Personhood and rights for dolphins in India

[frameacloud]

Trigger warnings: abuse of animals (dolphins and whales), which isn’t described in graphic detail in this post, but the links go into graphic detail.

May: In India, the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests has banned the exhibition of dolphins, whales, and other cetacean animals in captivity for entertainment. Dolphin parks are unethical and harmful to the cetaceans, and so will will be shut down throughout India. India is the fourth nation to ban the use of captive cetaceans for entertainment. The Union Ministry of Environment and Forests now categorized cetaceans as “non-human persons.” They argue that cetaceans are highly intelligent, and therefore should not be treated as property, and should have more legal protections and rights than other animals. The category of “non-human persons” has intriguing potential in revising how humans relate to animals.


Sources

Vijay Singh, “Dolphins cannot be kept in captivity, says eco ministry.” 2013-05-23. The Times of India. http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-05-23/flora-fauna/39474611_1_captivity-moef-eco-ministry

Saroja Coelho, “Dolphins gain unprecedented protection in India.” 2013-05-24. DW (Deutsche Welle). http://www.dw.de/dolphins-gain-unprecedented-protection-in-india/a-16834519

Comments

[greenreaper.livejournal.com]

That's a pretty big step, if they can make it stick. India is well-known for its respect of some animals, but not others - it's good to add some which are clearly intelligent to that list.

[Reposted as a newsbyte over at Flayrah (//www.flayrah.com/), with credit - thanks for the tip!]