31 Jan 2013

Solomons exporter resumes dolphin harvest after row with NGO

3:20 pm on 31 January 2013

The head of a dolphin company in Solomon Islands says he will be returning to harvesting after the Earth Island Institute failed to give him money for releasing dolphins from his pens.

The Director of Marine Mammal Exports, Robert Satu, says he supports the people of Fanalei village who have recently killed about a thousand dolphins after a disagreement with the American NGO which was to pay them to stop the practise.

The Earth Island Institute has previously said money given to the village committee has been misused.

Mr Satu says eating and selling dolphin meat is part of traditional Solomon Island culture.

"I agree with the Honiara based committee from Fanalei to continue on harvesting now. And for me too, I will tell my boys to do a collection. Because of the promise that the Earth Island told us they'd pay us but they didn't do it."

Robert Satu says he would like to see the Earth Island Institute return to Solomon Islands and talk to people involved in the dolphin trade but he doubts they will take up the offer.