This week’s debate in parliament about changes to animal welfare laws has fuelled the feud between activists and the marine park over whether its dolphin shows are educational or mere circus acts that should be banned.

The bill under discussion is to amend the Animal Welfare Act. Among its proposed changes, the bill seeks to broaden the definition of an animal circus. 

Dolphin are displays fully educational and mostly based on the natural behaviours of dolphins or movements that assist in veterinary care- Spokesperson for Mediterraneo Marine Park

Currently, a circus is defined as any place where animals “are introduced for the purpose of performance, manoeuvres and shows or otherwise”.

The amendment would define an animal circus as “any exhibition put on by exhibitors for profit and viewed by the public for entertainment which offers amusement and display and where animals are made to perform tricks or manoeuvres which do not reflect their natural behaviour or does not offer any educational value”.

Malta and Greece are the only two European countries that have outright banned animal circuses.

A protest outside Mediterraneo Marine Park last month held to call out its 'cruelty'. Photo: Matthew Mirabelli

Mediterraneo: 'It's educational'

While the Mediterraneo Marine Park is described as a “circus” by animal rights activists, its management on Thursday insisted its shows are “fully educational” and based on “natural behaviours”.

The park said it was “in favour of increased standards that ensure the well-being of dolphins”.

“The park was opened in 1997 and since then there have been considerable changes to make dolphin displays fully educational and mostly based on the natural behaviours of dolphins or movements that assist in veterinary care,” a spokesperson said.

“We are open to further improvements,” he added.

Activists: 'No educational value' in performances

In contrast, animal rights groups Moviment Graffiti and Animal Liberation Malta said the bill further highlights that the marine park falls under the definition of a circus.

“The park does everything that the bill defines as a circus, so this is another clear reason for its zoo licence to be revoked,” Claria Cutajar of Moviment Graffitti said.

“There is no educational value in these performances, the park is centred around entertainment and profit while the dolphins must perform wholly unnatural acts,” she insisted.

Katya Borg of Animal Liberation Malta took a similar stand, saying the park profits from forcing animals to perform circus acts.

“The spirit of the newly suggested law highlights what we and animal activists have always been saying, that Mediterraneo falls under a definition of a circus,” she said.

Animal welfare issues have long dogged Mediterraneo. It was listed among one of seven cruel destinations by the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals in 2008.

It came under renewed pressure this year following the deaths of three bottlenose dolphins, Mar, Onda and Melita, by lead poisoning.

A report by the commissioner for animal welfare found signs of “negligence and mismanagement”.

Since then, animal rights NGOs have called for the park to be shut down. They recently held protests outside the premises in Baħar iċ-Ċagħaq and in front of the veterinary regulation division, the government department responsible for giving and revoking zoo licences.

“Waving and kissing and posing for selfies are not natural for a dolphin,” Borg said during the November protest.

'Closure would devastate dolphins'

The park said its closure would be devastating to its five dolphins. 

It said there had been no proven successful attempts to release dolphins into the wild while relocating the dolphins in Europe was unlikely.

Instead, “they will likely end up in parks outside of Europe where standards differ radically”, the spokesperson said.