Real-Life Communication -- Solution
These days, oceanariums treat their dolphins as an entertaining
and educational commodity to be used in the pursuit of profit and research,
notes dolphin researcher Kenneth W. LeVasseur.
"The profit aspect of
this is also true throughout the entertainment industry, even with human actors.
The point here, though, is that actors have agents and they can engage in
negotiations for conditions acceptable to the actor.
"No such arrangement
exists for the captive dolphin, except for the actions of dolphin and animal
protection groups."
If you're involved in the controversial career
of dolphin research, you'll have to be well versed in the arguments for
and against captivity.
Here's a sample letter:
Dear
Editor,
I would like to respond to the large amount of mail I have
received regarding the recent breakthroughs at my lab. We have shown that
our research has been successful. It has opened up a whole new frontier in
dolphin communication.
However, most of you believe that captivity
is cruel and inhumane, and that all research should take place in the wild.
After
careful consideration, I find that I agree on a personal and philosophical
level. However, these wonderful dolphins were born in captivity. A program
of release would have to be developed to prepare them for release into the
habitat of their parents.
If such a program could be done successfully
and the goals of research maintained, I would consider proceeding with such
a plan. Here is my view of how such a plan could work.
This program
must not be rushed. It must be done with the most reliable technology and
expertise. As a result, I am proposing that a nonprofit research program be
developed to organize the release program.
Our program involves the
development and use of a human whistled language with dolphins. We will continue
with our language program during the training for the release.
Our
"in-tank" preparation for release will last no longer than nine months. The
on-site release program will take no longer than six months. After one year
and three months, the dolphins will have the required vocabulary to answer
the following questions:
- Are you ready to leave here to return to the wild?
- Would you rather stay at this on-site facility and go through more training?
- Are you willing to return to the tank at our lab and work with us for
another six months before we come back to this on-site facility?
We will develop an open-ocean research program to try
to understand the natural communication code and social behavior of wild dolphins.
That is our goal.