Dear Humans,
Sorry about the hiatus. Been doing a lot of thinking (soul searching, if you may). Figured I'd better do all that in my mind before expelling verbal diarrhea on this blog. It has become increasingly difficult not expressing emotion or making everything out to be about sadness due to cruelty.
Those closest to me have probably seen a change in me. It feels significant to me, but I don't know if others take me seriously. Just as well I guess. We all need a reality check every now and again.
Not like it's any surprise, but I've been (seriously) considering a move away from my current job. It's not based on impulse as these feelings have been building up over the past 3 months. This is the time when I wish I was born rich (hahaha, don't we all?). I think it is safe to say that 90% of the reason I don't just take the leap would have to do with monetary factors.
Okay so let me figure that nonsense out in my head before I go all psychobabble on you lot.
Bigger and better things! Here we go.
Sure many of you know of the dolphin situation here in Singapore. I've been on my tippy toes around this subject and haven't reported much on it. Sorry, I just needed to get my head around the whole situation and understand all sides of the issue before I made any sort of sane decision on how I feel about it. Wow, that was a long sentence.
Anyhoos. I think I'm finally ready to be more vocal about it. Hello, Singapore government and RWS! That's right, I'm talking about the dolphins! Oh me oh my! Best to keep track of this blog and my Facebook page from now on, ey? Goodness knows what I might write about this issue that would cause you to be on HIGH ALERT! That's right. Perk your ears. Widen your eyes. Keep refreshing my page. Attention is what I want and attention shall be what I get.
Haha verbal diarrhea again. I'm a bit high-strung this bright sunny day -- can you tell?
Jokes aside though, I've done my homework about the topic and well. Safe to say that I know why all parties involved are where they stand right now. That's right, I'm bring all Asian and all about understanding about everything. Psshht I've totally missed my calling. Should have studied to become a damn psychologist! Too late.
Wait what did I want to say....
Oh right. Dolphins. In Singapore. Brought in for tourism and entertainment, guised under the name of conservation and education. A dolphin spa? So people can interact with the dolphins? Sorry, have to call bullshit on that.
Conservation 1 - 0 RWS
Dolphins were caught from the wild. Trained. 3 died between the time they were caught and brought to Singapore, give or take a few years. So uncool. And for that, I bump Conservation up THREE notches. One for each dolphin life lost. What, what what... I am the game master! I make the rules! Ha!
Conservation 4 - 0 RWS
So much discontent has been voiced from the time RWS came up with the proposal to house a whale shark and dolphins in its compouds. As you can tell, I haven't seen anything the size of a whale shark enter Singapore (cos Singapore just is that small. I'd be able to see the transport of a damn whale shark from.... wherever on the island!). Why has RWS stopped contact with wildlife and conservation organizations? Wasn't it all going good with the whole 'Let's talk about it' thing? Why oh why are the phonecalls now not answered? The emails left unreplied? The invitations to open discussions (ACRES) that have yet to be addressed by RWS? The situation is NOT going to go away. The eyes of the damn world are on this. It's not going to evaporate into oblivion. What sort of plan are you guys devicing? I want in on it! So yes, point goes to conservation!
Conservation 5 - 0 RWS
Okay. Let it all out. Now, to balance this argument out a little. This is something not many of you know -- dolphins around the Solomon Islands have been hunted before. By the villagers and locals. Meaning to say dolphin killing isn't an entirely new thing out in the area. That's something nobody has bothered to mention to me in the numerous meetings I've had regarding this topic. So, essentially, RWS is doing the dolphins a FAVOUR by taking them in. Because well, as painful to say this, it's the truth -- there would have been a very high likelihood that these dolphins would have been killed by the villagers. Can that be called conservation? Sure! Pity RWS has never approached the matter this way. Who are their PR people?
Conservation 5 - 1 RWS
The exact place where these dolphins have been taken has recently been hit by tragedy. For the dolphin population, at least. Long story short, a memorandum of understanding between the village(s) and EII (Earth Island Institute) expired a while ago. The locals were bound by this understanding that they would NOT hunt dolphins in the islands in exchange for a certain amount of money from EII. Now that it's expired (and the locals claim they never received the full amount of money EII promised them), they've gone on a dolphin rampage. Last count -- 700 slaughtered in a day by the villagers. Odds are pretty good that these dolphins we have now in Singapore could have ended up being killed by the locals had they still been out in open water.
Conservation 5 - 2 RWS
So here's the point I feel many people disregard and look past. Everyone's all up in RWS' junk about them mistreating the dolphins. Here's what I think -- now they're in Singapore, I don't think they're being abused by their caretakers and keepers. I've seen their tanks from up above. They're small, sure. But there's no way we can recreate the space they would originally have out in open water. Okay, okay, so we shouldn't even have them if we can't provide for them. That aside though, can you say that the humans taking care of them now are actually abusing them? I think the caretakers love them! So.
Conservation 5 - 3 RWS
That said. I think these people are just Chris Porter and Ric O Barry personalities in the making. I love Ric for what he does, but because he's made it so big with how he's turned the tables on the very industry he helped bring up -- I think people think it's now really cool to have a 'Ric' story. Sorry, I call BULLSHIT on this too. Love Ric, but Ric wannabes? No thank you goodbye!
Conservation 6 - 3 RWS
So there's the final tally. I've given you the information you need to make an informed decision on whose side you should be on. I'm not here to get you to be on my side. I'm just here to show you all sides of the argument and be aware. And hopefully, if you're a good person who walks the talk, you'll be able to help this cause that's made the headlines all over the world.
The World's Saddest Dolphins. Is that an exaggeration? Sure. It's not the dolphins in Singapore which are suffering. But let me leave you with a final thought.
Singapore is the country that the rest of Asia looks at as an example of what they'd like to be. Singapore is the place where the laws are upheld. This is the country where drug dealers are immediately given the death sentence. Where capital punishment still exists. If this is allowed to happen in Singapore, the import of dolphins which really is only allowed because there is no law that says it's disallowed... If this happens in Singapore.. The rest of Asia will follow.
Singapore -- you have to do this for yourselves, for your reputation and for the rest of Asia that looks upon you as an example. If you allow this to happen here, you're giving the rest of Asia permission to carry on with the cruelty they've gone around performing and getting away with for such a long time.
Finalest of the final tally: Conservation 7 - 3 RWS
Think. Decide. Act.
Love,
The Aminals
