Marine mammals breed very poorly in captivity with very high infant death rates. Occasional reports of marine mammals being kept in captivity as. The case against marine mammals in captivity by the humane. Pros and cons for dolphin captivity stop cetacean captivity. Marine mammal welfare addresses the welfare effects of marine debris, of human traffic in the oceans, of noise, of hunting, of whale watching and tourism, and of some of the less obvious impacts on marine mammals on their social structures, on their behaviours and migration, and also of the effects on captivity for animals kept in zoos and. The marine mammals, stars of amusement park shows around the world, have long died before their time. We know that many schools assign debates on topical issues to help their students learn to speak and write. Marine mammals are aquatic mammals that rely on the ocean and other marine ecosystems for their existence.
For the conservation of any species to be successful, public awareness is a necessity. I have many convincing reasons to support my opinion. Cetaceans are types of aquatic mammals that include bottlenose dolphins, orcas, and belugas. Marine mammal adaptation to an aquatic lifestyle varies considerably between. The debate the ethics of keeping whales and dolphins. And the animals can be kept during rehabilitation from injury or for the purposes of licensed. Apr 20, 2011 for the conservation of any species to be successful, public awareness is a necessity. Jul 30, 20 a film, a book and a trainers death have renewed debate among scientists and animal advocates on the wisdom and morality of keeping killer whales in marine parks.
While there are no captive orcas in australia, facilities around the country display many other intelligent marine mammals including dolphins and seals. Wild orcas and other dolphins live in large, complex social groups and swim vast distances every day in the open ocean. Captivity is necessary for breedingconservation programs. Marine mammalsa group of animals that are ecologically tied to the ocean. Marine mammals in captivity from the humane society of the united states.
Animal welfare act awa the awa was first established in 1966 to apply to the sale of dogs and cats and to ensure their humane treatment. There is ongoing debate over whether marine mammals, especially whales and dolphins, should be kept in captivity. In captivity, orcas are kept in artificial social groups. I believe that they have the right to be kept in their natural environment. Popular marine mammals books meet your next favorite book. Ethical issues of keeping marine mammals in captivity. Mar 25, 2019 the marine mammals, stars of amusement park shows around the world, have long died before their time. Adventist youth honors answer booknaturemarine mammals. Like tilikum, these animals are confined to restricted artificial spaces and often required to perform unnatural tricks for large and noisy crowds in exchange for food. The hsus makes several arguments in their book, the case against marine mammals in captivity 1995, for the proper treatment of all captive marine mammals and the potential release of some individuals. At the core of humaneness, he wrote in the final chapter of marine mammals of eastern north pacific and arctic waters, is the idea of kindness, or the idea that we and the other animals are.
Lets say you do not live off the coast, theres a zoo that holds marine life so that these people can see these creatures in real life these types of people are given a. The case against marine mammals in captivity was first produced in 1995 as a comprehensive resource for the public, the media, scientists, students, and policymakers to learn the various arguments against holding marine mammals for public display in zoos, aquaria, and marine theme parks. It was just the latest milestone in the long history of displaying marine mammals for entertainment, from flippy, the first performing dolphin, to shamu, seaworlds famous killer whale. Kirby systematically dismantles the arguments used to justify keeping these. Concurrently, the international campaign against whaling was mounting, and people developed ethical and philosophical arguments against keeping whales. Dolphins and other cetaceans suffer stress and anxiety when kept in captivity, particularly when there is no enrichment or. Marine mammals in captivity january 27, 2016 seaissues2016 uncategorized captivity, dolphins, marine mammals, seaworld, whales since the first capture of a wild orca in the 1960s, it has become more and more common for marine mammals to be kept in captivity. Nov 30, 2012 captivity causes many health problems in marine mammals. The unmistakable allwhite colour, absence of a dorsal fin, and the distinctive protuberance at the front of its head which houses an echolocation organ called the melon. Captivity causes many health problems in marine mammals. Shamu and the dark side of killer whales in captivity. This kind of thinking has created a rift between public display organizations, such as oceanaria and aquariums who want to keep their animals or obtain more, and animal welfare.
Adapted to life in the arctic, it has a number of anatomical and physiological characteristics that differentiate it from other cetaceans. This page is part of a larger humane society web site that includes a more general consideration of the state of marine mammals in the world at large, and a specific, downloadable pdf document arguing that the very nature of these animals makes them uniquely unsuited to confinement. The case against marine mammals in captivity animal. A hot topic in classrooms and on the minds of the public is whether or not marine mammals should be kept in captivity. Pods of these highly complex creatures inhabit all major oceans and rivers of the worldplaying, feeding and traveling with the same companions for the duration of their lives. Here at peta, we campaign for animal rights and understand that animals are not ours to use for entertainment. Bottlenose dolphins, orcas and beluga whales are the only cetaceans who have been bred with some success, but even these do not have selfsustaining captive. A well written and heart wrenching story which just strengthened my feelings about marine mammals being kept in captivity, particularly the massive orcas who should be left to swim the oceans of the world and not be kept in tanks, no matter if they are the size of olympic swimming pools. David kirby, whose recent book death at seaworld traces the history of killer whales in captivity, found that tilikum was captured off iceland in the early 1980s when just two years old. According to a reference book for zoos, aquariums, and wildlife parks and a standard course textbook for zoo biology students, the design and construction of marinemammal habitats should consider the.
Dolphins and captive marine mammals horizon guides. Life for captive dolphins and whales bears no comparison to the lives of their wild counterparts in the ocean who, each day spend 1020% of their time at the surface, in captivity this increases to at least 70%. This chapter discusses if captivity of marine mammals is justified. Most of these helpless creatures suffer form boredom. But is there a way to proceed to resolve this issue based on evidence for whether cetaceans can thrive in marine parks and aquariums. Ethical issues of keeping marine mammals in captivity opposition to keeping orca in captivity is based partly on evidence that they are smart and social.
In his book the ethics of science, david resnik high lights eight factors. They include animals such as seals, whales, manatees, sea otters and polar bears. These highly intelligent individuals should not suffer for human fun. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading death at seaworld. Human interest in marine mammals was initially based on the commercial value. Read this blog to learn more about the heated discussion. The captive display industry is not static, and neither is our report, the case against marine mammals in captivitya forceful, evidencedriven argument against the public display of dolphins, whales, and other marine mammals, which the humane society of the united states first published in 1995. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. In his book the ethics of science, david resnik highlights eight. The time is ripe for the captivity industry and cetacean advocates and scientists to come together to create a paradigm shift in how we relate to cetaceans from exploitation to one of recognizing their need to be.
For example, humans have kept bottlenose dolphins in captivity for over 50 years. There are no selfsustaining captive populations and animals are needed from the wild to maintain genetic viability. Seaworlds announcement in march that it would stop breeding killer whales marked a turning point for the marine park industry and the anticaptivity movement. The marine mammals are usually kept in small smoothsided tanks or in seapens. For an individual who is used to swimming hundreds of miles a day, a tank is a prison cell. Concurrently, the international campaign against whaling was mounting, and people developed ethical and philosophical arguments against keeping whales, and other marine mammals, in captivity. Shamu and the dark side of killer whales in captivity kindle edition by kirby, david. The case against marine mammals in captivity animal welfare. This new edition of marine mammals of the world describes and illustrates newly discovered and rarely photographed species, making it the most comprehensive and uptodate identification guide available this edition continues to meet the researchfocused needs of marine biologists and conservation biologists by providing a tremendous influx of new photos, taking advantage. A growing body of evidence strongly indicates that captive marine mammals, most especially cetaceans whales, dolphins, and porpoises, have a difficult time living in confinement.
Canada bans keeping whales and dolphins in captivity. To help stop captivity, its important not to visit captive marine mammals in zoos or parks marine animal exhibits. However, many scientific studies have shown that animals kept in captivity experience many negative effects to their physical and mental wellbeing. The ongoing debate over whether cetaceans should be kept in captivity is relatively recent in contrast to the history of humanmarine mammal interactions. Our animals love to entertain and are always smiling. Frequently housed with incompatible tankmates, dolphins, whales, and other marine mammals are often drugged in order to manage stressinduced aggressive behavior and relieve the endless monotony of swimming in circles. There have been an extensive range of different arguments being pushed. A dolphins smile is a product of anatomydolphins smile even when dead. Death at seaworld shamu and the dark side of killer whales in captivity. Marine mammals do breed in captivity, but the birth rate in captivity is not as successful as in the wild. Case against marine mammals in captivity world animal protection.
Should humans keep marine mammals in captivity for the sake of education and entertainment. Developing standards of care for marine mammals in captivity. For this reason, when a baby dolphin is born into captivity its birth is usually kept a secret from its mother until it shows signs of survival. Marine animal captivity end the exploitation sociology essay. It is a significant issue due to the fact that it concerns deepseated moral and economic questions about the utilization of our native wildlife. Results page 2 about animals in captivity free essays. Life experience of sea animals in captivity 2053 words. Developing standards of care for marine mammals in captivity 6 committee members dr. Marine mammals are a part of nature and should not be bought, sold or thrown in an aquarium. You can help end the cruel exploitation of whales and dolphins in marine parks around the world.
There are more than 300 dolphinaria worldwide, housing more than 2,500 cetaceans in captivity. A film, a book and a trainers death have renewed debate among scientists and animal advocates on the wisdom and morality of keeping killer whales in marine parks. Kidnapped, imprisoned and forced to perform, life for a captive whale or dolphin is hell. Marine mammal welfare human induced change in the marine. Even the largest tank is only a tiny fraction of the size of the natural home ranges these marine mammals have in the wild. The case against marine mammals in captivity world animal.
In his book the ethics of science, david resnik highlights eight factors potentially. They are an informal group, unified only by their reliance on marine environments for feeding. Smart, social and erratic in captivity the new york times. The result is a growing body of scientific evidence for physical and psychological damage in cetaceans kept in concrete tanks. Marine mammalsa group of animals that are ecologically. Aquariums and marine mammal theme parks like seaworld, the miami seaquarium, and canadas marineland are part of a billiondollar industry built on the suffering of intelligent social beings who are denied everything thats natural and important to them. Human interest in marine mammals was initially based on the commercial value of killing seals and whales for oil, meat, and hides. Watch 50 years of marine mammal captivity takepart. The marine mammal protection act deals with issues concerning wild marine mammals, except for the case of importing or exporting marine mammals into and out of the u. Also, instead of holding the animals hostage under the guise of saving them from even harsher natural environments, society should work to be environmentally conscious and preserve the animals.
He was kept in a tiny covered pool for two years before being sold to a marine park in canada which closed after he drowned a trainer. Almost every species of marine mammal, other than most of the great whales, have been maintained in captivity, although some for only short periods. Marine mammals already held will be allowed to remain in captivity. Many tanks have water full of chemicals and bacteria. Dolphin and whale cetacean captivity is one of the most contentious cultural issues of modern times. Captivity of marine mammals the concern that is being presented is that of whether we should allow marine parks to stay open has been extensively debated in our community of late. Marine mammals in captivity close animal encounters provided by aquariums, marine parks, and zoos bring joy to many selfproclaimed animal lovers.
Public awareness, education, and marine mammals in captivity. Rosen is an expert in the physiological and behavioural ecology of marine mammals, with a bsc in marine biology and msc and phd degrees in biopsychology. For example, orcas, once considered competitors to fishermen, were shot and maimed indiscriminately before they were kept in captivity. In 1964 and 1965, the first orcas were captured in maintained in captivity, leading to greater popular interest. Marine mammals attract human interest sometimes this interest is benign or. Marine mammals guidelines and criteria associated with captivity september 2006 1.
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