SeaWorld ends captive breeding program.

[mermaid_ashes]

http://www.kvue.com/news/national/sea-world-to-end-orca-breeding-program/86341735

Some good news this morning.

Here's the blurb from their website

https://seaworldcares.com/Future

[SeaGlass Siren]

No one can see this but I'm dancing on my bed over this news

[Echidna]

finally!

[Little_Orca]

I'll believe it when I see it. Did they, though, also ban the import of orcas? Someone ELSE can breed them and they just import them.

[SeaGlass Siren]

In that's true too. Didn't think of that loophole

[Little_Orca]

Yeah, and that is only Sea World, and California I think is the only one who cannot import orcas at all anymore, though Texas and Florida can do what they want.

This also does not cover the other puddles other orcas are forced to live in.

[Kunoichi Ribeiro]

Sorry but im not happy at all. I just believe seeing it. And they just put out this like if is them saying they won't do anymore, to come out good for people. On the reality they are just accepting orders from a Judge...I don't trust them at all!

[Echidna]

meh. They didn't say anything about imports :/

what's worse, all they are talking about is the ORCA breeding program.
What about dolphins, belugas, and others?

And then it's true there are puddles all over the world of different franchises doing the same thing and not getting much flak for it as they're less famous than SeaPrison.

[Loralei]

On their website, I do believe they said bluntly they are no longer importing orcas

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G850A using Tapatalk

[Little_Orca]

Still does nothing to help other dolphins.

[Mermaid Mystery]

baby steps I guess

[TritonsGuard]

Guess I should go to Seaworld at least one more time. See whales in person for the last time.

[Mermaid Mystery]

You can still see whales in person if you're willing to travel. Not saying you have to go to Antarctica, because that's not the only place they live, but my grandfather did and says they're incredible to see in the wild. They would jump over their little boats and were very playful.

[Vrindavana Starfish]

It might be a baby step, but it shows that the pressure that was put on them by things like Blackfish and people spreading the word was more powerful than their corporate image, and they were forced to change. Even if their add announcing the end of the breeding program made me want to puke with the spin they put on it, and total avoidance of accepting any responsibility for their actions in the past, at least that program is ended. Now, we can break down the rest of the issues they're trying to get away with.

[TritonsGuard]

What is your end goal? Where do you draw the line? Does it end at dolphins or is that just the next thing on the list? What comes after marine mammal parks, zoos? And lastly, what faith do you use to justify your cause?

[Vrindavana Starfish]

What is your end goal? Where do you draw the line? Does it end at dolphins or is that just the next thing on the list? What comes after marine mammal parks, zoos? And lastly, what faith do you use to justify your cause?

My end goal, and I can't speak for anyone else, is a world where all animals are treated with respect and compassion, and are seen as complex living beings with needs, who experience pain like we do, and are not exploited for amusement and money. I am not against animals in captivity when 1) the animal has been injured and cannot return to the wild, and 2) it is provided with all the things it needs to live a healthy and happy life. That means adequate space, appropriate care, and not to be used to amuse humans and sell tickets. I am not against animal shows that are geared toward educating people, and who's main purpose is to expose people who might not otherwise ever see certain animals, and who's animals are unable to return to the wild. People don't really care about what isn't in their lives. But if they can see a bird, or a dolphin, then they're more likely to care about the rest of them.

I will gladly buy a ticket to visit an animal rehabilitation facility that is open to the public, and that strives to return animals to their natural environments. Not all animals can go back, and as long as they're treated with respect, I'll pay to see a handler speak about them. I don't see myself as separate from nature, so I think it is appropriate for humans and animals to work together when its mutually beneficial and not exploitive.

As for breeding programs, I believe the only instance where they are appropriate is when a species is in danger of extinction and the end goal of the program is to release the animals into the wild, not sell them for profit. Breeding programs are tricky and have their own set of problems that I don't want to get into, because I don't feel I have all the information I'd need to discuss it.

My faith is my own business, and I rarely discuss it openly. I would also never tell someone to change their ways because MY religion says it ought to be this way. I believe too strongly that each person has a spiritual path that is right for them, and it may not be the same as mine. It doesn't make it wrong. What I do see is wrong is stepping all over the free will of another sentient living being for selfish gains. That is a misuse of free will that harms another. And no, it doesn't end at dolphins. It doesn't end—ever. True compassion is universal and does not only apply to pets and favorite animals. It should also extend to humans, because there are plenty of humans who are treated with less respect than a stray dog all over the world. It should even extend to the people committing these crimes against others, because they are living in deep, dark ignorance.

SeaWorld is only a drop in the bucket. But every little victory matters to some being.

[Mermaid Chloe-Marie]

Even though it's small, it's still wonderful. Baby steps are still steps :)

[TritonsGuard]

First of all, before I step on too many fins and start a flame war that will result in nothing for either of us, perhaps I lashed out a bit. If you believe I have, I apologize. This is a subject that I feel very strongly about. Although I have loved merfolk since before I can remember, I became interested in marine mammals because of a trip to SeaWorld. That is why I gave it the benefit of the doubt, but so many would not even give them that chance. Everyone was so quick to turn on them, they didn't stop to think about who was speaking to them. They are the very same type of people that many accuse SeaWorld of. They want your money your reactions so they can get more. They used emotion at every chance they could. Why? Wouldn't logic be more sound and civil? I could not watch all of Blackish because it was arguing so much to emotion that I found it unreliable as a source. Anything pushing that much emotion is trying to bias you. They even "poisoned the well," saying "anything SeaWorld says is a lie. Anytime that someone tries to "poison the well" is a big indication that you need to seriously look into who the speaker is. Do you even know what company made Blackfish without looking it up? Probably not. With what they did, do you not find it curious that they don't want their name on a highly successful documentary? The reason why is they don't want anyone to accuse them of hypocrisy. Let me put it this way, how much of that money from Blackfish was put toward animal rescue and other things SeaWorld does? If SeaWorld goes, many animals will die unless something takes its place. Animal rescue and rehabilitation is very expensive. Gabriela Cowperthwaite (the director of Blackfish) has not done anything. She and the others don't care about nature or if SeaWorld falls. Only that which will get your emotions up and sell.

It is too late now for people to look at this. However, I only request that next time you see something that uses emotional arguments and other logical fallacies, that you give the other side a chance to defend themselves

[SeaGlass Siren]

I'm on the opposite side of the pool triton is in :P my interest of marine mammals came from reading books. I don't believe that Dolphins or any cetacean belongs in captivity unless they were deemed unreleasable or need to be rehabilitated. Vrindavana summed it up quite nicely.

[TritonsGuard]

Perhaps. You are auditory it seems. Words are your gate, but I have auditory processing disorder. Even though I learned to read, never felt like I got a clear picture through words. If explained through words, it is best done in small bits. I learn and am inspired most when I am experiencing and doing. Without experiencing them I would not have had any interest in marine life. Not everyone's interest is peaked by words alone.

Without entertainment or some other form of service, I believe money for any kind of rescue and rehabilitation program will fall far short. The only thing that motivates mass amounts of people to give money is to have something they can see in return. When pilot whale calves Notch, Baby, and Tag lost their herd to a mass beaching, it was the New England aquarium that took them in. Where would they have gone had the aquarium not existed?

One last thing, the reason I asked what faith you follow is to try to make better sense of why you follow your cause. I want to know what is at the core of this belief. It was not accusation or a demand. If you do not feel like answering that, I will not push.

[SeaGlass Siren]

Was that a general question for everybody or was that directed at specifically me? Need clarification 0-0

i don't follow any religion. I think it's irrelevant to the topic as you don't need a religion to justify your belief in anything whether it be compassion for animals or hunting (whatever side of the spectrum you're on)

[SeaGlass Siren]

If you really need a reason though I think this short story will suffice;

back when the vietnam war was happening my father had to escape via small fishing boat with a few other people. (He's an actual boat person). So as you probably have an idea, the boat ran out of food quickly and the fisherman couldn't deal with the amount of pressure they had to bring a literal boatload of people to safety and they snapped and went crazy. My dad took it upon himself to learn how to pilot a boat and one day he saw a pod of dolphins. Since they ran out of food he figured he'd follow the pod and the pod will lead him to food (his reasoning was because they're animals and animals hunt for food. Pretty sound logic) but they actually brought him to land (they landed in Malaysia). It was pretty special because I've never heard of someone being actually rescued by Dolphins and it was pretty awesome that it happened to my dad.
I feel like if those Dolphins weren't there my father would've died at sea like so many other Vietnamese boat people, so I feel a deep personal connection to them and a duty to save them or at least do my part to save them as they've saved my dad.

[Echidna]

^
that is a wonderful story, Seaglass!

Not an isolated case though- there have been many reportedly saved by dolphins all from antiquity to modern times.
It's one of the reasons why the very idea of capturing or killing dolphins is so incredibly abhorrent.

And no, one doesn't need any specific "faith" to acknowledge that mistreating other creatures is wrong.
All you need is a bit of basic empathy.
Many animals show empathy; most humans have it.
In fact, it's so widespread that there is even a medical term for those who completely lack it.

[AptaMer]

there is even a medical term for those who completely lack it.

It's considered to be a personality disorder called psychopathy

[SeaGlass Siren]

^
that is a wonderful story, Seaglass!

Not an isolated case though- there have been many reportedly saved by dolphins all from antiquity to modern times.
It's one of the reasons why the very idea of capturing or killing dolphins is so incredibly abhorrent.

And no, one doesn't need any specific "faith" to acknowledge that mistreating other creatures is wrong.
All you need is a bit of basic empathy.
Many animals show empathy; most humans have it.
In fact, it's so widespread that there is even a medical term for those who completely lack it.


Well yes ive read about it in books and researched stories of such cases but I haven't heard of such a thing in my immediate circle so it made it all the more special :P

[Echidna]

Totally agree about the specialness.
I'd probably feel like queen of the world for the rest of my life if this had happened to me :D

[Vrindavana Starfish]

One last thing, the reason I asked what faith you follow is to try to make better sense of why you follow your cause. I want to know what is at the core of this belief. It was not accusation or a demand. If you do not feel like answering that, I will not push.

A better question to ask is what is the core of your belief? Yes, compassion is a core driving force of how I live my daily life, directly in alignment with my faith. But the specific faith is not important. Because compassion is not limited to just one faith. So, instead of asking others what their faith is, it seems like what you're really wanting to know is, what would drive you? None of us can answer that for you. You could learn that I'm a Hare Krishna and it would mean nothing to you. You have to figure out who you are.