THE WILDLIFE TRADE MONITORING GROUP

The Asia for Animals Coalition (AfA) today (Friday, 31st of March 2017) sent another letter to the CEO of Sriwijaya Air, Mr. Chandra Lie, to express deep concern with regards to Sriwijaya Air continuing to transport dolphins on behalf of the dolphin travelling circus operators, and thus facilitating the continued exploitation of dolphins for entertainment in Indonesia.

 Asia for Animals coalition members, have generated over 48,000 signatures from supporters requesting an end to involvement of Sriwijaya Air  in this practice and petitions to the Indonesia government to end the travelling circuses have generated over 169,000 signatures.

“There is growing international recognition of the role airlines play in permitting the captive cetacean industry to continue its exploitation, and of the severe stress cetaceans suffer during hours of restricted confinement during air transportation. Globally we are seeing an ever-growing number of airlines pledging to no longer transport these animals,” the AFA states in the letter.

Below is the AFA letter to the Sriwijaya Air CEO, copied to, among others, President Joko Widodo, Minister of Environment & Forestry, Mrs. Siti Nurbaya Bakar, Chairman of House of Representatives, Mr. Setya Novanto, President of PKBSI, Mr. Rahmat Shah, Secretary General of PKBSI, Mr. Tony Sumampau.