Recently, two major national newspaper editorial boards have come out swinging at SeaWorld.
On November 15, the Washington Post editorial board published a piece titled “SeaWorld’s Whales Still Deserve Better”. The authors argue that just as the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus had to come to grips with the reality that dressing up elephants and forcing them to stand on their heads was a callous holdover of another age, SeaWorld should recognize the need for new thinking and bold action. The whales now in captivity are unlikely to survive in the wild, but sanctuaries could be created that would better emulate conditions of their natural habitat. The existing tanks would be put to far better use accommodating the injured animals that are a part of SeaWorld’s admirable rescue efforts. Since breeding orcas only consigns future generations to captivity and its inherent cruelty, SeaWorld should voluntarily end the practice.
The Los Angeles Times entered the fray on November 9, titling their piece: “SeaWorld’s Ban on Orca Shows Should be Just the Start of Changes”. They believe SeaWorld would be better off ending its breeding program, allowing its orca population to die out naturally — which would still give it decades of exhibition — and reserving its tanks for injured animals that cannot survive in the wild.
If SeaWorld doesn't do that on its own, it might be forced to do so over time.
Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Burbank) announced plans to introduce legislation to ban the capture of wild orcas and captive breeding. The bill's chances of passage are slim, but the issue isn't going away. California State legislation that would have banned San Diego SeaWorld from captive breeding was held over to next year.
When it comes back, it will have a better chance of passage.
It is clear that these two influential editorial boards are merely reflecting what is becoming more accepted by the public – that orcas do not belong in captivity. Hopefully SeaWorld executives are taking note.
PLEASE DONATE TO SUPPORT OUR LEGAL AND ORGANIZING EFFORTS FOR SEAWORLD’S CAPTIVE CETACEANS.
SeaWorld Must Stop False Claims about Captive Orcas
TARGET: CEO JOEL MANBY
Several former visitors to SeaWorld, who paid to attend the marine park in San Diego, CA, filed suit against SeaWorld Entertainment, Inc. on the basis of false and misleading claims made by SeaWorld about the health and welfare of captive orca whales.The plaintiffs are represented by Covington & Burling LLP, which is being assisted by Earth Island Institute’s International Marine Mammal Project.
SeaWorld is luring people to buy tickets based on a pack of false and misleading statements, instead of revealing the cruel and unhealthy conditions that captive orcas have to endure. As one of the world’s leading advocacy groups for dolphins and whales, Earth Island will serve to advance the case and as an advisor to legal counsel and plaintiffs.
PETITION BY
Save Japan Dolphins
Berkeley, California
To: CEO Joel Manby
From: [Your Name]
We support the new lawsuit sponsored by Earth Island Institute’s International Marine Mammal Project and call on SeaWorld's new CEO Joel Manby to cease and desist from their false and deceptive information dissemination about orcas aimed at misleading members of the public to buy tickets. SeaWorld is failing to tell the truth about
- the cruel conditions of small sterile pools for large and intelligent orcas which lead to premature deaths of captive orcas,