A ban introduced by the Director General for Education in Malta on school visits to the circus and the dolphinarium has delighted International Animal Rescue and its campaign partners. Initially the education department only banned school visits to the circus but, after persistent pressure from welfare groups, it announced that visits to the dolphinarium were also to be prohibited. This is a tremendous victory for animals in Malta. Campaigners are now working to persuade private schools’ associations to follow suit.
The Circus Animal Rights Coalition of which IAR is a member is urging the public to contact the Director General of Education, Ms Micheline Sciberras, to thank her for her brave decision. Her email addresses are [email protected] or [email protected]
In a press release the coalition states that it is pleased with the decision because it shows a commitment to raising animal welfare awareness among school children. However it also says it is ‘highly dismayed’ by the fact that, in spite of the public’s increasing opposition to the exploitation of animals in circuses, the same company continues year after year to make a profit from this cruelty.
International Animal Rescue’s Max Farrugia is an active participant in the campaign to end the exploitation of wild animals for entertainment: he is a member of ENDCAP, which seeks to end the keeping of wild animals in captivity. ENDCAP in turn now forms part of the EAEDC (European Alliance to End Dolphins in Captivity). Its mission is to raise awareness of the damage captivity often causes to dolphins. It is calling for an end to the trade in dolphins into the EU and an end to the construction of new dolphinaria.