SeaWorld should end its captive orca breeding program if it wants to be known as an organization genuinely dedicated to conservation
The move is part of SeaWorldâs ongoing efforts to rescue its sagging reputation by focusing more on killer whale education and conservation than entertainment. Since the release of the 2013 documentary Blackfish, which criticized SeaWorldâs treatment of its orcas, the company has lost half its market value.
Attendance at SeaWorldâs 11 parks fell by 4.2 percent during 2014, though it only declined by 0.4 percent in the latest quarter
âMuch more needs to be done, however, and I would urge the company to curtail the breeding of their orcas and partner in the creation of ocean sanctuaries. The fact still remains that as long as SeaWorld holds orcas in captivity, the physical and psychological problems associated with their captivity will persist.â Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., who introduced federal legislation to phase out orca shows in the United States.
According to many activists, SeaWorld should end its captive orca breeding program if it wants to be known as an organization genuinely dedicated to conservation. They fear that Seaworld offers to its visitors a more informational presentation: no loud music, no dancing, no stadium seating. People could stay at poolside all day if they wanted, watching how the trainers did veterinary sampling, trained the animals to do new tricks, and so on.
