Governor Jerry Brown signed a bill on Tuesday that will end SeaWorld’s orca breeding and performances in California.
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The law will go into effect in June 2017, CNN reports.
The possibility of a federal ban similar to California’s was raised late a year ago by California rep. Adam Schiff (D-Burbank), though no such nationwide law has yet been passed.
The law, authored by Assemblyman Richard Bloom (D-Santa Monica), makes exceptions for scientific and educational institutions holding orcas for research or rehabilitation.
File: In this handout photo provided by SeaWorld San Diego, a baby killer whale calf nurses from its mother, Kalia, at SeaWorld San Diego’s Shamu Stadium in San Diego, California.
The company said on its website: ‘The bill does allow for SeaWorld to rescue and rehabilitate stranded orcas, with the goal of returning them to the wild, as is the case with all animals we rescue.
The law follows three years after the documentary Blackfish spotlighted the plight of Orcas in captivity in SeaWorld San Diego and other parks.
“Most of SeaWorld’s orcas were born in a zoological setting and the environmental threats in our oceans, like oil spills and pollution are huge dangers for these animals”, Koontz added.
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In March, SeaWorld promised to abandon its breeding programs and entertainment performances to focus on educational endeavors.
