Dolphin Shows Are Banned Under New Law In Australian State New South Wales

New laws passed in New South Wales mean dolphins will no longer be bred or imported into the Australian state for entertainment purposes.

Passed last week, the new laws will ban dolphin shows, as well as the breeding of whales and porpoises for commercial purposes.

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"New regulations will effectively stop any future dolphin 'abuse-ment' park from setting up in NSW and end the breeding of dolphins, whales and porpoises for entertainment," announced Animal Justice Party MP Emma Hurst on Facebook.

"WE DID IT! No more dolphins will be born into an industry with backyard pools, or be forced to do circus-style tricks. With these regulations introduced by Minister Matt Kean MP, the abuse of dolphins in so-called entertainment is coming to an end in NSW.

"These changes were urgently needed to ensure no more animals are born into this collapsing industry. A dolphin born today could live for up to 50 years, meaning they could still be in a dolphinarium in 2070. The writing is on the wall - these animals were not born to perform.

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"They do not exist for our entertainment. They deserve a life worth living, and NSW has recognised this with these new regulations."

Emma has said that the Animal Justice Party will now focus on passing similar regulations in Queensland, which is the only state in Australia that still breeds dolphins for entertainment, something she described as a "global embarrassment".

"Queensland is now the only state in Australia still breeding dolphins for entertainment and it's a global embarrassment. The AJP will be working to get similar Regulations passed in QLD - time to #EmptyTheTanks Australia-wide," she added.

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There is currently only one dolphin park remaining in New South Wales, home to Zippy, Bella and Jet, who were all born in captivity.

Two years ago, the park's general manager, Terry Goodall, committed to focusing on conservation and said dolphins would no longer be bred at the park.

This is certainly a step in the right direction.

Topics: Life News, News, Animals, Australia

Lucy Devine

Lucy is a journalist working for Tyla. After graduating with a master's degree in journalism, she has worked in both print and online and is particularly interested in fashion, food, health and women's issues. Northerner, coffee addict, says hun a lot. Get in touch at [email protected].

@lucedevine