The Vancouver Aquarium park board is holding an unusual meeting today – a meeting which may take place over a number of days. The topic; whether or not they should be allowed keep dolphins and whales in captivity under the Vancouver Aquarium’s care.
Over one hundred and thirty people have registered to speak on the issue – some for keeping the whales and dolphins in captivity and some against it. The fact that there are so many people registered to speak – they’ll have three minutes each – is why the meeting may take place over a couple of days.
Over the past while, the park board has been reviewing whether or not they should keep the animals, and, if they do keep the animals, if they should change regulations and practices relating to the care of them. The practice of keeping the animals at the Aquarium has drawn protests a number of times from people who are against keeping them, and demand an end to the practice.
Supporters for keeping the animals in the Aquarium have said that keeping them is an integral part of learning about both dolphins and whales, and that the majority of the ones kept in captivity were rescued, and some of them were injured before being taken in and healed.
The Aquarium is also of note for being the first sanctuary in the world that stopped capturing dolphins and whales – something which it did in 1996.
Many of the protestors have taken offense to the fact that many of the animals do tricks in front of the public for food, and a number of them have attended protests with signs that read “Captivity Kills”. They have also suggested that the dolphins and whales wish they were somewhere else, but supporters for the Aquarium have said that there is no such evidence to support that claim.