Vancouver Park Board to discuss making whales at the aquarium an election issue
Posted January 22, 2017 8:51 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – The future of whales and cetaceans at the Vancouver Aquarium could be placed into the hands of the city’s residents.
At tomorrow’s Vancouver Park Board meeting, commissioners will debate whether to push the city to include a plebiscite during next year’s municipal election.
The motion will be brought forward by Sarah Kirby-Yung. If passed it will include asking the Vancouver Aquarium to “consider not bringing cetaceans into the facility until after the results of the 2018 plebiscite are received.”
Annalise Sorg, the president of No Whales in Captivity, believes people think it’s time to end the practice.
“We have seen poll after poll done of Vancouver residents and it’s always shown a majority of people who don’t want to see whales and dolphins suffering in tanks in Stanley Park,” says Sorg.
She adds she is excited for tomorrow’s debate not just for the idea of turning the issue over to the people, but for a second part of the motion.
“[The second part] basically asks the aquarium to self-impose a moratorium on bringing more whales and dolphins into Vancouver,” she explains.
“This is a very important part of the motion since there is time for the aquarium to continue building.”
The two remaining belugas at the aquarium, Qila and Aurora, died nine days apart back in November.
