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Marine Mammals in Captivity |
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More and more people are beginning to question the ethics of holding marine mammals in captivity. Until recently, no one could imagine that the smiling dolphins and happy-go-lucky sea lions performing their tricks were being harmed by being put on display. But the more we learn about these complex, intelligent animals, the more troubling it becomes to keep them confined in tanks and pens.
Dolphins in particular present a dilemma to those who love them and want to see them up close. These social animals are self-aware and capable of abstract thinking. Many are still captured from the wild to supply new facilities, especially in the Caribbean, Asia, and the South Pacific—capture remove these benign animals violently and traumatically from their family units. We are in danger of loving them to death. It is time to see the situation from the marine mammal's point of view and reconsider whether it's right to confine them for our pleasure.
HSI is running an active campaign in the Caribbean and elsewhere to educate the public about the threats posed to the conservation and welfare of marine mammals by the seemingly benign practice of displaying these fascinating animals in tanks and pens. We work with governments, media, local activists, and the general public, to bring about a change in how we see captive marine mammals. We also respond whenever and wherever live dolphins and other species are captured for sale to public display facilities.
Video: Stop Swimming with Dolphins
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