{"id":19465,"date":"2018-09-01T07:53:40","date_gmt":"2018-09-01T11:53:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/?p=19465"},"modified":"2018-09-01T07:53:44","modified_gmt":"2018-09-01T11:53:44","slug":"dolphin-dilemma-the-antigua-and-barbuda-story-premieres-in-saint-lucia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/dolphin-dilemma-the-antigua-and-barbuda-story-premieres-in-saint-lucia\/","title":{"rendered":"Dolphin Dilemma: The Antigua and Barbuda Story premieres in Saint Lucia"},"content":{"rendered":"
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As part of the Saint Lucia National Trust\u2019s (SLNT) efforts to advocate against the establishment of the proposed Dolphinarium in Saint Lucia,<\/g> we will be staging the viewing of the film \u2018Dolphin Dilemma: The Antigua and Barbuda Story\u2019.<\/p>

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This free event is slated for Wednesday, September 5, 2018 from 6:30 p.m. \u2013 8:30 p.m. at the Finance Administrative Centre, Pointe Seraphine, Castries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Following the viewing there will be a panel discussion and question and answer session with Martha Watkins-Gilkes \u2013 Executive producer of \u2018Dolphin Dilemma\u2019, one of the founders of the Antigua and Barbuda Independent Tourism Promotion Corporation (ABITPC) and renowned diver and marine activist; Howard Allen \u2013 Director and Mitzi Allen \u2013 Producer of the award winning Hamafilms Antigua; SLNT\u2019s Director \u2013 Bishnu Tulsie and Ian Joseph \u2013 President of the Gros Islet Fisheries.<\/p>

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Whilst our attempts to ascertain the exact location and other pertinent information has been futile, we were informed earlier this year that plans are likely to go ahead for the Dolphinarium. Considering that the initial plan shared by the developers was for the waters off Pigeon Island, we firmly believe that if the plans go ahead it would be regressive and do more harm than good for our tourism industry. It would also affect our marine ecosystem, the livelihoods of close to one hundred fisher folks and their families, beach goers in the north as the water quality would be compromised due to the dolphins excretion, operators of whale and dolphin watch excursions and snuba diving operations.<\/p>

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According to Martha Watkins-Gilkes, \u201cWe are about to expand the film to tell the Caribbean story in the hope of stopping Dolphin Discovery and other companies like it, from opening dolphinariums as tourism attractions\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Furthermore she said, Saint Lucia is the latest island to consider adding a dolphinarium and activists want to put a stop to this. \u201cDolphin prostitution\u201d as Watkins-Gilkes dubbed it, continues to be a lucrative business model but the damage to the water mammals, the environment and communities outweighs the profits to a few.<\/p>

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