Enforce Article 340 bis: Justice for the Ceuta Dolphin Calf
The Issue
On September 2, 2026, a vulnerable, disoriented bottlenose dolphin calf swam close to the shoreline at El Trampolín Beach in the Spanish enclave of Ceuta. What should have been an emergency wildlife rescue instead turned into an act of horrific, fatal cruelty.
Shocking viral video footage caught global attention, showing individuals brutally dragging the live marine mammal out of the water. The calf was paraded above a crowd like a trophy and repeatedly struck on the head with a stick, inflicting fatal injuries. Despite late intervention by residents and wildlife groups, the dolphin calf was returned to the water dead.
Cetaceans are highly intelligent, social, and legally protected creatures. We are demanding the strict application of the following legal frameworks to ensure accountability:
1. THE SPANISH PENAL CODE (CÓDIGO PENAL), ARTICLE 340 BIS: This statute criminalizes the mistreatment, injury, or killing of any vertebrate animal. Because this resulted in the death of the dolphin, it demands immediate criminal prosecution and prison sentences.
2. SPANISH LAW 42/2007 ON NATURAL HERITAGE AND BIODIVERSITY: Under this national law, the bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) is classified as a strictly protected species. Article 80 establishes that harming, harassing, or killing a protected species is a "Very Serious Infraction," carrying administrative fines ranging from €200,001 up to €2,000,000.
3. EU HABITATS DIRECTIVE (92/43/EEC), ANNEX IV: As a Spanish territory, European Union law applies here. This directive strictly prohibits all forms of deliberate capture, killing, or disturbance of wild cetaceans in EU waters.
4. THE ROYAL DECREE 1727/2007: This explicitly establishes the "Criteria for the Protection of Cetaceans," legally forbidding any intentional approach, contact, or physical handling of dolphins within Spanish maritime zones without a scientific permit.
Local environmental NGO DAUBMA has formally filed a complaint with the Civil Guard, but an intense international spotlight is required to ensure this case is fully prosecuted.
We, the undersigned global citizens, demand that Spanish national and local Ceuta authorities thoroughly investigate the video evidence, identify all individuals actively involved, enforce the absolute maximum penalties under Law 42/2007, and implement emergency beach protocols to protect stranded marine wildlife from future harm.
A wild dolphin is not a prop or a toy. The world is watching.
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The Issue
On September 2, 2026, a vulnerable, disoriented bottlenose dolphin calf swam close to the shoreline at El Trampolín Beach in the Spanish enclave of Ceuta. What should have been an emergency wildlife rescue instead turned into an act of horrific, fatal cruelty.
Shocking viral video footage caught global attention, showing individuals brutally dragging the live marine mammal out of the water. The calf was paraded above a crowd like a trophy and repeatedly struck on the head with a stick, inflicting fatal injuries. Despite late intervention by residents and wildlife groups, the dolphin calf was returned to the water dead.
Cetaceans are highly intelligent, social, and legally protected creatures. We are demanding the strict application of the following legal frameworks to ensure accountability:
1. THE SPANISH PENAL CODE (CÓDIGO PENAL), ARTICLE 340 BIS: This statute criminalizes the mistreatment, injury, or killing of any vertebrate animal. Because this resulted in the death of the dolphin, it demands immediate criminal prosecution and prison sentences.
2. SPANISH LAW 42/2007 ON NATURAL HERITAGE AND BIODIVERSITY: Under this national law, the bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) is classified as a strictly protected species. Article 80 establishes that harming, harassing, or killing a protected species is a "Very Serious Infraction," carrying administrative fines ranging from €200,001 up to €2,000,000.
3. EU HABITATS DIRECTIVE (92/43/EEC), ANNEX IV: As a Spanish territory, European Union law applies here. This directive strictly prohibits all forms of deliberate capture, killing, or disturbance of wild cetaceans in EU waters.
4. THE ROYAL DECREE 1727/2007: This explicitly establishes the "Criteria for the Protection of Cetaceans," legally forbidding any intentional approach, contact, or physical handling of dolphins within Spanish maritime zones without a scientific permit.
Local environmental NGO DAUBMA has formally filed a complaint with the Civil Guard, but an intense international spotlight is required to ensure this case is fully prosecuted.
We, the undersigned global citizens, demand that Spanish national and local Ceuta authorities thoroughly investigate the video evidence, identify all individuals actively involved, enforce the absolute maximum penalties under Law 42/2007, and implement emergency beach protocols to protect stranded marine wildlife from future harm.
A wild dolphin is not a prop or a toy. The world is watching.
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Petition created on 28 September 2026