INTERNATIONAL animal rights campaigners are the latest to add their voices to the fight against dolphin parks in TCI - as planning chiefs confirm outline permission has been granted for the Grand Turk site.





"Cruel greed", "exploitation" and "nothing short of water circuses" are just some of the accusations from heavyweight critics which include world champion freediver Tanya Streeter.





Ogail Awad, deputy director of planning, revealed that proposals by Dolphin Cove had moved a step closer for the proposed North Creek facility. Mr Awad said outline planning permission - the first stage in securing official approval - was given in the "last few months". The Jamaica-based firm has one year from the date it became effective to complete the next stage of the process which includes submitting detailed development plans and completing environmental impact assessments now underway.





Meanwhile, Ms Streeter - a long-time TCI goodwill ambassador who famously set her 2002 world freediving record off the coast of Providenciales - has publicly condemned the scheme.





"In this day and age, where we understand the welfare needs of marine mammals, it's nothing short of cruel greed that motivates anyone to be in the business of keeping these intelligent animals in captivity," she told the Weekly News.





"I am sad that a country that has so much natural beauty would seek to stoop to the level of torturing dolphins in the name of tourism."





Ms Streeter had a word of caution for advocates who say the park would enhance the capital island's touristic offerings. "Grand Turk is such a unique island and that would be lost if a dolphinarium is put there," she added.





When Jamaica-based Dolphin Cove first proposed building attractions in Grand Turk and Providenciales in 2012 a maelstrom of controversy ensued. Thousands signed a petition demanding the application be thrown out and planning bosses were bombarded with more than 100 angry letters from across the globe.





Further contention erupted when it emerged that then Governor Ric Todd had amended regulations to allow marine mammals to be kept for display, exhibition and performance. At the time, Mr Todd lauded the economic boost he said would "significantly complement" the country’s tourism product.





Locally, opinions regarding the multi-million dollar investment remain deeply divided. Critics say dolphin parks are anachronistic and at odds with the destination's high-end branding as they appeal mainly to lower end mass tourism. Many believe they're inhumane too, as dolphins have long been considered highly intelligent and cognitive creatures with one of the highest ratios of brain size to body mass in the animal world, capable of emotions, personalities and developing complex social structures.





But many Grand Turk residents say the park would trigger the economic activity the sleepy island badly needs, luring in more visitors and fiscal spin-offs on everything from taxis to restaurants.





Derek Taylor, former PDM leader and erstwhile Chief Minister, is one such supporter. "Nothing has happened in Grand Turk for a decade and the call for private sector development is one we are hearing in all quarters here," he said. "There are few jobs available outside government." He added that the facility would also provide welcome activities for cruise ship passengers.





Billed as Jamaica's number one attraction, Dolphin Cove has been in operation since 2001 with a handful of outlets across the island. It plans to spend several million dollars rolling out parks across the region.





One reason the TCI may appeal is its use of the US dollar, the currency in which it is most likely to capitalise on its investment. Despite the post-Blackfish controversy - the 2013 documentary that accused SeaWorld of mistreating killer whales - marine mammal parks remain popular in parts of the Caribbean, driven by a thriving cruise industry. There are currently around 30 in operation in the region's holiday hotspots, including the Bahamas, Cayman Islands and Dominican Republic.





Some believe they have a conservation role to play, a theory charity Born Free, which is campaigning for the closure of all marine mammal parks worldwide, rigorously rebuffs.





Spokesman Daniel Turner said: "Having investigated numerous dolphinaria around the world, we are adamant that these facilities offer nothing more than using these animals as objects of entertainment. There is clearly no benefit to the conservation of the species, nor will the public receive any form of meaningful education; they are nothing more than water circuses."





Mr Turner said captive dolphins "have no life worth living, devoid of any form of stimulation and social interaction", unable to swim hundreds of kilometres a day and a live in family groups as they would in the wild.





He said forcing animals from different localities to live together in close proximity breeds aggressive behaviour. "That's why you often see captive dolphins covered in deep scratches all over the body." He claims many parks administer anti-anxiety medication such as diazepam to prevent them attacking each other and the people they interact with. Dosages are increased as tolerance develops, causing side effects and even deaths, he said.





Mr Turner added: "If people really want to engage with these animals to truly be inspired by their intelligence and see how they live in the wild, they need to see them in the wild; there’s plenty of opportunity for them to do so."





The thousands of tourists fortunate enough to have interacted with TCI's numerous wild bottlenoses, such as national treasure Jojo, can testify to that.





Charterboat owner Tim Ainley has swum regularly with Jojo for 30 years and says he often encounters pods of a dozen or more dolphins swimming alongside his boat Beluga. "Jojo has swum with so many tourists, none of whom would want to see dolphins in captivity. You learn nothing about a dolphin watching it jump through hoops," he added. "We're so busy exploiting them but if we stopped and listened, we'd find they had a lot to teach us instead."





Barbara Young, supporter of the TCI Reef Fund, an ardent campaigner against Dolphin Cove's plans, agrees. In 1991 through the NGO PRIDE she helped rehabilitate and release three of the UK's last remaining captive dolphins - Rocky, Missy and Silver - into TCI waters.





She recalls the poignant moment they were finally set free following a major campaign by international organisations and British newspaper the Mail on Sunday.





"It was the first time in 27 years Rocky had experienced being able to swim without boundaries," she said. "He had been on his own for years in Morecambe. When he first met Missy and Silver he was so delighted he started chattering straight away and the fungal skin infection he had suffered from for years cleared up within two months."





Ms Young said many people who visit marine parks mistakenly believe dolphins have been "rescued" and have no idea that the animals have often been seized from the wild. She claims they are routinely given medication to ward off stress-induced ulcers and invasive endoscopies to monitor their condition.





Dolphin Cove did not provide a comment despite repeated requests. The company has operated an in-house breeding programme for several years.





"Swim with dolphin programmes support the capture of dolphins in the wild," Ms Young continued, "and when you remove dolphins from their pod the pod's whole social structure is destroyed. Additionally, dolphins, like humans, get highly stressed especially when they are forced to cohabitate with other dolphins they don't know. Aggressive behavior and sometimes death can result."





In recent years, several countries have outlawed captive cetacean attractions while numerous travel agencies worldwide have boycotted destinations that operate them.





Susan Blehr, executive director of the TCSPCA, another vocal opponent, said: "When the rest of the world is moving in the opposite direction and closing these facilities, our government could get so much mileage by saying no. Instead, we are redefining the whole slogan of the country which is 'beautiful by nature'."



