To the people who support not keeping cetaceans in captivity, good on ya you are looking to the future. To those that think they should be exploited you will be living in the past and left in the dark.
David - 6 years ago
To the people who support not keeping cetaceans in captivity, good on ya you are looking to the future. To those that think they should be exploited you will be living in the past and left in the dark.
David - 6 years ago
To the people who support not keeping cetaceans in captivity, good on ya you are looking to the future. To those that think they should be exploited you will be living in the past and left in the dark.
As a result of the Vancouver Aquarium pro captivity business there has been at least 54 deaths of cetaceans since they harpooned their first orca in 1964. Some of the deaths occurred during their captures and breeding at other aquariums. They had many failed breeding programs. Three orca babies, ten beluga babies and two Pacific white-sided dolphin babies have died. The known deaths include 9 orcas, 7 narwhals, 1 False killer whale, 21 belugas, 2 Harbour porpoise, and 14 Pacific white-sided dolphins.
These are at least 54 reasons to boycott!
The Vancouver Aquarium media spin doctors got the media credit they had planned for in spite of their continued law suit to overturn the bylaw. The headlines claim that “VA Bans Whale and Dolphin Captivity” when they vehemently fought against any ban. Further, in violation of the Cetacean Bylaw, the VA states that they will fight to keep “rescues” at the aquarium for any longer “care” until whenever they may find another aquarium but not humane options such as sea pens. Sadly, they will try to perpetuate captivity.
Heather - 6 years ago
Good thing. The tide has turned. People don't want to see imprisoned marine mammals.
Sarah Ward - 6 years ago
The animals are not "suffering". They are living the Life of Reilly. It's like being on permanent holiday and everything is free!
Heather Szilagyi - 6 years ago
What do I think? I think by mentioning the Aquarium staff being disappointed, you are swaying the votes of people before they have time to even think about what holding highly intelligent animals in tanks really means. And The Province should be ashamed of themselves for wording it that way. This shows once again how brave the Park Board was to vote for science and intelligence over money and power.
Mamie Holst - 6 years ago
To any of you who think they should be in captivity, YOU should put yourself in captivity there instead. See how "educational" your captivity can be to other humans.
Berny Eisel - 6 years ago
Closing down these exhibitions is definitively a step backwards. Lots of the knowledge about these animals and all about how to care for stranded or injured cetaceans descents from the work of good marine mammal zoos. These animals were loved, well cared for and living in state of the art zoo facilities. Pour decision based on opinion of animal rights lunatics, not on scientific evidence.
Clare eagles - 6 years ago
This a really forward thinking decision and the makers are to be applauded for their decision. Well done. The days of animal entertainment are in the dark ages.
Noelle Brown - 6 years ago
I don't like animals caged but I sure approve of rehabilitation and restoring numbers. The person David with all the stats on deaths I notice doesn't list all those who have died in the oceans, could be hundreds/thousands more in the wild!!! What no stats?
Couldn't that be what Vancouver Aquariums could be a wellness run place. Helping people learn about carrying for the oceans and the animals living there, wouldn't that be a good thing?
I see that as a better solution and also the money collected would be spent on education for schools etc.
Rehabilitation is a much better solution and still let people interact.
Gatlin Fitzgerald - 6 years ago
I hate that there is even an option for this. We're well beyond the archaic system of keeping sentient non human animals in cages. It's quite ridiculous that anyone would even argue that.
Thousands of vets, scientists, and conservationists all agree that keeping these animals like VA does is DIRECTLY linked to their shorter lifespans. Kids don't need to learn about them from exploitation. I know lots about dinosaurs and you can probably guess I didn't learn that from caged T-Rexs.
VA has an offsite rescue facility. That's where rescue should be done.
I'll ask the VA supporters this question: What is the point of exploitation after rescue if the animal dies in captivity rather than in the wild? What literally is the point?
I'll answer for you: Money. Same reason this ban was adhered to by John Nightingale. So they could keep their 50 mil for the expansion.
Now what about all the other animals. Frogs (in boxes), turtles (without room to explore), sloths (in cramp enclosures and not on animal conservations where non-releasable animals should be), fish (taken for the sole purpose of interior design - seriously? Jellyfish in a small tube?) , etc exploited for financial gain?
I don't get it. Like even a little bit. Even as a kid I didn't get it. Even as an ignorant-from-small-town-prairies-hick, zoos and aquariums seemed extreme. Sure animals are nice to look at; but let's be real here and call this what it is: Exploitation for financial and power gains.
David Isbister - 6 years ago
42 dead cetaceans, 54 years. 1 every 1.3 years.
9 of 10 captive bred baby beluga dead before the age of 3.
Every orca calf, dead.
5 of the last 6 Beluga deaths unresolved.
4 dead cetaceans in the past 13 months alone.
Vancouver Aquarium will move forward and imprison other animals for entertainment in the guise of Conservation but those who can reflect on the spin and inconsistency of their actions along with the consistency of premature deaths and harm to animals that are kept there know we can all still help animals without harming other ones and supporting the worst practices of zoos: purpose breeding for captivity.
This is the right decision and they were going to lose anyway. TO call the actions of people who care about the constant stream of death and legacy of senseless death there "maniacal" is curious relative to their past heinous actions. SeaWorld and Shedd still hold 5 of their belugas used almost exclusively for breeding.
Please everyone, familiarize yourself with the history and ongoing action of this facility. From their own published numbers, this "rescue" never has spent more than 5% on rescue, rehabilitation, and education. This is a zoo, led by the same people who accredit the notoriously awful MarineLand, Calgary Zoo (350 deaths in the past decade), and the now closed Bowmanville Zoo (cruelty). John Nightingale and Clint Wright Chair an industry led accreditation organization. They self inspect and accredit and set cruel regulations that help them avoid accountability from other orgs with authority to enforce.
Sporadic rescue of almost exclusively harbour seals does not excuse cetacean or other purpose bred captives early deaths and misery.
Iain Palmer - 6 years ago
Putting any animal into captivity is wrong. As humans we must be humane. What wrong have these animals done to deserve such treatment. Creating such suffering so a few people can look at another creature is cruel and no longer appropriate when we can view these animals in their natural habitat via the many documentaries that are available. Shame on you all for voting to keep anything in captivity.
Iain Palmer - 6 years ago
Putting any animal into captivity is wrong. As humans we must be humane. What wrong have these animals done to deserve such treatment. Creating such suffering so a few people can look at another creature is cruel and no longer appropriate when we can view these animals in their natural habitat via the many documentaries that are available. Shame on you all for voting to keep anything in captivity.
To the people who support not keeping cetaceans in captivity, good on ya you are looking to the future. To those that think they should be exploited you will be living in the past and left in the dark.
To the people who support not keeping cetaceans in captivity, good on ya you are looking to the future. To those that think they should be exploited you will be living in the past and left in the dark.
To the people who support not keeping cetaceans in captivity, good on ya you are looking to the future. To those that think they should be exploited you will be living in the past and left in the dark.
As a result of the Vancouver Aquarium pro captivity business there has been at least 54 deaths of cetaceans since they harpooned their first orca in 1964. Some of the deaths occurred during their captures and breeding at other aquariums. They had many failed breeding programs. Three orca babies, ten beluga babies and two Pacific white-sided dolphin babies have died. The known deaths include 9 orcas, 7 narwhals, 1 False killer whale, 21 belugas, 2 Harbour porpoise, and 14 Pacific white-sided dolphins.
These are at least 54 reasons to boycott!
The Vancouver Aquarium media spin doctors got the media credit they had planned for in spite of their continued law suit to overturn the bylaw. The headlines claim that “VA Bans Whale and Dolphin Captivity” when they vehemently fought against any ban. Further, in violation of the Cetacean Bylaw, the VA states that they will fight to keep “rescues” at the aquarium for any longer “care” until whenever they may find another aquarium but not humane options such as sea pens. Sadly, they will try to perpetuate captivity.
Good thing. The tide has turned. People don't want to see imprisoned marine mammals.
The animals are not "suffering". They are living the Life of Reilly. It's like being on permanent holiday and everything is free!
What do I think? I think by mentioning the Aquarium staff being disappointed, you are swaying the votes of people before they have time to even think about what holding highly intelligent animals in tanks really means. And The Province should be ashamed of themselves for wording it that way. This shows once again how brave the Park Board was to vote for science and intelligence over money and power.
To any of you who think they should be in captivity, YOU should put yourself in captivity there instead. See how "educational" your captivity can be to other humans.
Closing down these exhibitions is definitively a step backwards. Lots of the knowledge about these animals and all about how to care for stranded or injured cetaceans descents from the work of good marine mammal zoos. These animals were loved, well cared for and living in state of the art zoo facilities. Pour decision based on opinion of animal rights lunatics, not on scientific evidence.
This a really forward thinking decision and the makers are to be applauded for their decision. Well done. The days of animal entertainment are in the dark ages.
I don't like animals caged but I sure approve of rehabilitation and restoring numbers. The person David with all the stats on deaths I notice doesn't list all those who have died in the oceans, could be hundreds/thousands more in the wild!!! What no stats?
Couldn't that be what Vancouver Aquariums could be a wellness run place. Helping people learn about carrying for the oceans and the animals living there, wouldn't that be a good thing?
I see that as a better solution and also the money collected would be spent on education for schools etc.
Rehabilitation is a much better solution and still let people interact.
I hate that there is even an option for this. We're well beyond the archaic system of keeping sentient non human animals in cages. It's quite ridiculous that anyone would even argue that.
Thousands of vets, scientists, and conservationists all agree that keeping these animals like VA does is DIRECTLY linked to their shorter lifespans. Kids don't need to learn about them from exploitation. I know lots about dinosaurs and you can probably guess I didn't learn that from caged T-Rexs.
VA has an offsite rescue facility. That's where rescue should be done.
I'll ask the VA supporters this question: What is the point of exploitation after rescue if the animal dies in captivity rather than in the wild? What literally is the point?
I'll answer for you: Money. Same reason this ban was adhered to by John Nightingale. So they could keep their 50 mil for the expansion.
Now what about all the other animals. Frogs (in boxes), turtles (without room to explore), sloths (in cramp enclosures and not on animal conservations where non-releasable animals should be), fish (taken for the sole purpose of interior design - seriously? Jellyfish in a small tube?) , etc exploited for financial gain?
I don't get it. Like even a little bit. Even as a kid I didn't get it. Even as an ignorant-from-small-town-prairies-hick, zoos and aquariums seemed extreme. Sure animals are nice to look at; but let's be real here and call this what it is: Exploitation for financial and power gains.
42 dead cetaceans, 54 years. 1 every 1.3 years.
9 of 10 captive bred baby beluga dead before the age of 3.
Every orca calf, dead.
5 of the last 6 Beluga deaths unresolved.
4 dead cetaceans in the past 13 months alone.
Vancouver Aquarium will move forward and imprison other animals for entertainment in the guise of Conservation but those who can reflect on the spin and inconsistency of their actions along with the consistency of premature deaths and harm to animals that are kept there know we can all still help animals without harming other ones and supporting the worst practices of zoos: purpose breeding for captivity.
This is the right decision and they were going to lose anyway. TO call the actions of people who care about the constant stream of death and legacy of senseless death there "maniacal" is curious relative to their past heinous actions. SeaWorld and Shedd still hold 5 of their belugas used almost exclusively for breeding.
Please everyone, familiarize yourself with the history and ongoing action of this facility. From their own published numbers, this "rescue" never has spent more than 5% on rescue, rehabilitation, and education. This is a zoo, led by the same people who accredit the notoriously awful MarineLand, Calgary Zoo (350 deaths in the past decade), and the now closed Bowmanville Zoo (cruelty). John Nightingale and Clint Wright Chair an industry led accreditation organization. They self inspect and accredit and set cruel regulations that help them avoid accountability from other orgs with authority to enforce.
Sporadic rescue of almost exclusively harbour seals does not excuse cetacean or other purpose bred captives early deaths and misery.
Putting any animal into captivity is wrong. As humans we must be humane. What wrong have these animals done to deserve such treatment. Creating such suffering so a few people can look at another creature is cruel and no longer appropriate when we can view these animals in their natural habitat via the many documentaries that are available. Shame on you all for voting to keep anything in captivity.
Putting any animal into captivity is wrong. As humans we must be humane. What wrong have these animals done to deserve such treatment. Creating such suffering so a few people can look at another creature is cruel and no longer appropriate when we can view these animals in their natural habitat via the many documentaries that are available. Shame on you all for voting to keep anything in captivity.