In ”Spoiling the good news about belugas,” you express your pleasure that the New England Aquarium is countersuing three animal rights groups for
”harassment, false claims and meritless lawsuits involving its dolphin program.”
As one of those three groups, we wish to respond that our lawsuit is not false, meritless nor intended to harass. In fact, we are suing the aquarium, along with the National Marine Fisheries Service, the Commerce Department, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the U.S. Navy for violations of the Marine Mammal Protection Act, a U.S. law that prohibits the taking and transfer of marine mammals without permits.
The goal of the act is to halt the commercial exploitation of marine mammals; the permit process is intended to allow for public involvement and avoid behind-closed-doors transfers of these magnificent animals. But for years, the federal agencies have allowed ”informal” private transfers, completely bypassing the permit process, shutting the public out and violating the letter as well as the spirit of the law as written by Congress. Thus, the act, intended to protect marine mammals and encourage public participation in governmental decision-making, is being undermined.
