Aquarium wants to expand and exploit

Letter
Published: Friday, September 29, 2006

I see the Aquarium's two-page "Revitalization and Expansion" spread in Tuesday's Vancouver Sun as part of a slick PR campaign and in no way part of a credible "community consultation" effort. The aquarium is in the business of exploiting animals for entertainment and for profit under the guise of research and education. It is in the aquarium's interest to expand its facility and continue to do more of the same to even more marine mammals. Vancouverites voted to stop keeping animals in cages and enclosures for public viewing. How is keeping marine mammals in sterile concrete pools any different or any less objectionable?

All of our efforts should go to phasing out keeping animals in captivity and stopping the exploitation of animals for entertainment. Aquarium president, Dr. John Nightingale, stated that he wanted to hear on this issue from those who don't often speak up. Here is one voice and I know I am not alone. The question is not whether he hears us, but whether he is listening.

M.C. Towle

Vancouver
© The Vancouver Sun 2006
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AND SEND THE VANCOUVER PARK BOARD AN E-MAIL DEMANDING A CIVIC REFERENDUM VOTE ON AQUARIUM EXPANSION ---- BECAUSE MORE WHALE POOLS MEANS MORE WHALES!!!!

Vancouver Park Board Commissioners pbcomment@vancouver.ca

AND DON'T PARTICIPATE IN THE LATEST AQUARIUM PUBLIC RELATIONS CAMPAIGN BECAUSE ITS SIMPLY A FARCE. NOT ONE QUESTION ASKS: "Should the aquarium build bigger dolphin pools so they can bring more dolphins?" ABSOLUTELY NOT!!!

Thank you!

Annelise Sorg
COALITION FOR NO WHALES IN CAPTIVITY
www.nowhalesincaptivity.org