Zarah Otto: Speak up for the voiceless

Zarah Otto.

This morning I woke up and suddenly realised that I have spent more than half of my life trying to save Marineland's animals. For the past seven years, I have cleaned beaches, written poetry, raised awareness about marine conservation, fundraised and presented oral submissions to the council asking them to consider setting up a marine wildlife rescue and education centre in Napier.

For seven years, I have tried everything I could think of to try and persuade the council to listen to the children of Napier to keep Marineland's animals here where we can look after them, see them and learn from them.

The animals are still here but the closest I can get to them these days is to sit outside the fence and listen to them "talking" to each other and splashing in and out of their pools.

Last December, Mayor Dalton came to visit me and my sisters at our home. He told us we'd worked hard and that we shouldn't give up doing what we were doing. He told us that a marine wildlife rescue centre was a good idea, just not on the Marineland site. He gave us hope. So, when I woke up this morning, I suddenly felt like I had to do something for our animals before it's too late. My sisters and I can't afford to pay thousands of dollars for a business plan as the council suggests, so here it is and maybe someone out there with vision, a love of animals can help us realise the dream:

Zarah Otto's Business Plan: Build naturally-landscaped pools next to the Aquarium and move the animals there. Include a cafe and picnic area for visitors.

The animals don't need to perform. They can just swim, eat, sunbathe and be. We get to watch and learn from them. This will make the Marine Education Centre even better and visitors from all over New Zealand and the world will come to Napier to enjoy it. We can all help build it. It could be a huge community project. Napier could be the marine conservation hub of New Zealand. We could feel proud about that instead of feeling helpless and embarrassed that we stood by and let the animals go to Australia. This is one of my poems:

I HAVE A VOICE

By some I am unheard

I try to put my heart into my words

Which I speak with nerve

But I would prefer to be heard

Not herded

Into conformity, uniformity

Into someone I am not

Wise people have spoken before me

I am not the first to dream

To have a thought or a vision, an idea or impression

Of how great something could be

Because I decide what I see

No one can see things for me

When I dream and believe

My thoughts are free

I HAVE A VOICE

To make a difference

To be part of important decisions

I want to use my vision

To develop and create, experiment and innovate

A foundation for marine conservation, rescue and education

To benefit all in society without question

It starts with my actions not just best intentions

Use my ideas as a guide

Help the decision-makers decide

To follow the path in the right direction

I HAVE A VOICE

Tangaroa's treasures have long been in my interest

Am I insane?

Speaking again

To the council all the same

But I don't mean to blame

There are other ideas on the list

Not to be biased

But Marineland shouldn't be missed

I HAVE A VOICE

Not just for singing

But for questioning, explaining and expressing my feelings

Listen to my reasoning

To my truthful communicating

On a topic that is full of meaning

I just need people to understand and be willing

I'm not the only person who has a voice

What's your reason for your silence?

Confusion or apathy?

I'll give you guidance

You just have to make a choice

If you're going to join this particular force

Even if you are a novice

Just like you

I HAVE A VOICE

I speak with passion, confidence, emotion and conviction

You could too

Together we'll get through

There's strength in numbers

Whether 50,000 strong or

Just me and you

I HAVE A VOICE

Muffled by bureaucracy

I am a wildlife warrior

My roar is my poetry

You know what's at stake

Marineland's animals, their welfare, their fate

If we do nothing, they're gone

Outta here packed into crates

Like unwanted baggage

Lost in transit, abandoned

Destined for Aussie, mate!

No-one can hear them

I AM THEIR VOICE

• Zarah Otto is a support leader at Taradale Intermediate, award-winning poet and Marineland ranger. Her "poetry slam" took third place at her school's speech competition this year.

• Business and civic leaders, organisers, experts in their field and interest groups can contribute opinions. Email: editor@hbtoday.co.nz.

All views expressed here are those of the writer, not the newspaper.