ROMANDIE.COM, LE TEMPS (Switzerland)
BERN – Switzerland seems to know its priorities. While economic storm clouds continue to gather over Europe, lawmakers in the landlocked country were busy this week negotiating what to do about marine mammals.
The western world is undergoing one of its worst crises ever, but Switzerland "is taking all the time in the world to worry about a motion supplementing the law on animal protection," a Le Tempsopinion piece reads. "This is a law that already states … how goldfish should be killed as delicately as possible because mute animals suffer as much as others."
The motion approved by the Swiss Parliament stipulates a ban on imports of live dolphins and whales. The import ban also covers whale and dolphin sperm.
As a reminder, there are no whales in Switzerland. The country does have four dolphins – in Switzerland's only dolphinarium in Lipperswil, Thurgovia.
The controversy over the detention of dolphins in Switzerland is closely related to Conny-Land, a marine park where eight animals died over the past three years, Romandie reports. Two of the dolphins are believed to have overdosed on heroin following a rave party held just a few meters from the pool where the animals were kept.
