VICTORY! VANCOUVER AQUARIUM CAPTIVITY STOPPED DEAD IN THE WATER

CONTACT:

Fleur Dawes, fleur@idausa.org, 415-448-0048

IMAGES: http://bit.ly/DeadBelugasVA

VIDEO: https://youtu.be/4C2NcMyJIms (all calves and mothers since dead)

Vancouver, Canada (16 May, 2017) - After decades of effort by In Defense of Animals and whale and dolphin advocates in Canada and across the globe, Vancouver Parks Board commissioners last night voted six to one to end performances and imports of beluga whales and dolphins at Vancouver Aquarium, effective immediately. The new legislation allows the aquarium to keep three cetaceans currently at the facility who were rescued but sadly deemed unreleasable. The Aquarium will not be allowed to make them perform for audiences. Vancouver’s ban follows a ban passed in France last week, which has outlawed the keeping of dolphins and orca in captivity across the country.

“Whales and dolphins have no place in entertainment, and we are delighted that Vancouver has made the right choice for these cetaceans,” said Dr. Toni Frohoff, cetacean scientist at In Defense of Animals. “We thank our supporters and animal activists around the world, who rallied support for this ban and as we exposed Vancouver Aquarium as one of the 10 Worst Tanks for exhibiting suffering cetaceans in its dying pools. The science is clear and the world is speaking up to stop exploiting these intelligent and sensitive animals, by closing down archaic captive animal facilities for good.”

In Defense of Animals supporters sent thousands of emails and made countless phone calls to the Parks Board over the past several months. Our first alert overwhelmed the Parks Board communications system, according to Parks Board commissioners. Over time, almost all commissioners were moved by the need to end captivity at the Vancouver Aquarium.

The latest push to ban cetacean captivity at Vancouver Aquarium was sparked by the tragic November 2016 deaths of two beluga whales, 29 year old Aurora, and her 21 year old daughter Qila. They died slowly from a toxin. Three other belugas died within three years of being born at the Aquarium since 2005, which earned Vancouver Aquarium the shameful #9 spot on In Defense of Animals' 2016 Ten Worst Tanks list.

Though Vancouver Aquarium operates as a nonprofit, the Aquarium, its president John Nightingale, and others take part in managing and supporting for-profit captivity businesses in the U.S. and Europe where captive whales and dolphins are induced to perform shows.

After the most recent deaths, the Aquarium conducted an extensive investigation that concluded an unknown toxin killed Aurora and Qila. The Aquarium had campaigned to stop the ban, despite previously agreeing to end beluga captivity in 2029, twelve years from now.

The Vancouver Aquarium has already threatened to file a lawsuit to keep exploiting cetaceans.

For more information, visit www.idausa.org/10worsttanks

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In Defense of Animals is an international animal protection organization with over 250,000 supporters and a 30-year history of fighting for animals, people and the environment through education, campaigns and hands-on rescue facilities in India, Africa, and rural Mississippi.

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