In the whale and dolphin news this week:
The Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) allows for wild animals to be removed for the purpose of public display. In June, the Georgia Aquarium submitted an application for a permit from the MMPA to import 18 beluga whales from the Utrish Marine Mammal Research Station in Russia to the United States for the purpose of public display. These animals were previously captured from the Russian Sea of Okhotsk.
They would be legally imported and held in the Georgia Aquarium with some transported to other facilities for a breeding loan agreement. The other facilities include Sea World Orlando, Sea World Texas, Sea World California, and Shedd Aquarium.
This issue is open for public comments through October 9 before a public hearing will be held October 15. For more information, click here
In other news
Sea World Orlando is appealing an OSHA citation recommending that Sea World trainers never again be allowed to have unprotected contact with killer whales during the shows. The citation came about after the 2010 death of Dawn Brancheau. Dawn was a veteran trainer killed by Tillikum, a wild captured killer whale that remains at Sea World Orlando.
In Taiji
The Japanese have been unsuccessful in corralling dolphins and whales this week and have come back empty handed almost every day. Yesterday, a pod of 10-12 bottlenose dolphins were brought into the cove. Trainers came to the cove in skiffs to pick one for captivity. The rest were released back into the wild. For this one dolphin, he was torn from his family and home to live life in a tank. Sad!
No killing this week though.
The best news is that there was no killing this week.
ReplyDeleteWhat do you think about the OSHA citation?
ReplyDeleteI'm pleased there was no killing this week.
ReplyDeleteI was wondering the same thing as Suze.
ReplyDeleteThere used to be a Sea World in Ohio. I remember going there when I was a kid. I get it that it's not ideal to move whales and other ocean creatures to a tank in Ohio, but that one experience made me love them and turned me into a junior environmentalist, which carried forward to my adult life.
This is a great way to bring awareness to people. Thrilled to hear that no whales were killed. :-)
ReplyDeleteNo killing this week means more killing next week, let's face it.
ReplyDeleteAnd honestly, I can't feel sorry for the killed trainer. If I were torn from my family, kicked in a water cage where I can practically only float, and someone comes in there with dead fish, a ball, and a clown nose, I'd just kill him/her.
I wish they'd see how cruel it was transporting such beautiful creatures about for others to gawp at. They should be allowed privacy, dignity and freedom. Glad there was no killing.
ReplyDelete