Last week, PAN submitted a draft resolution to parliament that recommends that the Government convert dolphinariums, create conservation centers for the recovery of species, and create sanctuaries. "We want to guarantee that sanctuaries will be built in natural marine areas in Portugal so that the dolphins that have been living here in captivity for decades can be placed in the high seas in a controlled, monitored area that allows for a transition to a model that shows greater respect for animal life", explained Inês Sousa Real, in statements to journalists. The PAN spokesperson stressed that the dolphins that live in dolphinariums (which are estimated to be 35 in Portugal, eight of which are in the zoo) live "in small, often overcrowded spaces". "PAN advocates 21st-century zoos, following the challenge of civil society", she said. When asked whether she had received any "feedback" from the Government on these matters, Inês Sousa Real regretted that the protection of animals is once again under the tutelage of agriculture in the current Government's organization. "We want to guarantee that there will be no setbacks in terms of animal welfare. People are increasingly concerned about animal welfare, and we want to ensure that there is awareness of this at the Government level", she said. PAN's number one candidate in the European elections, Pedro Fidalgo Marques, also considered that at the European level "it is possible to guarantee that the implementation of the directive on zoos is effective in Portugal" and that dolphinariums can be banned. The two PAN leaders joined the demonstration organized by the association "Empty the tanks", which brought together dozens of people who held up placards that read "Circus captivity is not the solution" and shouted slogans such as "30 minutes of fun, a lifetime in prison", distributing leaflets to people entering the Lisbon Zoo. The movement explains that it is not asking for "the immediate release of dolphins or the unemployment of employees" who work with them, but "the transition from a model of circus exploitation in a dolphinarium to a model of rehabilitation in a nature sanctuary", saying that this is a model that has been tested "with great success in nine countries". In the draft resolution (without force of law), PAN refers to scientific studies that "reveal that wild animals kept in captivity suffer various adverse consequences in their behavior and health". PAN recommends that the Government "promote and implement programs to convert dolphinariums and oceanariums located in national territory into conservation, recovery, and observation centers for species, without any recreational component", and "implement, within the scope of conversion programs and in collaboration with specialists and non-governmental organizations for nature conservation and animal protection", the transition of spaces and the creation of natural sanctuaries. PAN also calls for the necessary resources to implement the conversion programs, and for the Government to promote public awareness of the negative impacts of wild animal captivity and the benefits of converting dolphinariums and oceanariums and to establish deadlines and targets for implementing the conversion programs. Also Read: Parties flood the streets of Funchal with propaganda appealing for votes (Portuguese version)