The Federation of Indian Animal Protection Organisations (FIAPO) is stepping up its campaign to ensure that a formal legislation is put in place, to stop projects that involve marine animals in captivity from being established in the country. The organisation, which is an umbrella body for 51 animal protection organisations, has been working closely with the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests, and sources within the Ministry have suggested to the activists that the Ministry supports their stand on this issue. The FIAPO’s campaign got a boost recently when Union Minister for Environment and Forests, Jayanthi Natarajan stated in an interview to a newspaper that her ministry will not grant permission for dophinariums to be set up. Arpan Sharma, Director– External Relations, FIAPO said, “We are now taking the campaign a step forward, and working for a formal notification to be brought into force that will stop dolphinariums from being established.”

Maharashtra is one of the six states in the country to have put forth proposals for projects dealing with showcasing marine animals in a captive environment. Dr Jagdish Patil, Managing Director, Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) insists the project is not just a dolphinarium but an “oceanarium-based theme park” which will be situated in the region between Waingani and Tondavli near Malvan Taluka. “We have finalised an area of 1,300 plus acres of land adjacent to the sea. We will have almost every species under the sea – from Antarctica to tropical waters,” said Patil. “The eco feasibility report has been approved. Right now, we are working on the Detailed Project Report (DPR). Once that is ready, we will approach the concerned authorities, such as the Central Zoo Authority (CZA) and the Union Ministry of Environment for approval.”