Mayoral Candidate Rene Varela profits off of wild dolphin trafficking

Since we hosted the Environmental Candidates Forum in Lake Worth, Rene has refused to communicate with the PBC Environmental Coalition. Perhaps this is why...

He is featured in a recent award-winning Canadian documentary called The Dolphin Dealer:
http://www.cbc.ca/documentaries/doczone/2008/dolphindealer/characters.html

The documentary indicates that Rene Varela is a "key character, " involved in selling 28 wild dolphins caught off the Solomon Islands to a luxury resort in Dubai. He's worked for Ocean Embassy, a company that traffics in marine wildlife, in since 2005:
http://www.oceanembassy.com/team-varela.html

A Few Facts About Dolphins in Captivity
For every wild dolphin taken captive, at least one other is injured or killed during the capture process. Studies suggest that mortality rates increase six-fold after capture.

Even in the largest facilities, captive dolphins have access to less than 1/10,000 of 1% (0.000001) of the space available to them in their natural environment.

Dolphins in captivity are often restricted to swimming in circles. In many dolphins, this behavior is a sign that the dolphin is suffering psychologically.

In cement pools, chlorine is added to keep bacteria levels safe for humans. The levels of chlorine used, wreak havoc on a dolphin's skin and eyes, sometimes even rendering them completely blind.

For more on dolphins in captivity, check out World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA)
http://www.wspa-usa.org/pages/2220_dolphins_in_captivity_faqs.cfm