dolphins #1
Clemencia Rodner (crodner@conicit.ve)
Thu, 16 Jun 1994 04:58:39 -0400 (AST)
THE UNIVERSITY COUNCIL OF THE CENTRAL UNIVERSITY OF
VENEZUELA
Regarding the anti university activities of BIOMA and
FUNDACETACEA A videotape distributed by the organizations BIOMA
and FUNDACETACEA was recently released to the public opinion.
The videotape showed the barbaric slaughter of a dolphin by
Venezuelan rural fisherman, thus pretending to label this
practice as common among our fishermen. This video, which was
shown in TV programs of wide national and international
audiences, generated a very negative image of our country and led
to public demonstrations of protest. Further investigations have
revealed that this video was a hoax contrived by fully identified
members of BIOMA and FUNDACETACEA who pretending to be university
professors, hired poor rural fishermen to conduct this
condemnable project. In this incident the members of BIOMA and
FUNDACETACEA incurred in serious illegal as well as unethical
acts which damaged the prestige of our universities and their
scientific research, when pretending to be university professors
to gain the fishermenŐs trust, they coaxed them into slaying a
dolphin while filming the process, and in this way prepared a
hoax to nationally and internationally condemn our fishermen.
This monstrous act not only discredits our professors and
scientists but our countryŐs universities as well. Furthermore,
people in rural settings may now be reluctant to cooperate with
scientific research and may be suspicious of anyone claiming to
be a university professor. Such cooperation is paramount to our
expeditions and field work. We have instructed the Central
Office of the Legal Department of our University to analyze this
situation and to decide whether legal actions before the
competent courts are pertinent. This University Council
recognizes the legitimate conservationist activities of civil
non-government organizations, and considers their activities to
be essential for the preservation of species diversity and
natural environments in our territory. However, we condemn BIOMA
and FUNDACETACEA for manipulating the truth with unspeakable
purposes, to the discredit of legitimate environmental
organizations. Finally, this Council condemns any actions taken
against dolphins and requests that our country's name, and that
of our fishermen and university institutions be amended before
the public opinion by the same TV stations and media in general
that aired and publicized the aforesaid video. In this way we
reaffirm our institutional compromise towards the harmonic
development of mankind and the environment. Given, signed, and
stamped in the Hall of Sessions of the University Council of the
Universidad Central de Venezuela Caracas on the 23rd of March,
1994
Simon Munoz Armas, Rector President & Alix M. Garcia R.,
Secretary