A Dutch Advertising Code Committee has said that the facility’s slogan ‘Discover, Experience and Protect’ gives the impression that visitors are directly contributing to the protection of animals by buying a ticket and that is not true. Harderwijk is appealing against the committee’s opinion, disagreeing that the word “protect” refers to the educational function, which would make visitors enthusiastic about nature conservation.
“Harderwijk is seriously considering sending some of their dolphins to facilities in China, something that we as a coalition are strongly speaking out against”, comments DFE Chair Margaux Dodds. “To even consider sending animals apparently ‘in their care’ to a country where welfare standards in dolphinaria are inadequate at best, or even non-existent does not show any consideration for the protection of their animals. As to the question of the slogan, for the facility to claim the ‘protect’ aspect is educational and makes visitors enthusiastic about nature conservation, it will be very interesting to see what information will be provided by Harderwijk as part of their appeal to support this particular claim.”