Program andspeakers

BOTTLENOSE DOLPHINWORkSHOPAn overview of studies, alternativesand criteria to be considered when a captive facility closes

14th & 15th September 2017Barcelona, Ciudatella CampusPompeu Fabra University.

On December 2016, Barcelona declared itself to be a “City Without Captive Dolphins”, with most of the councillors of the City Hall approving this new status. Barcelona City Hall owns Barcelona Zoo, which holds 6 captive bottle-nose dolphins, ensuring the best welfare for the animals.

In light of this new scenario the Barcelona City Hall has decided to organize a workshop focused on the contextualiza-tion of the debate to design the best guidelines for proce-eding now that the decision to end the keeping of dolphins in captivity has been taken.

The aim of the workshop was not to debate the pros and cons of captivity, associated animal welfare concerns, captive vs wild dolphin lifes-pans, size or type of facili-ties, the appropriateness of shows or the success of con-servation programs.

This workshop, instead, aimed to gather information that could be useful for decision -makers when, for economic, technical, ethical or politi-cal reasons, they have to relocate those dolphins which they no longer want to keep in their facilities.

Making the final decision about what will happen to the individual dolphins is not an easy task. There are different stakeholders that have to be listened to, political agendas to fulfill, deadlines and, possibly, emergency situations that need to be acted on due to facilities that are in a poor state or that are below the minimum legal requirements. The resulting decision must ensure that the dolphins receive the most appropriate care in a scenario that provides for their well-being in the best place currently avai-lable.

During the workshop, a participa-tive process will take place to determine which criteria need to be taken into consideration when deciding what will happen to the animals when an institution deci-des, or is obliged, to stop kee-ping dolphins in captivity.

INTRODUCTION

The main objective of the workshop is to generate general guidelines as an output on how to proceed when any city or zoo ban dolphin captivity: first’s steps, legislation, alternatives and decision taking.

The workshop has been divided into four main blocks addressing the following themes:

Long-term studies and programs monitoring wild and coastal popula-tions. This session will present long-term studies on coastal bott-lenose dolphins: social organization, ethology, use of habitat and pathologies/epizooties.

Studies conducted in zoos and aquariums on bottlenose dolphins. This session will present case studies of social groups of bottlenose dolphins in captivity: social organization, ethology, facilities and veterinarian aspects and welfare assessments indexes.

The alternatives to captivity for animals that have been held in captivity for extended periods. This session will present some case studies relating to acclimation and the release of dolphins from captivity. Practical examples: successes and problems.

In the last day of the Seminar, the City Hall wants to have a priva-te workshop with all the invited experts with the aim to debate the different alternatives that the responsible of the Zoo are currently dealing with to relocate their dolphins. A visit to the group of dolphins in the zoo facilities will also be conducted to explain individual case of each specimen.

OBJECTIVES

AGENDA

14th September

09:00-10:00 Registration of participants10:00-10:45 Welcome and introduction10:45-11:45 Keynote Speaker -Erich Hoyt, WDC, Whale and Dolphin Conservation 11:45-12:15 Coffee break12:15-13:30 Session 1: Long-term studies and programs monitoring wild and coastal populations -Aviad Scheinin: IMMRAC and University of Haifa -Joan Gonzalvo: Ionian Dolphin Project, Tethys Research Institute (Video Conference) -Mariano Domingo Álvarez: Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona 13:30-14:45 Lunch14:45–16:00 Session 2: Studies conducted in zoos and aquariums on bottlenose dolphins -Manel López Bejar: Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona -Isabella Clegg: Université Paris 13 -David Perpiñán: Naturavets Consultancy

15th September

09:30-11:00 Session 3: The alternatives to captivity for animals that have been held in captivity for extended periods -Anastasia Miliou: Archipelagos Institute of Marine. Conservation -Lori Marino: President, Whale Sanctuary Project (Video Conference) -Naomi Rose: Animal Welfare Institute -Sandro Mazzariol: Università degli Studi di Padova -Rob Lott: WDC, Whale and Dolphin Conservation 11:00-11:30 Coffee break11:30-13:30 Closing session13:30-14:45 Lunch 14:45–17:30 Criteria to be considered in the decision-making process when a facility holding captive dolphins closes [Closed sesion]

ErichHoyt.comErichHoytBooks.comTwitter @ErichHoyt

*Available only to workshop participants for 30€ (reduced from 48,00€). Limited quanti-ty available. To reserve a copy in advance, contact erich.hoyt@mac.com.

SPEAKER’S BIO GUEST SPEAKER

ERICH HOYT WDC, Whale and Dolphin Conservation

Erich Hoyt is Research Fellow with Whale and Dolphin Conservation (WDC) in England and author of more than 20 popular and academic books mainly on whales, dolphins, marine habitat protection and the deep sea. His books have been translated into 15 languages and published in 25 coun-tries. Called “The bible for cetacean conservation”, Marine Protected Areas for Whales, Dolphins and Porpoises (Taylor & Francis/Earthscan, Oxford & New York, 479pp, 2011) has helped define the agenda for researchers and MPA practitioners working to protect marine mammal habitats.*

Hoyt is currently co-chair of the IUCN Marine Mammal Protected Areas Task Force and an invited member of the IUCN Cetacean Specialist Group. Among his awards for writing and conservation work are the Vannevar Bush Fellowship at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the Outstanding Book of the Year Award from the American Society of Journa-lists & Authors for Creatures of the Deep. In 2013 the European Cetacean Society awarded him the Mandy McMath Conservation Award for his body of work. An American-Canadian dual citizen, he currently lives in Dorset, England, with his wife Sarah and four children.

AVIAD SCHEININ IMMRAC and University of Haifa

Married happily with 4 daugh-ters, serving in the conserva-tion of the Mediterranean Sea for more than 2 decades. Head of the Dolphin and Sea center, the educational center of IMMRAC (NGO). Head of the Top Predators project in the Morris Kahn Marine Research Station of the University of Haifa. Since 2016 I am a member of the ACCOBAMS scientific committee and the IWC Strandings Expert Panel Commit-tee. I did my PhD on the popula-tion of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus), bottom trawl catch trends and the interaction between the two along the Mediterranean conti-nental shelf of Israel, in the Haifa University. I have done over 25,000 kilometre of coastal marine mammals’ surveys along the Israeli Mediterranean coas-tal waters. Recently this long term research as lead to the declaration of the Israeli coastal water as IMMA (Important Marine Mammal Area) for bottle-nose and common dolphins. Wor-king as a yacht instructor since 1998 and served as a marine naval officer in the Israeli navy.

SESSION 1

JOAN GONZALVO Ionian Dolphin Project, Tethys search Institute

Joan Gonzalvo, born in Barcelona, is a Catalan biologist whose main research interest is the conservation of the marine environment and, more specifically, the study and conservation of cetaceans. During the last two decades Joan has been studying dolphins in their natu-ral environment. He holds a Ph.D. in Biodiversity from the Universi-ty of Barcelona, focussed on anthropogenic threats to coastal dol-phins in the Mediterranean. Since 2007, he is member of Board of Directors of Tethys Research Institute. Between 2000 and 2005, Joan was a member of the Group for the Study and Conservation of Marine Mammals at the University of Barcelona. He has worked as consultant of the UNEP’s Regional Activity Centre for Specially Protected Areas (RAC/SPA) and for the Agreement on the Conservation of Cetaceans in the Black Sea, Mediterranean Sea and contiguous Atlantic area (ACCO-BAMS) on the preparation of Action Plans for the Conservation of Cetaceans in Syria and Lebanon, respectively. In March 2015 became a Council member of the European Cetacean Society; currently he is its Vice-Chair. In October 2016, he became member of the Scientific Committee of ACCOBAMS. Since 2006 his research is carried out mainly in western Greece, where he leads the lonian Dolphin Project.

MARIANO DOMINGO ÁLVAREZUniversitat Autònoma de Barcelona

Mariano Domingo Alvarez, born in Madrid, 1957, graduated in Veteri-nary Medicine by the Veterinary School of Zaragoza (SPAIN) in 1979. Specialization in Veterinary Pathology in the Veterinary School of Giessen (Germany). Doctor Thesis at the Veterinary School of Giessen (Germany) in 1982. Diplomate by the European College of Veterinary Pathologists.Since 1984 developing teaching and research activities at the Uni-versitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Department of Animal Health, and in 1999 appointed to Director of CReSA (Centre for Research in animal health), a BSL3 facility at the Campus of UAB. Main research topics along these years have been porcine and ruminant diseases, as well as cetacean diseases. Since 1990 involved in the investigation of stranded cetaceans and causes of death in the Catalonian Coast.

ISABELLA CLEGGUniversité Paris 13

As a result of gaining her Bachelor’s degree in Animal Behaviour and Welfare, and then a Masters in Marine Mammal Science, Isabella has been able to combine these two areas of expertise to study marine mammal welfare. She has just completed a PhD on developing measures for dolphin welfare in collaboration with the Université Paris 13 and Parc Astérix, for which she was the successful reci-pient of grants from CIFRE and UFAW. Isabella has published around a dozen articles on marine mammal welfare in peer-reviewed jour-nals, books, as well as in public forums, and was a keynote speaker at the 2016 EU workshop on developing marine mammal welfa-re measures. She has also conducted wild dolphin research, worked for marine life conservation projects, and has experience of marine mammal care and training. Above all, Isabella is dedicated to enhancing the welfare of dolphins in captive environments and wants to develop associated methods for monitoring wild popula-tions.

SESSION 2

MANEL LÓPEZ BÉJARUniversitat Autònoma de Barcelona

Dr. Manel Lopez-Bejar is full time Professor at Veterinary Faculty, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB). Graduated and PhD from UAB in 1990 and 1995, respectively. From 2002 to 2003, Dr. Lopez-Bejar was a Postdoctoral Marie Curie Fellow at Division of Animal Physio-logy, University of Nottingham, UK. Dr. Lopez-Bejar is teaching courses of Veterinary Anatomy and Assisted reproduction techniques at Veterinary Faculty, UAB, Barcelona; postgraduate courses on Veterinary specializations, several courses on animal welfare (stress hormones) and wildlife reproduction; master degrees on Biodiversity conservation, Animal Welfare; and other activities on doctorate programs at several Spanish universities. Dr. Lopez-Bejar is author of more than 125 research papers in peer-reviewed interna-tional journals. Supervisor of 12 PhD thesis and has coordinated and participated in more than 25 research funded projects from public and private institutions. His main research line is involved in the assessment of factors affecting animal welfare and the reproductive system. He is the head of ERPAW Research Group (Endocrinology, Reproductive Physiology and Animal Welfare Research Group) and member of the multidisciplinary research group GRI-BCN (Research Group on Infertility, Barcelona).

SESSION 3

DAVID PERPIÑÁNNaturavets Consultancy

David Perpiñán graduated in 2000 from the Veterinary School in Barcelona, Spain. He has worked since in exotic, zoo, and wildlife medicine in private hospitals, zoos and universities of USA, UK and Spain. David holds an MSc working on chelonian hematology, a PhD on viral diseases of ferrets and is a diplomate of the European College of Zoological Medicine and a Specialist in Zoo and Wildlife Medicine by the UK’s Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons. He currently works as a consultant in exotic and zoo animal medicine and welfare.

ANASTASIA MILIOUArchipelagos Institute of Marine. Conservation

Anastasia Miliou is a marine biologist and since 2000 she is the Scientific Director of the Greek NGO Archipelagos, Institute of Marine Conservation. She is also the Greek Ambassador in the EU for Sustainable Fisheries & Maritime Policy.Her expertise is on fisheries research and management, marine mammal research, as well as marine protected habitat conservation, while a large part of her work also involves the engagement of stakeholders in the process of conservation of marine recourses.Anastasia Miliou is among the key founding members of the Aegean Marine Life Sanctuary which is currently under construction in Lipsi island, aiming to be completed in the near future so that it can operate both as a vet station to provide care for wild marine mammals and turtles within a pristine biodiverse bay, as well as one of the first permanent, semi-natural sanctuaries in the world, to rehabilitate dolphins rescued from commercial captivity.

LORI MARINOPresident, Whale Sanctuary Project

Lori Marino, Ph.D., is a neuroscientist and expert in animal behaviour and intelligence formerly on the faculty of Emory Universi-ty. She is currently the President of the Whale Sanctuary Project. She is internatio-nally known for her work on the evolution of brain and intelligence in dolphins and whales. In 2001 she co-authored a ground-breaking study offering the first conclusive evidence for mirror self-recog-nition in bottlenose dolphins (Reiss and Marino, 2001) after which she decided against further research with captive animals. She has published over 130 empiri-cal and review papers on dolphin and whale neurobiology and evolution and the ethics of human-nonhuman animal relationships, including critiques of dolphin assisted therapy and other captivity issues.

NAOMI A. ROSEAnimal Welfare Institute

Naomi Rose is the marine mammal scientist for the Animal Welfare Institute in Washington, DC. She works on several campaigns and coalitions addressing problems associated with cetacean live capture, trade, and captivity, both in the U.S. and abroad. She has been a member of the International Whaling Commission (IWC) Scientific Committee since 2000, where she participates in the subcommittees on environmental concerns and whale watching. She has authored or co-au-thored over 40 peer-reviewed papers and authored numerous articles for animal protection publications, as well as chapters in several books. She lectures annually at three universities and has participa-ted in conferences, workshops, meetings, and task forces at the international, national and state level. She has testified before the U.S. Congress four times, at the Canadian Parliament, and at several state legislative and regulatory hearings. Her work was featured in the 2012 non-fiction book Death at SeaWorld, by David Kirby, and she gave a TedX Talk in Bend, Oregon in April 2015 on captive orca welfa-re. She received a Ph.D. in biology from the University of California at Santa Cruz in 1992, where her dissertation examined the social dynamics of wild orcas. She has worked in the marine mammal advocacy field for 25 years.

SANDRO MAZZARIOLUniversità degli Studi di Padova

Sandro Mazzariol is a veterinary pathology at the University of Padua working on cetaceans diseases since 2002, with a specific interest on forensic techniques. He's a member of the coordination working group of the Italian National Stranding Network with a specific focus on large whales, mass mortalities and alive animals and he's been recently appointed as Chair of the International Whaling Commission (IWC) Expert Panel on Strandings with the speci-fic task of supporting stranding networks worldwide. In the last years he was appointed as consultant for ACCOBAMS and for some Countries in the Mediterranean Sea coordinating transboundary pro-jects focused on cetaceans' conservation. Due to his experience on marine mammals, he works as advisor for several zoos and aquaria and in Italy and support the Authorities on supervising animal welfare in these facilities.

ROBERT LOTTWDC, Whale and Dolphin Conservation

Rob Lott is policy manager and Orca program lead for Whale and Dolphin Conservation (WDC), an international charity which campaigns to see a world where every whale and dolphin is safe and free. Rob is based in the UK and holds a Master’s degree in Marine Mammal Science. His thesis was conducted on the population dynamics of the resident bottlenose dolphin pod in Cardigan Bay in Wales. Rob currently works on WDC’s anti-captivity program, addressing the issue of the ongoing live capture of cetaceans in Russia and Japan for supply to the marine park industry, as well as improving the welfare of captive whales and dolphins through the exploration of retirement sanctuary options. He works with a wide range of stake-holders from members of the public, grass roots activists, politi-cians, scientists and representatives of the tourism industry. He is a keen writer and photographer and has published internationally in magazines and newspapers.