Twenty eight bottle-nosed dolphins have already been sent from the Solomons to a marine park in Cancun, Mexico, where one of them died last month. A further 170 are being held in a sea pen in the Solomons' capital Honiara.

Australian Environment Minister David Kemp said the Mexican government had given a commitment not to allow the importation of any more dolphins from the Solomons and to ensure the welfare of the surviving 27 animals in Cancun.

"This is an important step in ensuring the welfare of the dolphins which remain in captivity in the Solomon Islands," Kemp said in a statement.

Villagers in the near-bankrupt Pacific state who captured the dolphins are reported to have sold them to an international syndicate for about 400 dollars (260 US dollars) each.

Animal welfare groups said the capture of so many dolphins was unprecedented and raised concerns over the conditions in which they were being held.

Last month, Kemp appealed for Mexican authorities to ban the dolphin imports under the Convention on International International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).

TERRA.WIRE