Anger at dolphin loan plan

Ocean Park hopes to lend dolphins to aquariums on the mainland if a new breeding scheme is successful, sparking outrage from animal rights activists.

Six wild bottlenose dolphins are due to arrive from Indonesia by the end of the year to help create a self-sustaining breeding programme at the attraction.

If targets are achieved, dolphins could be transferred from the SAR to help stock the growing number of new aquariums being built on the mainland.

Exact figures are not available, but developers are building several new aquariums on the mainland and there would be fierce competition for the crowd-pulling exhibits.

Yesterday, Ocean Park's chief vet, Dr Reimi Kinoshita, said the aquarium, if approached, would also be keen to train keepers to work for the mainland aquariums.

'If the facilities were well looked after then there is no reason not to,' she said.