The Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Meteorology is organizing a forum to discuss the capture of Indo-Pacific Bottlenose dolphin and its trade from Solomon Islands.

A forum to be held on this Thursday will bring together representatives from government agencies, non-government organizations and others to openly share their views and concerns on the capture of live bottle-nose dolphin and export from Solomon Islands.

A statement from the Ministry said the forum is part of its continuing effort to ensure the export of Indo-Pacific Bottlenose dolphin is sustainable and conducted in a transparent fashion.

It said there has been so much media publicity on this issue by different interest groups in recent years and the forum offers the opportunity to present information about the efforts of the Ministry to everyone.

The Ministry said since international trade in the Indo-Pacific Bottlenose dolphin began in 2003, there has been opposition to the legality and sustainability of the trade and the welfare of the captured animals.

The Ministry has taken into account all the different interests and perspectives of the issue and has taken steps to ensure the country's wild, local Indo-Pacific Bottlenose dolphin is exploited and managed in a more sustainable manner.

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