NS cuts ties with Dolfinarium over animal welfare concerns

NS is stopping its cooperation with the Dolfinarium after years. Due to animal welfare concerns, the combination of a train ticket and access to the marine mammal park in Hardewijk will no longer be available after next month. NS made its decision after discussions with the Bite Back action group, a spokesperson for the rail company confirmed.

The current partnership ends on September 30. “At such a moment, you critically reconsider the offer,” NS said. “We talked to Bite Back, and based on those insights, we decided that the Dolfinarium no longer fits in the offer.”

Bite Back reported that Kortingscode, Edad, Muys Reizen, Paulusma, and Toonen Reizen also ended their collaboration with Dolfinarium. Earlier, the ANWB, Hema, and supermarket chains Spar and Lidl also stopped selling tickets for the Dolfinarium.

“Using emails, letters, and telephone calls, we have contacted various companies that offer discounted tickets, discount codes, or trips to the Dolfinarium,” campaign coordinator Raymond Olivers of Bite Back said. “Fortunately, we are seeing an increasing awareness around marine animals in captivity.”

The action group said it would like to talk to the parties involved first, but also announced protests at the Dolfinarium and collaborating companies. Bite Back protests against, among other things, the substandard enclosures of the animals in the park. “Walruses usually seek their prey at a depth of 20 to 30 meters, where their entire enclosure here is only a few meters deep,” the group said.

The Dolfinarium was not immediately available for response.