The Solomon Islands government is calling upon its villagers to stop mass slaughtering dolphins, saying that the traditional practice hinders tourism in the country, reported Times Live of South Africa.
Residents of the village of Fanalei killed about 750 dolphins last month, stating that they did so because the Earth Island Institute, a U.S.-based conservation group, did not provide promised funds to stop the practice, Times Live reported.
Solomon Islands Tourism Minister Samuel Manetoali said that he wants to see the killings end, because they are damaging the Islands' international reputation. "This has given us so much bad press overseas," he told AFP. "It is impacting our tourism market, especially from Australia and New Zealand." He noted that he intends to travel to Fanalei to discuss the matter with tribal chiefs.
Dolphin hunts are simply tradition in some parts of the Solomon Islands, where their teeth are used as a form of currency, AFP reported. Some villagers also capture live dolphins, taking them to marine entertainment parks, according to AFP.
"It's a sensitive issue, as these people depend on this traditional practice, but there are now modern expectations," Manetoali told AFP. "So whatever we discuss and agree to has to be a win-win situation for the country as a whole and the communities concerned."
The Solomon Islands' tourism industry boomed last September when Britain's Prince William and his wife Catherine visited the islands for Queen Elizabeth's Diamond Jubilee, AFP reported. The concern over dolphin killings puts a damper on that growth.
The Earth Island Institute denied allegations of breaking its promise, telling AFP that a "renegade" group of Solomon Island locals acting in defense of tribal chiefs spearheaded the killings.
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