Great news: Dolphin Marine Conservation Park bans breeding!
This is big! Dolphin Marine Conservation Park (formerly known as Dolphin Marine Magic) in Australia announced yesterday that it will end captive breeding yesterday
Together, we can make this the last generation of dolphins at Sea World kept captive to entertain tourists.
In 2018, we joined forces with Action for Dolphins to work with Dolphin Marine Conservation Park in Australia to test the feasibility of a sea sanctuary at Coffs Harbour for five dolphins – to achieve the best outcome for its remaining dolphins.
This work continues thanks to funding for the investigation into the sea sanctuary made possible by you, our incredible supporters around the world.
All eyes on Sea World
This puts mounting pressure on Sea World on the Gold Coast, Australia to end captive breeding and begin work on a sea sanctuary, especially at a time when the acceptability of keeping dolphins in captivity for entertainment is declining.
Almost 10,000 people have already signed our Australia team's petition calling on the Queensland Government to ban captive dolphin breeding at Sea World since it launched this week.
There are currently 30+ dolphins at Sea World, most of which were born and bred there. Even more may be bred in future to provide entertainment for tourists – unless we act now. Together, we're creating lasting change for wild animals kept captive for entertainment.
“As the tide turns against using marine mammals in captivity for entertainment, the conversation about what will happen to the dolphins at Sea World needs to start now. The first step is a ban on further breeding." – Ben Pearson, Senior Campaign Manager at World Animal Protection.
Image: World Animal Protection/Dean Sewell
Other jurisdictions around the world are responding by passing laws to ban or significantly restrict the captive display of marine mammals including Brazil, Bolivia, Chile, Costa Rica, India, Luxembourg, Norway, Switzerland, UK, and the city of Vancouver. It’s time Canada as a nation joins them. We're so grateful to each and every one of you who sent a letter to your MP in support of Bill S-203 here in Canada, to ban the cruel breeding, captivity and trade of cetaceans in Canada.
Together, we can make this the last generation of dolphins kept captive to entertain tourists.
Click here to learn more about our Wildlife. Not Entertainers campaign and to pledge to be an animal-friendly tourist.
Header image credit World Animal Protection/Rachel Ceretto
