Maspalomas is at the center of the European debate on the exploitation of marine fauna following the offensive launched by the Franz Weber Foundation against the business model of Aspro Ocio, the company managed by the Cotoner family, owners of Palmitos ParkThe NGO has demanded the immediate eradication of dolphin and sea lion shows in the southern tourist enclave, calling these practices unnatural activities "lacking any real scientific or educational rigor".
The conservation organization warns of the urgent need to reform State Law 7/2023 to eliminate the legal loopholes that continue to protect the captivity of cetaceans in tourist facilities. To this end, they propose replicating the French legislative model, where a direct obligation has been established for zoos and dolphinariums to gradually transfer animals to specialized sanctuaries. The criticism focuses directly on the contradiction of prohibiting the use of certain wild species in circuses while permitting and legitimizing the dolphinarium business under "false educational labels."
Scientific reports supported by the foundation warn that captivity severely impairs the organic and neurological health of cetaceans, species characterized by "high brain development, complex social networks, and the need to roam vast territories." In contrast, the Maspalomas facilities reduce these animals to "water tanks" where they are confined, limiting their exercise and suppressing instinctive behaviors such as foraging and free socialization.
The core of the criticism focuses on the daily shows and so-called interactive "encounters" with the animals, commercial practices that objectify cetaceans, turning them into mere entertainment. With this offensive, the organization denounces that "Spain holds the unfortunate distinction of being the European leader in the number of active dolphinariums," supporting an economic model based on private profit at the expense of animal welfare.
