The Mediterraneo Marine Park is once again under scrutiny following a protest organised yesterday morning by ADPD – The Green Party, calling for urgent action on what it describes as unacceptable conditions for captive animals, particularly dolphins, held at the facility.
Led by Deputy Chairperson Melissa Bagley and officials Brian Decelis and Mark Zerafa, the protest took place outside the Marine Park, with activists calling for the end of using sentient animals for entertainment and demanding a review of the park’s operations.
“Animals are not ours to imprison or exploit for amusement,” said Bagley, reiterating that dolphins, which naturally inhabit vast open seas, cannot thrive in confined artificial pools. “Keeping them in a small tank, particularly in the peak of Malta’s sweltering summer, is outright cruelty.”
ADPD also raised concerns about the water quality in the park’s enclosures, calling for immediate and regular testing to ensure that minimum standards are being met for the animals’ wellbeing.
This is not the first time Mediterraneo Marine Park has come under fire. As previously investigated by this newsroom, Mediterraneo Marine Park has operated in what appears to be direct contradiction of the 2014 amendments to the Animal Welfare Act – amendments that banned animal circuses – a law that, while introduced by the Labour government, has since seen inconsistencies in enforcement and interpretation, especially following the legalisation of private zoos.
Our earlier reporting revealed concerns about the park’s claims to educational value, describing it as a “gross centre of animal torture and captivity”, citing the confinement and forced performances of at least three dolphins as antithetical to any true conservation practice.
While the Mediterraneo Marine Park brands itself as an educational venue, many argue that it is effectively a disguised commercial operation that normalises the suffering of intelligent marine animals under the guise of family-friendly entertainment.
“Animal conservation is about preserving natural habitats and behaviours, not creating spectacles out of their misery,” said ADPD official Brian Decelis.
The park has yet to respond to the allegations raised in the protest and the renewed calls for government intervention. Meanwhile, environmental NGOs including Earth Systems Association have pledged continued advocacy for the animals’ release or transfer to sanctuary environments more aligned with their natural needs.
With mounting public pressure and continued activist attention, the spotlight remains firmly fixed on Mediterraneo – and on whether Malta’s regulatory frameworks can genuinely uphold the values of animal welfare they claim to promote.
News Editor
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