The first killer whale in the company’s care was born in a SeaWorld park in 1985. The company is now planning to expand it’s the rescue operations, Joel Manby, SeaWorld president and CEO said.
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The bad press continues for SeaWorld.
Stafford is a former SeaWorld trainer. Tilikum has been with SeaWorld for 23 years and is one of the park’s most prolific breeders, siring more than 20 calves.
“They will still be there, but it’ll be much more educational and you’ll learn about the plight of the killer whales in the wild as opposed to a theatrical show”, said Manby.
The California Coastal Commission says SeaWorld has no reason to pursue its lawsuit over a ban on breeding captive orcas at its San Diego park.
Bloom announced Thursday he is re-introducing his bill to permanently ban captive orca breeding in the state.
SeaWorld will stop its orca shows and breeding program, but will keep its 24 orcas in captivity.
SeaWorld reaffirms its commitment not to collect marine mammals from the wild. He said Thursday that he brought a “fresh perspective” to the killer whale quandary, and soon realized that “society is shifting here”.
O’Barry once trained dolphins for the television series “Flipper” before advocating for their freedom.
O’Barry says the public would support such places even without animal performances.
The 2013 documentary “Blackfish” depicted the harms inflicted on orcas in captivity. The company announced in a statement, Thursday, March 17, 2016, that breeding will cease immediately.
Now that it is done with its orca-breeding program, SeaWorld said it planned to keep all existing orcas in its habitats, so there will most likely still be orcas in the parks for the next few decades. In fact, no orca or dolphin born under human care has ever survived release into the wild.
SeaWorld, which has 12 parks across the United States, has faced heavy criticism over alleged poor treatment of its captive orcas, also known as killer whales.
It has requested a meeting with Seaworl’ds management to see how the decision will affect the future of these animals.
SeaWorld is a member of the Virginia-based organization.
SeaWorld’s shares, which have fallen about 11 per cent in the past year, closed at $US17.12 on Wednesday.
SeaWorld Entertainment Inc’s (SEAS.N) decision came after it pledged in November to replace its signature “Shamu” killer whale shows in San Diego with modified presentations of the animals that focused on conservation. “And so do many of our visitors at SeaWorld”.
Now it seems the backlash has forced SeaWorld bosses to rethink their brand, and it appears the killer whales currently in SeaWorld’s care will be the last generation of the mammals enclosed at the water parks, according to an announcement on the company’s website.
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In the op-ed, Manby, who stepped into the CEO role last April, said the move is a response to the “attitudinal change that [SeaWorld] helped to create”. Additionally, the park announced that it will partner with the Humane Society.
