Vancouver Courier Letters Aug 24, 2003

AQUARIUM DIRECTORS' BEHAVIOUR SHAMEFUL

Re: "Sea lions none of boards business-aquarium boss", August 13

To the Editor

As a past employee of the aquarium and a Vancouver resident, I am ashamed of this kind of behaviour. Once again, the aquarium ridicules the public's intelligence by claiming that the capture of 6 Steller sea lion pups is out of concern for their declining population.

The University of British Columbia and aquarium's efforts to provide "research" is another example of ideologies way beyond reasoning.

It is exactly this type of action that helps decrease the population. One sea lion pup has already died from pneumonia.

Studies can be done in the wild without the trauma of kidnapping wildlife and removing them from their families and habitat. If research means bloodtests, these can be done along with other portable lab tests in the area.

If there are diseases or multiple deaths, then there would be dead bodies to probe and prod. I would suggest they look at habitat loss, food supply, shipping routes (military and cruise lines), hunting and use non-invasive tactics for statistics gathering. The catch-and-release efforts of previous attempts have not been exemplary or apparently effective.

This kind of mind-less science must stop! The aquarium should stick to helping the sick and concentrate on the rehabilitation programs for orphaned seals, etc.

Keith Edwards, Vancouver

AQUARIUM CRITICS HERE FOR THE LONG HAUL

Re: "Sea lions none of boards business-aquarium boss", August 13

To the Editor,

Every time John Nightingale opens his mouth with yet another arrogant and flip remark, it just solidifies my distaste for the aquarium business in Van. ("They [parks board] didn't ask then when they had the opportunity to, so we didn't feel it was necessary to inform them now. I'd like to know where this is going. Are we going to have to inform them when we change our toilet paper?")

He seems to want carte blanche to do whatever he pleases, without answering to the public, the parks board, or to the wild animals the aquarium blatantly steals/kidnaps from their homes and families. The aquarium is scrambling to make money, plain and simple. And we, the annoying public, will continue to be a thorn in its side until the aquarium understands that we don't have to imprison animals to learn about them, to appreciate them, and to respect them. They are fellow beings sharing this earth and are not ours to do with as we please!

N.M.Lott