The oral reply of the European Commission to Free Morgan Foundation Petition 0853/2017 was clear. There is no need to change the regulations as requested by the petitioner. In a previous petition in 2012 the Commission already stated that in Morgan’s case all the European Regulations were followed strictly.
In majority the MEP’s present were ready to close the petition and reject the FMF request, the 8th (legal) defeat for the activists in the last years. The thousands of cases in the last few years have not shown any issues with the implementation of the regulations or the template of the forms.
The president of the commission resubmitted the petition to the coordinators of the political parties in for finalization in July.
Earlier, in May 2012, also regarding Council Regulation 338/96, the European Commission replied that the authorities of the EU Member States in question (Spain and The Netherlands) where well in charge of the correct implementation of EU rules.
“Council Regulation (EC) 339/97 and the corresponding implementing regulations is repeatedly interpreted wrongly by the Free Morgan Foundation (FMF) . The prohibitions of the regulation are very clear in article 8 (1) of the regulation and it is also clear in article 8 (3) that if any of the exceptional circumstances occur, the prohibitions do not apply” says Dr. Javier Almunia, Director of Loro Parque Fundación. A vision that is shared by a vast majority of CITES managing authorities and legal experts, as wells as MEP’s. Many now see the attempts of minority activities groups such as FMF as of waste of public and private funds.
Orca Morgan in Loro Parque
Loro Parque, the current custody holder of the orca Morgan, was present in Brussel to provide all relevant information to the Petitions Committee The orca Morgan has been in the custody of Loro Parque since 2011. The decision to transfer her to the spacious and fully equipped facilities of OrcaOcean in Loro Parque was tried and tested in Courts in Spain and The Netherlands, resulting now 9 times in defeat for the FMF.
Loro Parque is supported by all relevant administrative bodies (CITES in The Netherlands and Spain, Zoo Inspections in Spain and the competent authorities on animal welfare which reject the claims and misinterpretations of the CITES permit by FMF now for the 9th time.
Orca Morgan’s Pregnancy
The orca Morgan is expected to give birth any time after the summer, according to estimates by Loro Parque’s veterinarians. She is now in the final stages of her pregnancy, which will culminate in the arrival of a single calf.
This gestation, as well as the birth and upbringing of the new animal, is a challenge for the experts at Loro Parque, confirmed Dr. Javier Almunia, Director of Loro Parque Fundación. “All the experience there is, worldwide, on orca births is reduced to about 30 births, but never, in a single case, has it been with a deaf orca,” he says. “For us, it’s a totally different situation. We have had deliveries of other orcas, but in this case we have to be much more prepared for what may happen, because the information we have is minimal,” he added.
The care and standard medical training routines of Loro Parque’s orcas have been intensified with Morgan during the months of gestation, which has allowed for an exhaustive monitoring of the foetus and continuous observation of its evolution. “We do ultrasounds almost twice a week with a high frequency system that has no effect on the foetus and causes no discomfort,” explained Dr. Almunia.
Loro Parque has everything ready to welcome Morgan’s calf and to face the different situations that could arise from its birth.
For more information regarding the Loro Parque’s preparations for the birth of the young calve: https://www.loroparque.com/loro-parque-anticipates-that-the-orca-morgan-will-give-birth-by-the-end-of-summer/?lang=en
Accreditations
Loro Parque is an accredited zoological facility under the European Zoos Directive and follows strictly all the applicable laws and regulations in the zoo practice. Loro Parque is inspected yearly by the competent authorities. Moreover, Loro Parque applies the highest standards in killer whale management as accredited by the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria, or the European Association for Aquatic Mammals; and also by independent organizations like the American Humane, ABTA, Biosphere Parks, etc. In 2017, Loro Parque was recognized by the Trip Advisor’s Travel Choice Awards as the Best Zoo in the World.
