A two-man team from the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) spent a day inspecting the creatures currently being held in captivity at an enclosure on the island of Gavutu in Central Province.

In July, operators of the Gavutu Island dolphin centre exported 30 of the marine mammals from the Solomon Islands to Parque Nizuc, a water park in Cancun, Mexico.

The IUCN team will also inspect temporary holding pens just off Honiara that are used to keep dolphins destined for Gavutu.

The Solomon Islands Minister for Fisheries and Marine Resources, Nelson Kile, invited the IUCN team to visit the dolphins to ensure they are fit and healthy and well looked after.

Cancun will this week host the World Trade Organisation meeting.

Last weekend, about 200 protesters wearing grey foam dolphin hats held a rally to demand the release of the 30 dolphins imported from the Solomon Islands.

One of the dolphins imported by Parque Nizuc in July died after arriving at the water park. Soon after, a Mexican dolphin already at the park also died, but officials have said the deaths were unrelated.

TERRA.WIRE