Vancouver Aquarium may lose right to hold whales and dolphins captive

Emotions are running high over the debate of whether all cetaceans - whales, dolphins, and porpoises - should be banned from Vancouver parks, including the Vancouver Aquarium.

Animal captivity has always been a sensitive topic, but recently the debate has been brought to the forefront following a unanimous vote by the Vancouver Park Board to amend the Park Control bylaw governing the treatment of cetaceans.

Specifically, the Board voted to amend the bylaw in order to prohibit the importation and display of live cetaceans in public parks.

According to the Board, their vote was motivated by thousands of submissions from the public on the issue and multiple protests at Board meetings and throughout Vancouver opposing animal captivity. In addition, they made their decision following the deaths of five aquarium-owned cetaceans in the last two years.

If the proposed amendments are approved by the Board on Monday, May 15th, the following laws will come into effect immediately:

• That “no person shall bring a cetacean into a park.” The current bylaw included this provision however it contained exceptions that allowed for importation under certain circumstances. The proposed amendment will not allow any cetacean importation into Vancouver parks, no exceptions.
• That “no person shall keep a cetacean in a park” except for “cetaceans already in a park” as of the date of enactment. The proposed change considers the preexisting cetaceans at the Vancouver Aquarium and will not require their removal.
• That “no person shall produce or present in a park a show, performance, or other form of entertainment which includes one or more cetaceans.” This new clause is proposed in consideration of the three cetaceans at the Vancouver Aquarium and the limited options currently available for housing them, while supporting the Board’s intent regarding display. The three cetaceans can remain on display. They cannot be included in shows or performances of any kind.

Currently, the Vancouver Aquarium is holding three cetaceans in captivity:

• Helen, a Pacific white-sided dolphin
• Daisy, a harbor porpoise
• Chester, a false killer whale

All three of these cetaceans were rescued and would be allowed to stay at the Aquarium following the passage of the proposed amendments.

Although there are currently no captive beluga whales in Vancouver, the Aquarium recently announced its intention to bring five belugas on loan in the United States back to B.C. upon completion of the new Arctic pools in 2019. If the bylaws were to pass, the bylaw amendment would prevent the return of these belugas for display at the Aquarium.

The proposed bylaw amendments have been opposed by the Aquarium and resulted in spats over social media, a response petition asking the Board to reconsider its position and the launch of a rally opposing the potential changes.

RT @Hyakko: This is incredibly frustrating, the park board is being totally unreasonable about this.

— Vancouver Aquarium (@vanaqua) May 11, 2017

We need your help now, more than ever. Join us May 15, 6:30 pm at Stanley Park Ceperly Playground: https://t.co/XtZGgPFeSl #RallyForRescue pic.twitter.com/OsDw6aAZa1

— Vancouver Aquarium (@vanaqua) May 10, 2017

According to the description on the Aquarium’s “Rally for Rescue” event, the amendments put at risk the future of marine mammal rescue operations.

“Marine mammals who can no longer survive in the wild deserve a second chance at life,” reads the statement from the Vancouver Aquarium. “But a proposed bylaw from the Vancouver Park Board would ban all cetaceans – whales, dolphins, and porpoises – from Vancouver parks and by extension, the Vancouver Aquarium. This decision puts the future of marine mammal rescue at risk and jeopardizes the fate of those animals in need of a new place to call home.”

Vancouver Aquarium CEO fears cetacean ban a death sentence https://t.co/y7BBmTWo01 via @VanCourierNews pic.twitter.com/BxDuGwX8vG

— Vancouver Aquarium (@vanaqua) May 10, 2017

The Park Board however has responded saying that they support the Vancouver Aquarium’s Marine Mammal Rescue Centre and that the amendments would only have a minimal impact on the Aquarium’s ability to rescue animals.

“The amendments, which are being finalized, are thoughtful and reflective of public opinion. They take into consideration that rescued cetaceans Chester, Helen, and Daisy, are currently receiving care in Stanley Park,” said Park Board Chair Michael Wiebe.

“The Park Board voted unanimously to amend the Park Control bylaw after discussions with aquarium staff, extensive public consultation, and a thorough review of marine science and best practices in aquariums around the world.”

Since establishing the Marine Mammal Rescue Centre, the Aquarium has acknowledged that cetaceans represent a tiny percentage of all the marine mammals rescued since the program began. Indeed, most of the rescued mammals are harbour seals.

Ultimately, although the Board officially decides on the amendments tomorrow, the debate over animal captivity will likely continue for years to come.