Updated 22 July 2003, 16.44

They're being bought by a business group from Mexico, who sell them on to theme parks where they're trained to perform in front of crowds.

It's thought theme park bosses are paying up to £100,000 per dolphin.

But animal rights activists say it's cruel to take dolphins from their natural habitat and make them do tricks.

Coffin-like containers

And they say the way they're shipped over is bad too. They're loaded onto a plane and squashed into small coffin-like containers.

The animal activists, and the Australian Government, are calling for the trade to be stopped.

But Mexico says it has the proper permits and no law's being broken, so there's no need to stop.

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