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Watch out SeaWorld! California Assemblymember Richard Bloom (D–Santa Monica) is planning to introduce a new bill, which would make it illegal to use orcas for performance or entertainment purposes, reports U-T San Diego.
Since SeaWorld is currently the only entertainment park in the state of Calif., this new law is aimed directly at putting an end to their orca shows. If you think this smells of “Blackfish,” you’re right! Bloom said he is being driven to act by revelations in the disputed documentary “Blackfish.” In other words, yes, as predicted, the “Blackfish Effect” is still very much alive!
“There is no justification for the continued captive display of orcas for entertainment purposes,” Bloom said in remarks prepared for the bill’s release on March 7, 2014. These beautiful creatures are much too large and far too intelligent to be confined in small, concrete tanks for their entire lives.” Well said! Orcas definitely do not belong in captivity, for our entertainment, no matter how many excuses SeaWorld tries to make.
Countries like Greece, Hungry, Costa Rica, Chile, Switzerland, and India already have similar bans in place, and if this bill does become law, Calif. will join the state of South Carolina and the island of Maui, Hawaii in saying no to captivity.
The bill is obviously going to face stiff opposition from SeaWorld, whose main attraction at their San Diego, Calif. theme park are orcas, 10 of which are housed in a 7 million gallon habitat known as Shamu Stadium. The theme park draws about 4.4 million visitors every year, making approximately $1.4 billion in revenue, and pays around $14 million in rent to the city of San Diego for roughly 172 acres of land and about 18 acres of water within Mission Bay Park.
No matter what the outcome, this is a huge step in the right direction that is going to bring even more attention to the issue of orcas in captivity and will hopefully encourage more people to think twice before visiting SeaWorld.
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Image Source: Brit Reints/Flickr
No animal should be held in captivity so we can force it to perform. Wild means wild, and when they lash out and cause harm to a human, should we really be surprised? Whether orca, dolphin, chimpanzee, etc., they should all be free.
Put wild animals back into the wild and cage the animals who caged them.