Sammy must be released, minister says

Dubai: Sammy the shark, in captivity at the Atlantis hotel on the Palm Jumeirah, will have to be released, Dr Rashid Ahmad Bin Fahd, the Minister of Environment and Water, said.

He said the UAE is a signatory to CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species) and in due time the whale shark would be released.

Video: Click to watch Sammy in her tank

Bin Fahd did not give a time frame for Sammy's release. He confirmed that he had been in contact with Atlantis.

"Having this whale shark is very educational for the children and for all the people. This is a very rare animal and they are keeping it in the main aquarium for everyone to see," he told Gulf News. "They will release it," he added.

Environmentalists were up in arms at the apparent capture even as the hotel said the whale shark had been found in distress in shallow waters.