitment to deliver the best oceanarium in the world. We want it to be enjoyed by everyone."

He added that the importation of dolphins was strictly within the law.

RWS' plans to have dolphins at its recently opened Marine Life Park have been dogged by controversy. Animal rights groups such as Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (Acres) and the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals had called for RWS to abort its plans for the dolphins as early as 2009.

The calls grew louder in 2010, when two dolphins died at a holding area in Langkawi in Malaysia, and last month, when one of the 25 dolphins died on its way to Singapore.

RWS chief executive Tan Hee Teck yesterday reiterated that the welfare of all the animals in the resort is important, and it will continue its work on conservation and educating the public on the issue.

Yesterday, Acres issued RWS an ultimatum, saying it would boycott all of Genting Group's properties if it does not rehabilitate the remaining 24 dolphins and return them to the wild.

"We hope that we won't need to launch a boycott, but we are ready to do so if needed and we are confident that members of the public will support this," said Mr Louis Ng, Acres' chief executive.

He added that the group also highlighted to RWS yesterday that the 12-minute fireworks display to mark the grand opening might "compromise the dolphins' welfare" as they are sensitive to sounds.

He cited an incident in Switzerland, where a dolphin was found dead after a techno event was held near the aquarium it was housed in.

NG KAI LING


Dolphins housed in unsuitable conditions: Animal rights group
AsiaOne 7 Dec 12;

SINGAPORE - Animal welfare group ACRES said in a media statement that the dolphins purchased by Resorts World Sentosa are housed in unsuitable conditions.

They also said that a 12-minute fireworks display scheduled for Friday night may compromise the dolphins' welfare, as the close proximity and loud noises may disorientate and distress them.

Below is the full statement from ACRES:

ACRES yesterday viewed the wild-caught dolphins purchased by Resorts World Sentosa (RWS). We regret that the dolphins are being housed in in appalling conditions; in tiny barren swimming pools.

Surrounding the dolphins with four walls compromises their welfare. A report by The Humane Society of the United States and the World Society for the Protection of Animals states that "Smooth concrete walls usually surround these sound-sensitive animals and inhibit or discourage the natural use of their acoustic abilities".

ACRES is issuing a final ultimatum to RWS: work with ACRES and Earth Island Institute to rehabilitate and release the dolphins back into the wild or ACRES will launch a full-fledged boycott against not just Resorts World, but all Genting properties from next month onwards.

"We have tried our very best to establish a dialogue with RWS, but they have ignored our calls for meetings and turned a deaf ear to our concerns. RWS continues with their plans to confine the dolphins, despite the deaths of three dolphins under their care and scientific studies confirming that the trade in these dolphins was unsustainable and pushed this species one step closer towards extinction in the Solomon Islands.

"ACRES appeals to RWS to review the facts provided to them and reconsider their decision. We hope that we won't need to launch a boycott, but we are ready to do so if needed and we are confident that members of the public will support this," said Mr Louis Ng, Chief Executive of ACRES.

ACRES also contacted RWS today to highlight that the 12-minute fireworks display scheduled for tonight may compromise the dolphins' welfare, as the close proximity and loud noises may disorientate and distress them. A similar incident occurred in Switzerland where Shadow - an eight-year-old dolphin - was found dead after a huge techno event was held near the aquarium he was housed in.


Bottlenose dolphins 'not endangered': Genting Group chairman
Animal welfare group says fireworks at opening ceremony could distress RWS dolphins
Today Online 7 Dec 12;

SINGAPORE - It was a question he said he had hoped to avoid. But with controversy swirling continuing over Resorts World Sentosa's import of wild-caught dolphins for its Marine Life Park, Genting Group chairman Lim Kok Thay commented on the issue today following a question from an Indonesian journalist.

"I cannot emphasise enough that the dolphins we're talking about are definitely not on the endangered list," he said, citing how some have perceived otherwise.

The Singapore Government allowed their import, and the Marine Life Park concept was "planned a long time ago" and part of the company's proposal when bidding for the integrated resort, Mr Lim said.

His comments at the press conference ahead of RWS' grand opening tonight, came as conservationists continued their call for the 24 bottlenose dolphins to be rehabilitated back into the wild.

The Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (Acres) also conveyed to RWS that the noise from fireworks planned for last evening's ceremony could disorientate and distress the dolphins. Last year, a dolphin in a Swiss aquarium died after a rave event was held nearby, said Acres' chief executive Louis Ng.

Acres also said it had viewed the dolphins' enclosures and regretted their "tiny barren swimming pools". The pools' smooth concrete walls inhibit the natural use of the dolphins' acoustic abilities, according to The Humane Society of the United States and the World Society for the Protection of Animals.

Mr Ng said it would boycott RWS and all Genting properties from next month if the dolphins were not released.

The controversy erupted after the capture of 27 dolphins off the Solomon Islands for RWS, which conservationists say pushes the species closer towards extinction in the area. Three of them have died.

Genting's Mr Lim said the dolphins are part of RWS' commitment to deliver the "best oceanarium in the world" to be enjoyed by all visitors. "Especially in this city, not everyone is fortunate enough to take a trip outside into the wild or to learn scuba diving… we are opening up an opportunity for people to enjoy this same thing a lot easier," he said.

"This opens up curiosity as to what else is out there in that environment and I'm sure they'll try to then go out and look at the real ocean itself," he said. "Maybe that's how the tourism industry works - you need to get the public to be interested in what you're doing, then they will travel more. I think having seen it here in Singapore, it doesn't stop at that."

RWS chief executive Tan Hee Teck said it respects "divergent views" on the issue and that "the welfare of all the animals is of utmost importance to us". The oceanarium - the world's largest with 100,000 fishes from 800 species - has garnered "good response" and its educational and conservation centre can educate children and the public about marine life and marine biology, he said. NEO CHAI CHIN

RWS forecasts 17 million visitors for 2013
Dylan Loh Channel NewsAsia 7 Dec 12;

SINGAPORE : Resorts World Sentosa (RWS) has said it is expecting 17 million visitors for 2013 and plans to have more rooms to house guests.

It is looking at building more hotels away from the integrated resort to cater to cost-conscious travellers.

The first one, sited near the Jurong East train station, is targeted for completion by end-2014.

The plan is to offer four-star accommodation with some 500 rooms.

Visitors to RWS will soon see new attractions like a theme park ride based on the children's show "Sesame Street". The integrated resort is also introducing a new resident show at its Festive Grand theatre in 2013.

RWS has welcomed 45 million guests since its opening in 2010.

Genting Group, which owns the integrated resort, wants to lure potential visitors who may not wish to stay at its more expensive hotels.

Hence, the strategy is to site accommodation further away, not on prime land, to capture the market of travellers who prefer cheaper rooms.

While the novelty factor for Singaporeans is tapering off, RWS expects gaming revenue from foreigners to increase, though at a slower pace.

RWS said its strength lies in its ability to offer family-themed entertainment, apart from the casino. And Asia will remain its core market, with efforts to attract tourists geared towards the region.

Tan Hee Teck, chief executive of Resorts World Sentosa, said: "We have one great end-destination where someone can come here and spend three days, fully-occupied. I think there is no other destination, no other product that can compare with what we have."

RWS has 16 million visitors to date for 2012.

Its recently-opened Marine Life Park is expected to pull in an extra one million visitors to Sentosa the next year.

The park has attracted controversy for its import of dolphins.

Lim Kok Thay, chairman of Genting Group and Resorts World Sentosa, said: "These are not an endangered species, so it is really no different from, if you want to put it, the panda bears.

"So what is important here is that every care must be taken, and we are doing our best in that regards."

RWS has generated over 13,000 jobs. Seven in 10 staff are Singaporeans.

The integrated resort estimates it will re-coup its costs in three years or so.

- CNA/ck/ms