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Dolphin trade killing reef, warn villagers
By Craig Skehan
24th July 2003
smh.com.au
A dead baby dolphin on display at a village
near Honiara.
It was caught by a Solomon Islander now
working for an export syndicate in the islands.
Solomon Islands villagers say large areas of coral reef are being destroyed by dynamite fishing to feed dolphins caught for export to entertainment venues.
"Many people are using dynamite to catch reef fish for the captive dolphins," said Andrew Kulebe, 28, from the village of Hadiana. "There are explosions every day now."
He said local people were selling the fish to the operators of the controversial dolphin export scheme on the island of Gela, off the nation's capital, Honiara.
The complaints follow reports that some dolphins are being caught on hooks, rather than nets, and that an unknown number have died while being transported.
The Herald has obtained photographs of some dolphins slaughtered for their meat by a Solomon Islands man organising the capture of dolphins for export.
It is not clear if these dolphins were caught for food or were killed because they were too weak to be exported
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