Dolphin SMART is a unique recognition and education program aimed at protecting wild dolphins by offering incentives for dolphin viewing businesses that voluntarily participate and educate their customers about the importance of responsibly viewing wild dolphins. Three public informational sessions will be held next week in different locations along the central/southwest coast of Florida on February 9, 10, and 11th, 2010.
These sessions will include how to become a Dolphin SMART participant or a Dolphin SMART Proud Supporter, and how being Dolphin SMART benefits wild dolphins and local businesses that choose to participate. All area dolphin viewing businesses, interested businesses and organizations, and the general public are encouraged to attend to learn more about the program benefits and how to participate.
Ft. Myers area on Tuesday, February 9, 2010, 7:00-8:30 p.m. EST at Lee County Parks and Recreation Support Services Facility (6490 South Pointe Blvd., Fort Myers, FL 33919). The facility is located half a mile south of College Parkway at the last light before the Cape Coral Bridge.
St. Petersburg area on Wednesday, February 10, 2010, 7:00-8:30 p.m. EST at NOAA Fisheries Service in the Dolphin Conference Room. The building is located at address 263 13th Ave. S, St. Petersburg, FL 33701.
Sarasota area on Thursday, February 11, 2010, 7:00-8:30 p.m. EST at Mote Marine Laboratory’s Ann and Alfred Goldstein Marine Mammal Research and Rehabilitation Center in the Jean Purcell Hendry Conference Hall. Mote is located at 1600 Ken Thompson Parkway, Sarasota, FL 34236.
Background
WDCS helped develop and launch Dolphin SMART in February 2007. This multi-stakeholder collaborative program was developed in partnership with US regulatory agencies (National Marine Fisheries Service and National Marine Sanctuaries Program), and is in its third year of implementation.
The mission of the Dolphin SMART Program is to promote responsible viewing and stewardship of wild dolphins. This one-of-a-kind program combines viewing and advertising criteria, training, field research, evaluations, outreach and education, as well as incentives for commercial dolphin-watching businesses that voluntarily participate in the program. Although piloted in Key West, Florida, this successful program attracted national interest and was officially launched in coastal Alabama in October 2008. Hawaii is also currently developing the program to address spinner dolphin harassment in the islands there.
Dolphin SMART participants can be wild dolphin viewing businesses or Proud Supporters; an exciting new addition to the program to support its mission. Proud Supporters are companies or organizations that increase program awareness by educating customers about how they can help wild dolphins by booking tours with recognized Dolphin SMART businesses and practicing responsible viewing while on the water.
Dolphin SMART would like to congratulate its first Proud Supporter, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, as well as some of its newest Proud Supporters, the Society for Ethical Ecotourism of Southwest Florida and Lee County Parks and Recreation. Expanding Dolphin SMART to central, southwest Florida is an important step in ensuring healthy populations of wild dolphins in the future.
For more information: www.dolphinsmart.org or Courtney Vail, [email protected]