SeaWorld announced Thursday it will end its killer whale breeding programs and take what it called a “new direction” amid changing social attitudes.
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SeaWorld announced Thursday it is ending its practice of killer whale breeding following years of controversy over keeping orcas in captivity. New orca educational programs will begin at its San Diego park next year, followed by San Antonio and then Orlando in 2019.
Twenty-three of SeaWorld’s orcas were born in captivity at the theme park; a few have spent almost their entire lives in human care.
“As society’s understanding of orcas continues to change, SeaWorld is changing with it”.
‘For as long as they live, the orcas at SeaWorld will stay in our parks, ‘ writes Joel Manby, SeaWorld’s CEO, in a Los Angeles Times op-ed.
SeaWorld ended live capture of killer whales and other marine mammals from the wild years ago and reaffirms that commitment, the Humane Society says in the announcement. Subsequently, attendance at SeaWorld dropped and the company faced continued protests.
Last year, California regulators said they would block SeaWorld San Diego from continuing to breed killer whales if it went ahead with a planned expansion of their artificial habitat.
“The Coastal Commission is gratified to have played a role in SeaWorld’s decision to end its breeding program”. Once feared and labelled “killer” whales, orcas are now one of the most popular marine animals in the world.
The company made changes to the orca show after Brancheau’s death, but the Occupational Safety and Health Administration still cited the park for safety concerns and prohibited employees from performing in the water with orcas.
“These two organizations have been long-time adversaries, but we’re excited now to see the company transforming its operations for the better on animal welfare”, president and CEO of The HSUS Wayne Pacelle said.
At a news conference, part president John Reilly said the decisions were hard to make.
Back in 2013, the documentary Blackfish brought SeaWorld’s orcas into the public eye.
It will also introduce new “natural orca encounters” instead of the old theatrical shows.
Orcas have been a centerpiece of the SeaWorld parks since shows at the Shamu stadium in San Diego became the main draw in the 1970s. The National Aquarium in Baltimore announced in 2014 that it would explore retiring its eight dolphins to an oceanside sanctuary, and elected officials in some California cities passed resolutions stating that whales and dolphins have the right to freedom from captivity.
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Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., who introduced the Orca Responsibility and Care Advancement Act in 2015, applauded SeaWorld’s announcement Thursday. “Today we turn a corner, working together to achieve solutions on a wide set of animal issues including sunsetting the use of orcas at existing facilities; maximizing SeaWorld’s focus on rescue, rehabilitation and advocacy for marine mammals in the wild; and sourcing food for animals and customers from humane and sustainable sources, including cage-free eggs and crate-free pork”.
