A group of dolphins including Beebong, the last captive Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin, perform inside an aquarium on Jeju Island, May 21. Korea Times file

By Lee Kyung-min

The government is accelerating preparations to free the last captive Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin, named Beebong, to waters off Jeju Island, as illustrated by months of training to help it readjust to the wildlife environment, according to officials, Wednesday.

The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries said discussions are underway among animal rights groups, experts and government officials, to safely release the endangered species back to the ocean. The ministry has not finalized the timeline of the release, only adding that a ministry-led committee will determine the pace of the rehabilitation course with the health and the outcome of training factored in.

Beebong is the last among eight captive dolphins held in an aquarium on Jeju Island since 2012, when the ministry designated them as endangered species.

The remaining seven have since been released ― three in 2013 and two each in 2015 and 2017.

The aquatic mammal is undergoing training near Seogwipo, off the coast of Jeju Island, a process monitored by the committee for regular review. It will soon begin training to communicate with other groups of dolphins. When released, a location tracking device will be attached to the dolphin to monitor it over a period of at least a year.

The ministry says the aquatic mammal will not be on display to the public and will only interact with its trainers, in line with recommendations from a group of experts who claim extraneous noise and light exposure may disrupt the training.

Oceans Minister Cho Seung-hwan said that the most important thing for the dolphin is to return to the ocean safely and live a healthy and happy life.

"We will fortify marine animal protection policies to improve their well-being," he said. "The government will continue discussions with the aquarium industry to help a greater number of animals return to where they came from and belong."

The ministry plans to prohibit using whales and dolphins for commercial exhibition purposes, subjecting them to excessive training for entertainment purposes. Aquarium businesses will undergo strengthened screening before obtaining a permit. These are outlined in a bill pending at the National Assembly.