Blackfish - Scandal of Seaworld

[Rachel Bronwyn]

I think it's a cheeky reference to this thread.

Sad thing is, prior to live captures for display and performance in aquariums, killer whale-fishery interactions in the Pacific Northwest resulted in a lot of shooting at orca. They were competition so they were a pest. It was government-encouraged activity. It was also assumed there were thousands of them out there so killing a few didn't matter, which we later discovered was untrue. Through the implementation of Mike Bigg's photo identification techniques, we learnt there were never that many. Fishers were seeing the same orca throughout the day, not different ones everywhere they went. They were just covering extremely long distances. Shortly thereafter, live captures became popular and mature orca with bullet wounds were rejected, their kids snatched. for aquaria.

People are less eager to shoot at orca now because we know they're not mindless killers. I suppose we owe aquaria some credit for teaching us that. We stuck orca in tanks, made them dependent on us and, wow, they were gbenerally nice to us and very accommodating. We've learnt all we can from keeping them locked up though. Jacques-Yves Cousteau said it best: "There is about as much educational benefit to be gained in studying dolphins in captivity as there would be studying mankind by only observing prisoners held in solitary confinement."

[Strontium Dog]

Outrageous. Seaworld attendees should be able to enjoy their steaks and burgers without being exposed to this animal cruelty.

[Supporting Caste]

Did SeaWorld stuff ballots for 'Blackfish' poll?

http://www.cnn.com/2014/01/03/tech/web/ ... fish-poll/

[Supporting Caste]

A promoter could put together a whale of a concert series with the acts that have canceled SeaWorld shows, including Trisha Yearwood, Willie Nelson, Cheap Trick, Heart, Barenaked Ladies, Martina McBride and 38 Special.
SeaWorld spokesman Nick Gollattscheck confirmed Adkins' cancellation, which CNN was initially alerted to through Twitter postings Thursday.
"While we're disappointed a small group of misinformed individuals was able to deny fans what would have been great concerts at SeaWorld, we respect the artists' decisions," Gollattscheck said in an e-mailed statement nearly identical to what was sent to CNN when others canceled last month. "We expect that other artists will be targeted in this campaign."

http://www.cnn.com/2014/01/09/showbiz/s ... ce-adkins/

Sink or swim fuckers.

[amok]

[quote="Strontium Dog";p="1895557"]Outrageous. Seaworld attendees should be able to enjoy their steaks and burgers without being exposed to this animal cruelty.[/quote]
Steaks and burgers, with a nice milkshake.

[Supporting Caste]

It is ironic that SeaWorld launched its latest assault on Blackfish, a film that has brought the question of marine mammal welfare to the center of public debate, at a time when approximately 250 bottlenose dolphins were trapped, killed or sold to aquariums in Taiji, Japan, the town featured in the Oscar-winning documentary The Cove. While the global community is outraged and condemns this horrific dolphin hunt, SeaWorld has watched from the sidelines. Had SeaWorld added its powerful voice to the efforts to stop this drive hunt of dolphins for use by the captive industry—perhaps many dolphins would have been spared.

http://ecowatch.com/2014/01/24/blackfis ... ld-debate/

and maybe some good news for one:

Lolita's life changed in an instant. One moment, she was swimming alongside her mother and extended orca family, learning how to catch her dinner and playing with her cousins. The next, she was being scooped up in a net, surrounded by men and the screams of her loved ones, not knowing that those anguished cries would be the last communication that she would have with her family. Lolita has been crammed inside a tank barely any larger than the length of her own body at the Miami Seaquarium for more than four decades. Lolita's wretched world is the smallest tank in North America, and she hasn't even had the simple comfort of another orca's company since 1980.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ingrid-ne ... 70149.html

[Rachel Bronwyn]

I saw "Lolita's" mom last summer. Always makes me sad.

[Animavore]

Tilikum has died.

http://www.spin1038.com/news/tilikum-th ... -has-died-

[Rachel Bronwyn]

He'd been sick for so many years. Can you imagine what the last year was like for him, progressively losing lung function? What a nasty way to go.

What a sad life.