May 29: Open Letter Re: Vancouver Aquarium Expansion

May 28, 2007

To Commissioners:

Last November we presented an 83-page report entitled “Just Say No! Let Stanley Park Be!” The display panels represent part of that report.

Just Say No! No More Expansions!
Stanley Park has a diversity of natural fauna and flora. It is a free ecology classroom. The vision should be to promote and protect it. $80 million should not be spent on more animal prisons – more suffering and deaths. The pools may be bigger but more animals will be confined.

Many businesses are jumping on the “green” bandwagon because it is good for business. However, conservation programs have been and will continue to be done without putting animals in captivity.

Just Say No! No More Captives!
There have been 33 deaths of dolphins at this Aquarium. This includes 11 dead Pacific white-sided dolphins. The Aquarium’s so-called breeding program is a failure. Bjossa had three babies that died and that helped stop the captivity of orcas. Now Hanna has had two babies die and this must stop the import of more Pacific white-sided dolphins.

Just Say No! No More Zoos!
The Aquarium entertainment business must not be given more precious parkland to expand their aquarium/zoo menagerie because the public voted against a zoo in Stanley Park. People didn’t want river otters and beaver. People didn’t want captive BC species that can be seen in the wild in Super Natural BC.

Do you want cage-crazy animals pacing back and forth like the polar bears did for years? What is the list of all proposed animals? Will there be more polar bears and narwhals?

It was for entertainment when the Aquarium tried to kill an orca for a model for a sculpture attraction. It was the Aquarium orca entertainment shows that led to the depletion of this now endangered species. The blood of many more whales and dolphins is still on their hands because they continue to do business with Japan – infamous for whaling and notorious for mass dolphin slaughters.

Federal Environmental Impact Study
In regards to our letter of January 10, 2007, the Vancouver Parks Board should not give final approve to the expansion designs if there hasn’t been a Federal Environmental Impact Study. The precedent was set in 1988 when the Federal government advised the Aquarium and the Parks Board that the beluga pool was subject to an EIS. However, prior to the EIS, the Aquarium broke the law by proceeding with the expansion. This must not happen again! I will be talking to government people this week about the status of an EIS.

On behalf of Lifeforce and other organizations worldwide, that represent over 250,000 people at my last count, I urge you to support the visionary goals of past Parks Board Commissioners and City Councillors to stop zoo prisons, to phase out dolphin captivity, to ban exotic animals and to stop cruelty to animals.

Peter Hamilton
Founding Director
Lifeforce Foundation
Box 3117
Vancouver, BC V6B 3X6

604-649-5258
www.lifeforcefoundation.org