27 Sep 2012

Dolphins freed from captivity in Solomons' Western Province

7:00 pm on 27 September 2012

In Solomon Islands ten dolphins which have been kept in captivity for two weeks by villagers from Western Province have been freed.

Villagers from Kolombangara Island, the home constituency of the Solomon Islands Prime Minister, Gordon Darcy Lilo, freed the dolphins earlier this week.

The dolphins were returned to the wild following negotiations between the villagers, the Western Province Fisheries, police and the Earth Island Institute, after a directive from the provincial government.

While the villagers told the media they had no intention of selling the animals, there had been reports a potential buyer was interested in buying them.

Western Province has a ban on hunting dolphins.