WDCS has just launched a campaign to address the proliferation of Dolphin Assisted Therapy around the world and has produced a number of materials to explain its concerns. WDCS's report on DAT, 'Can you put your faith in DAT?', explores the risks to humans and dolphins associated with DAT, looks at the scientific evidence for whether DAT works as a therapy and explores some of the other costs involved in the industry, such as its lack of regulation. WDCS has also produced an information leaflet on DAT. Both of these materials can be downloaded from our website by visiting http://www.wdcs.org <http://www.wdcs.org/> or you can contact cathy.williamson@wdcs.org for copies. DAT has considerable potential for harm for both the human and dolphin participants. It presents high costs to both the human participants, in terms of possible injury and high expectation and to their families, in terms of monetary expense. It also presents high costs to dolphins, in terms of capture, confinement in captivity and having to interact with people. Due to the lack of official standards or guidelines, the industry continues to grow with no regulation. There is no scientific evidence to demonstrate its long-term effectiveness as a therapy and viable alternatives exist. WDCS is launching its campaign to coincide with the third meeting of the Parties to ACCOBAMS, the Agreement on the Conservation of Cetaceans of the Black Sea, Mediterranean Sea and contiguous Atlantic Area, in Dubrovnik, Croatia. Lori Marino, a senior lecturer in neuroscience and behavioural biology at Emory University in the USA, is in Croatia presenting her review of DAT research, which has recently culminated in a paper published with co-author Scott Lilienfeld in the journal Anthrozoos: "Dolphin-Assisted Therapy: More Flawed Data and More Flawed Conclusions" <http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/berg/anthroz/2007/00000020/000000 03/art00003> . The meeting of the ACCOBAMS Parties will include a discussion on dolphin interaction programmes, an issue of concern in the Agreement Area, in particular in relation to the capture of dolphins in Turkey for DAT purposes. WDCS is a partner to ACCOBAMS and is represented at this meeting. Cathy Williamson Captivity Programme Manager WDCS, the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society WDCS Brookfield House 38 St Paul Street Chippenham Wiltshire SN15 1LJ T: 01249 449 523 F: 01249 449 501 http://www.wdcs.org <http://www.wdcs.org>