SeaWorld financial results are down

[AptaMer]

It looks like SeaWorld is now seeing financial effects of people's anti-cruelty campaigns

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/seaworld-shares-dive-as-documentary-spurs-attendance-drop/article20053631/

Attendance, and profits, are down at their US locations, and Southwest Airlines has ended a marketing relationship.

Looks like people are having an effect on the company.

The only issue is that SeaWorld's management obviously sees the writing on the wall that they're going to have to end cruelty to cetaceans in the US. So what are they doing? They're preparing to move into countries overseas that don't have the rules that exist in the United States and Europe, and where the anti-cruelty campaigns haven't had an effect. Have to promote anti-cruelty in those countries next, I guess.

It's funny though, India has already banned dolphin captivity- in fact it was the first country to do so. So I don't know how they think they will expand into India. Maybe they're thinking of some other kind of show?

[Sephina]

I know a lot of people are going to see this as a victory, but to me it's really sad. None of the animals in their care can survive in the wild, and if they can't get anywhere else to take them, they are just going to euthanize them if their profits go down too much.

[Kishiko]

I know a lot of people are going to see this as a victory, but to me it's really sad. None of the animals in their care can survive in the wild, and if they can't get anywhere else to take them, they are just going to euthanize them if their profits go down too much.

Agreed

[Echidna]

They can always move to Japan.

Doubt they'll ever outlaw animal cruelty there, seeing how much they try to force whalemeat on the (mostly unwilling) consumers there to justify the mindless slaughter.

However, a law should be passed that captured animals may not be "euthanized" for monetary reasons.
Use some of those profits for returning them to the wild.

[Kishiko]

They can always move to Japan.

Doubt they'll ever outlaw animal cruelty there, seeing how much they try to force whalemeat on the (mostly unwilling) consumers there to justify the mindless slaughter.

However, a law should be passed that captured animals may not be "euthanized" for monetary reasons.
Use some of those profits for returning them to the wild.

Not all Japanese are bad animal haters.

But I do think SeaWorld needs to put more of their profits to help animals return to the wild. Like Sephina said, if they tried to return them as they are now, none of them would be able to survive.

[drucilla]

I know a lot of people are going to see this as a victory, but to me it's really sad. None of the animals in their care can survive in the wild, and if they can't get anywhere else to take them, they are just going to euthanize them if their profits go down too much.
Finally someone who shares this opinion! I'm sick of idiots telling me I'm a horrible person because I believe this. People keep saying we need to close down seaworld but they all seem to think that the animals would be fine in the wild or that somewhere there is an aquarium big enough to take them. THEY ARE SOCIAL creatures!! Even IF there was an aquarium that would take any it would only be able to hold one at most and aquariums don't want the whales to be honest they are too big you cant just take one because they are social and they are too expensive to take care of. I have never heard of an aquarium with enough space! The same goes for sanctuaries there aren't any for creatures this high maintenance. What they need to do is basically have a government regulated seaworld that is just an aquarium, but that is too much money, and our government doesn't have the time or money to deal with a project that big.
So unfortunately, for now, seaworld is a necessary evil to keep these creatures alive. They just need to adjust their policies completely.

[Ayla of Duluth]

I feel like in that regard, they're stuck. People don't want to see the animals euthanized, but there's no way they'd survive on their own in the wild. Really the only thing they can do is keep the animals they have until they die of natural causes. Which isn't good for money, who would pay to go to seaworld when all there is is one or two whales left? People would stop going before the animals could pass away on their own, they would be forced to shut down due to lack of funding which means either the animals are killed or set free where they die because they're not wild creatures.

[AptaMer]

Not all Japanese are bad animal haters.


My xperience with Japanese people has been that the ones I've known have been animal lovers.

One of the things I remember about the movie The Cove (the movie about the dolhin killing in the city of Taiji, Japan) was the scene where they went to Tokyo and showed some ordinary people on the street information about what was going on at Taiji, those people were just as distressed about what was being done as anyone else. They had had no idea this was going on, and the dolphin capturing/killing industry wanted to keep it quiet.

[Kishiko]

My xperience with Japanese people has been that the ones I've known have been animal lovers.

One of the things I remember about the movie The Cove (the movie about the dolhin killing in the city of Taiji, Japan) was the scene where they went to Tokyo and showed some ordinary people on the street information about what was going on at Taiji, those people were just as distressed about what was being done as anyone else. They had had no idea this was going on, and the dolphin capturing/killing industry wanted to keep it quiet.

Yeah same here! I just got back from a homestay trip there and my host family LOVED animals. They have two birds and they had a rabbit that died while I was there and they were heartbroken! I think its the same with any country. Like in America, a lot of our government is pretty twisted and there's some bad stuff that goes on but that doesnt mean we all are like that! I think if Japan, or any country, really knew the truth about SeaWorld they would fight having it established in their country.

[AptaMer]

if Japan, or any country, really knew the truth about SeaWorld they would fight having it established in their country.

Well, in previous years there have been big protests in India, in the City of Cochin in Kerala state, where a former dolphinarium was located. Those protests appear to have brought the issue to the attention of India's federal government to the point where they outright banned it.

[Echidna]

Fact is; the dolphin killing is going on in Japan, as is the whale hunt, although all the world knows about it now, and there have been huge protests in many countries.

If japanese citizens are animal lovers (and I didn't say anything contrary btw, I pointed out that whale meat is FORCED onto the populace who largely isn't interested in eating it), I wonder why they don't protest more and put an end to that crap.

Usually, stuff like this is driven by industry and politicians eager to please that industry.

Still, I've seen protests all over the world regarding whale hunts, dolphin killing, and seaworld, but none of them in Japan.
I have a hard time imagining the populace there doesn't know a thing, with facebook and the internet.

[AniaR]

I agree sephina. I hate SeaWorld but we haven't moved fast enough for habitat like sea pens.

[AniaR]

Catluna is right. The dolphin and whale meat is forced on people. They showed that in the cove

[SeaGlass Siren]

Is there not an existing sea pen to move them into? In assuming they need to be built.. :(

[AptaMer]

Well, it looks like the suits at SeaWorld are trying to deflect criticism of their operation. The Los Angeles Times has really been keeping on top of the SeaWorld story.

2 recent developments:

1. They've stopped contesting the OSHA safety ruling they didn't like that was issued after Dawn Brancheau was killed.

http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-seaworld-no-appeal--20140820-story.html

It seems they start paying attention once their stock prices start falling due to bad publicity (stock price is now down 33%)

2. They're now saying they'll build bigger tanks for the Orcas

http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-seaworld-orca-plans-20140814-story.html