BY: Khushhboo Kabra
The first dolphin marine sanctuary in Europe will be established in Italy.
Due to the closure of marine parks around Europe, the first captive dolphin sanctuary in the Mediterranean will open off the coast of Italy next year.
Carmelo Fanizza, the director of the San Paolo Dolphin Refuge, stated to AFP that “we must develop a new model for managing dolphins in a natural but supervised environment.”
The sanctuary, located off the coast of Taranto in the southern Italian region of Puglia, still need final permission from the government.
But according to Fanizza, the location will be ready by the end of this month and the first dolphins are expected to arrive “no later than May or June 2026”.
Due to concerns about animal rights, nations like France and Canada have banned the capture of whales, dolphins, and porpoises, and more and more marine parks are closing.
Given that cetaceans can live for decades, have mostly lived in captivity, and cannot be released back into the wild, the issue of what to do with them has become critical.
The San Paolo Dolphin Refuge was authorised by the Italian government in 2023 to use a seven-hectare area near the island of San Paolo in the Gulf of Taranto.
Fanizza downplayed concerns about the site’s proximity to the industrial coastal city of Taranto, claiming it was “sheltered and protected from the sea, winds and prevailing ocean currents.”
One of the largest steelworks in Europe is located in the city, however it is currently operating at a reduced capacity because of a pollution problem.
Since the facilities have been improved, there is currently no risk to animal health from the water column, sediments, or breathing air quality in the region.
The safe place
The facility is located about 2.5 miles, or four miles, offshore. It has a main cage that is 1,600 square meters (17,200 square feet) in size, a smaller enclosure for potential transfers, and a veterinary enclosure for quarantine cases.
It has a floating laboratory, a place to prepare food, and overnight housing for employees.Additionally, it has a number of sensors at sea that provide data to a control room in Taranto, as well as a video surveillance system that operates both above and below the ocean.
The research organisation behind the project, Jonian Dolphin Conservation, has funded the majority of the sanctuary’s construction with assistance from individual donations and public grants in Europe.
The projected annual operational expenditures of the site range from 350,000 to 500,000 euros 408,000 to 584,000 dollars.
“It can legally accommodate up to 17 dolphins, but “the number will absolutely not be that,” according to Fanizza, who stressed the importance of their wellbeing.
Instead of taking in a large number of animals, our goal at this time is to find a group that, given its physical condition, behaviour, and social structure, could be appropriate for beginning such a project,” he stated.
Muriel Arnal, the head of the French animal rights group One Voice, which has long promoted marine sanctuaries, claims that there are currently roughly 60 dolphins maintained in captivity throughout Europe.
“Once you have a model that works well, you can replicate it,” she said, expressing her hope that San Paolo can also serve as a home for French dolphins.