Reputational Damage Injunction against Whale and Dolphin Conservationist Forum (WDSF)

We have recently, on more than one occasion, reported on the activities of the Whale and Dolphin Protection Forum (WDSF). Without making any differentiation to the various facilities the WDSF is campaigning against all the dolphinariums in Turkey. In conjunction with this they are calling for a boycott for dolphinariums by Travel agencies and Hotels.

Many attempts at a constructive and relevant dialogue from our side, as also from the side of the concerned families, have been to no avail. The tone, the accusations and the actions of the WDSF have become increasingly undifferentiated and aggressive. False claims about our Installation and the keeping of our animals in Antalya have been made. Pictures of various Installations were deliberately mixed-up with the intention of giving the impression that the dolphins in all Installations were not being held correctly. All Installations in Turkey are clearly being ‘all lumped together‘.

Even though we realise that not all Dolphinariums in Turkey are keeping their animals correctly, and we support initiatives against such Installations that keep their dolphins in too small and inappropriate enclosures, we can no longer accept the assertions made against our own Dolphinarium. Our Dolphin Therapy Center in Antalya is, compared to other European facilities, the largest and also the only free-swimming sea-water dolphinarium. Our Dolphinarium is a unique Installation in which we emphasize the correct keeping of dolphins and attach importance to the employment of qualified personnel.

As the WDSF campaign is not based upon permittable criticism, their false and misleading claims are damaging our reputation, we have been regrettably forced to have the legitimacy of their claims investigated before a court.

Through an injunction by the Hagen county court the WDSF is now prohibited to make false accusations concerning the keeping and treatment of our dolphins. Furthermore the WDSF is also prohibited to call for a boycott based on their assertions, and to distribute a certain Video through the Internet.

Primarily we submit this information to hold within bounds the attempts by the WDSF to damage our reputation and to rehabilitate Onmega Dolphin Therapy as much as possible. Especially because of the very high standards of German Animal Conservation upheld in our facility for our dolphins we had to make a stand against the accusations of the WDSF; also because we wanted to rectify matters for all our friends, patient‘s families and our many partners.

Should you still see false assertions made by the WDSF on the Internet we would be pleased if you would let us know. Naturally we shall willingly answer any questions you may have.