SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
SeaWorld to End Orca Shows--But Not Captivity of 'Incredible Creatures'
Animal rights activists say move is motivated by mounting protests as well as tanking profits
Nov 09, 2015
Facing mounting protests and plummeting profits, SeaWorld intends to phase out its infamous killer whale show at its San Diego park next year.
According to the San Diego Union-Tribune, which broke the news after seeing a SeaWorld document posted online in advance of a corporate webcast, the decision is "part of a comprehensive strategy unveiled Monday to re-position the embattled company amid persistent criticisms of how it treats its orcas."
"An end to SeaWorld's tawdry circus-style shows is inevitable and necessary, but it's captivity that denies these far-ranging orcas everything that is natural and important to them."
--Jared Goodman, PETA
The Union-Tribune further reports that in the show's place will be a new orca "experience" debuting in 2017, described as "informative" and designed to take place in a more natural setting that would carry a "conservation message inspiring people to act."
In the wake of increased public awareness about the sea-park industry sparked by the 2013 documentary Blackfish, the announcement drew limited praise from animal rights activists--and critics were quick to note that SeaWorld's plans appear to still be motivated by the company's bottom line as opposed to animal welfare.
"While SeaWorld would like us to believe their motivation is advocacy based...the company has clearly ignored the millions who have already acted and voiced their stance," read a blog post at the Ric O'Barry's Dolphin Project website on Monday. "[S]pecifically, that: keeping orcas in captivity is an unacceptable and outdated practice, no matter the exhibit or size of the tanks."
And as USA Today points out, the California Coastal Commission recently refused to give the company permission to breed killer whales, a decision that would have threatened its theatrical shows.
In addition, "while it's possible the killer whale shows could come to an end at SeaWorld's two other namesake parks, in Orlando and San Antonio, no mention is made of that in the company's online presentation," the Union-Tribune reported.
| Tweets about #Blackfish #SeaWorld |
Animal rights groups called for SeaWorld to go further.
"An end to SeaWorld's tawdry circus-style shows is inevitable and necessary, but it's captivity that denies these far-ranging orcas everything that is natural and important to them," said PETA's director of animal law Jared Goodman. "This move is like no longer whipping lions in a circus act but keeping them locked inside cages for life or no longer beating dogs but never letting them out of crates."
He cited the recently unveiled Orca Responsibility and Care Advancement (ORCA) Act, a soon-to-be-introduced bill that would "phase out the captivity of orcas so that their display ends with this generation." Sponsored by Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), the legislation would outlaw breeding, capturing, and importing orca whales for the purpose of public exhibition in the U.S.
"The decision by SeaWorld to phase out killer whale shows in San Diego is a welcome step along the path towards ending the captivity of these magnificent creatures," Schiff said on Monday in response to the news. "Much more needs to be done, however, and I would urge the company to curtail the breeding of their orcas and partner in the creation of ocean sanctuaries. The fact still remains that as long as SeaWorld holds orcas in captivity, the physical and psychological problems associated with their captivity will persist."
The ORCA Act indicates that "no change to SeaWorld's tanks will be sufficient to satisfy the needs of these animals," Goodman added. "That's why PETA is calling on SeaWorld to stop breeding orcas and start building sea sanctuaries where they can experience an actual natural setting and finally thrive."
An Urgent Message From Our Co-Founder
Dear Common Dreams reader, It’s been nearly 30 years since I co-founded Common Dreams with my late wife, Lina Newhouser. We had the radical notion that journalism should serve the public good, not corporate profits. It was clear to us from the outset what it would take to build such a project. No paid advertisements. No corporate sponsors. No millionaire publisher telling us what to think or do. Many people said we wouldn't last a year, but we proved those doubters wrong. Together with a tremendous team of journalists and dedicated staff, we built an independent media outlet free from the constraints of profits and corporate control. Our mission has always been simple: To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. Building Common Dreams was not easy. Our survival was never guaranteed. When you take on the most powerful forces—Wall Street greed, fossil fuel industry destruction, Big Tech lobbyists, and uber-rich oligarchs who have spent billions upon billions rigging the economy and democracy in their favor—the only bulwark you have is supporters who believe in your work. But here’s the urgent message from me today. It's never been this bad out there. And it's never been this hard to keep us going. At the very moment Common Dreams is most needed, the threats we face are intensifying. We need your support now more than ever. We don't accept corporate advertising and never will. We don't have a paywall because we don't think people should be blocked from critical news based on their ability to pay. Everything we do is funded by the donations of readers like you. When everyone does the little they can afford, we are strong. But if that support retreats or dries up, so do we. Will you donate now to make sure Common Dreams not only survives but thrives? —Craig Brown, Co-founder |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Deirdre Fulton
Deirdre Fulton is a former Common Dreams senior editor and staff writer. Previously she worked as an editor and writer for the Portland Phoenix and the Boston Phoenix, where she was honored by the New England Press Association and the Association of Alternative Newsweeklies. A Boston University graduate, Deirdre is a co-founder of the Maine-based Lorem Ipsum Theater Collective and the PortFringe theater festival. She writes young adult fiction in her spare time.
Facing mounting protests and plummeting profits, SeaWorld intends to phase out its infamous killer whale show at its San Diego park next year.
According to the San Diego Union-Tribune, which broke the news after seeing a SeaWorld document posted online in advance of a corporate webcast, the decision is "part of a comprehensive strategy unveiled Monday to re-position the embattled company amid persistent criticisms of how it treats its orcas."
"An end to SeaWorld's tawdry circus-style shows is inevitable and necessary, but it's captivity that denies these far-ranging orcas everything that is natural and important to them."
--Jared Goodman, PETA
The Union-Tribune further reports that in the show's place will be a new orca "experience" debuting in 2017, described as "informative" and designed to take place in a more natural setting that would carry a "conservation message inspiring people to act."
In the wake of increased public awareness about the sea-park industry sparked by the 2013 documentary Blackfish, the announcement drew limited praise from animal rights activists--and critics were quick to note that SeaWorld's plans appear to still be motivated by the company's bottom line as opposed to animal welfare.
"While SeaWorld would like us to believe their motivation is advocacy based...the company has clearly ignored the millions who have already acted and voiced their stance," read a blog post at the Ric O'Barry's Dolphin Project website on Monday. "[S]pecifically, that: keeping orcas in captivity is an unacceptable and outdated practice, no matter the exhibit or size of the tanks."
And as USA Today points out, the California Coastal Commission recently refused to give the company permission to breed killer whales, a decision that would have threatened its theatrical shows.
In addition, "while it's possible the killer whale shows could come to an end at SeaWorld's two other namesake parks, in Orlando and San Antonio, no mention is made of that in the company's online presentation," the Union-Tribune reported.
| Tweets about #Blackfish #SeaWorld |
Animal rights groups called for SeaWorld to go further.
"An end to SeaWorld's tawdry circus-style shows is inevitable and necessary, but it's captivity that denies these far-ranging orcas everything that is natural and important to them," said PETA's director of animal law Jared Goodman. "This move is like no longer whipping lions in a circus act but keeping them locked inside cages for life or no longer beating dogs but never letting them out of crates."
He cited the recently unveiled Orca Responsibility and Care Advancement (ORCA) Act, a soon-to-be-introduced bill that would "phase out the captivity of orcas so that their display ends with this generation." Sponsored by Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), the legislation would outlaw breeding, capturing, and importing orca whales for the purpose of public exhibition in the U.S.
"The decision by SeaWorld to phase out killer whale shows in San Diego is a welcome step along the path towards ending the captivity of these magnificent creatures," Schiff said on Monday in response to the news. "Much more needs to be done, however, and I would urge the company to curtail the breeding of their orcas and partner in the creation of ocean sanctuaries. The fact still remains that as long as SeaWorld holds orcas in captivity, the physical and psychological problems associated with their captivity will persist."
The ORCA Act indicates that "no change to SeaWorld's tanks will be sufficient to satisfy the needs of these animals," Goodman added. "That's why PETA is calling on SeaWorld to stop breeding orcas and start building sea sanctuaries where they can experience an actual natural setting and finally thrive."
Deirdre Fulton
Deirdre Fulton is a former Common Dreams senior editor and staff writer. Previously she worked as an editor and writer for the Portland Phoenix and the Boston Phoenix, where she was honored by the New England Press Association and the Association of Alternative Newsweeklies. A Boston University graduate, Deirdre is a co-founder of the Maine-based Lorem Ipsum Theater Collective and the PortFringe theater festival. She writes young adult fiction in her spare time.
Facing mounting protests and plummeting profits, SeaWorld intends to phase out its infamous killer whale show at its San Diego park next year.
According to the San Diego Union-Tribune, which broke the news after seeing a SeaWorld document posted online in advance of a corporate webcast, the decision is "part of a comprehensive strategy unveiled Monday to re-position the embattled company amid persistent criticisms of how it treats its orcas."
"An end to SeaWorld's tawdry circus-style shows is inevitable and necessary, but it's captivity that denies these far-ranging orcas everything that is natural and important to them."
--Jared Goodman, PETA
The Union-Tribune further reports that in the show's place will be a new orca "experience" debuting in 2017, described as "informative" and designed to take place in a more natural setting that would carry a "conservation message inspiring people to act."
In the wake of increased public awareness about the sea-park industry sparked by the 2013 documentary Blackfish, the announcement drew limited praise from animal rights activists--and critics were quick to note that SeaWorld's plans appear to still be motivated by the company's bottom line as opposed to animal welfare.
"While SeaWorld would like us to believe their motivation is advocacy based...the company has clearly ignored the millions who have already acted and voiced their stance," read a blog post at the Ric O'Barry's Dolphin Project website on Monday. "[S]pecifically, that: keeping orcas in captivity is an unacceptable and outdated practice, no matter the exhibit or size of the tanks."
And as USA Today points out, the California Coastal Commission recently refused to give the company permission to breed killer whales, a decision that would have threatened its theatrical shows.
In addition, "while it's possible the killer whale shows could come to an end at SeaWorld's two other namesake parks, in Orlando and San Antonio, no mention is made of that in the company's online presentation," the Union-Tribune reported.
| Tweets about #Blackfish #SeaWorld |
Animal rights groups called for SeaWorld to go further.
"An end to SeaWorld's tawdry circus-style shows is inevitable and necessary, but it's captivity that denies these far-ranging orcas everything that is natural and important to them," said PETA's director of animal law Jared Goodman. "This move is like no longer whipping lions in a circus act but keeping them locked inside cages for life or no longer beating dogs but never letting them out of crates."
He cited the recently unveiled Orca Responsibility and Care Advancement (ORCA) Act, a soon-to-be-introduced bill that would "phase out the captivity of orcas so that their display ends with this generation." Sponsored by Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), the legislation would outlaw breeding, capturing, and importing orca whales for the purpose of public exhibition in the U.S.
"The decision by SeaWorld to phase out killer whale shows in San Diego is a welcome step along the path towards ending the captivity of these magnificent creatures," Schiff said on Monday in response to the news. "Much more needs to be done, however, and I would urge the company to curtail the breeding of their orcas and partner in the creation of ocean sanctuaries. The fact still remains that as long as SeaWorld holds orcas in captivity, the physical and psychological problems associated with their captivity will persist."
The ORCA Act indicates that "no change to SeaWorld's tanks will be sufficient to satisfy the needs of these animals," Goodman added. "That's why PETA is calling on SeaWorld to stop breeding orcas and start building sea sanctuaries where they can experience an actual natural setting and finally thrive."
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.