U.S. theme park operator SeaWorld Entertainment Inc says it would stop breeding killer whales and those now at its parks would be the last, stating “times have changed”.
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John Reilly, SeaWorld San Diego Park President spoke during a news conference on Thursday (March 17) and said, “We also reconfirmed our commitment to end theatrical orca shows and we will replace them with inspiring natural orca encounters”.
SeaWorld’s 2015 revenue was $1.37 billion, down slightly from $1.38 billion in the previous year.
The decision follows the California Coastal Commission’s decision in October past year to ban the USA animal park from breeding any captive whales, a decision the company had previously called “overreaching” and promised to fight in the courts.
Theatrical orca shows will end at SeaWorld San Diego in 2017 and in Orlando and San Antonio in 2019.
But now SeaWorld will end its breeding practices altogether.
“To do right by them now, SeaWorld must open the tanks to ocean sanctuaries so that these long-suffering animals may have some semblance of a life outside their prison tanks”, wrote PETA President Ingrid E. Newkirk.
In 2012, SeaWorld sent workers to infiltrate the animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, which has been particularly critical.
“That was a very horrific moment for our company”, Manby said. The new shows will begin next year at the SeaWorld Entertainment Inc.’s San Diego park. In a statement responding to the deaths, the company said: “We have the highest standard of care for all animals at our parks”. That didn’t work. The public was onto them and I think their new management made the decision to fall in step with public opinion.
“I guess it’s good and bad because it’s ecologically friendly and positive, a positive thing”, Duarte said about the changes for SeaWorld’s orcas. “It wasn’t worth fighting that”. In addition, SeaWorld agreed to invest $50 million over the course of the next five years for the rescue and rehabilitation of marine animals and Humane Society advocacy campaigns.
SeaWorld’s announcement on Thursday morning that it will no longer breed killer whales in captivity after this generation lacked the appropriate heart and remorse, social media users said.
Blackfish director Gabriela Cowperthwaite was quoted by HSUS as saying the decision to end orca breeding represented “truly meaningful change”. Killer whales have not been captured and brought to this country from USA waters since 1976 or from global waters since 2001. This announcement comes just weeks after the news spread that SeaWorld’s killer orca, Tilikum, is dying.
No captive dolphin or orca has been released into the wild successfully, Manby said.
This writer lives in San Diego, and can attest to the rampant distaste throughout the city for a theme park that still attracts tourists, albeit in vastly dwindling numbers over the years (especially since Blackfish).
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The bad press continues for SeaWorld.
