For Immediate Release, November 24, 2014 by Center for Biological Diversity
Feds Agree to Protect More Habitat for East Coast’s Most Endangered Whales by 2016
BOSTON— A deadline for expanding critical habitat protections for the North Atlantic right whale — one of the world’s most endangered whales — has been set in response to a legal settlement agreement. Each year most of the 500 North Atlantic right whales remaining on Earth migrate from their feeding and breeding grounds off the U.S. Northeast to their nursery areas off the Southeast. But only a tiny portion of this expansive range is protected as federally designated “critical habitat” under the Endangered Species Act, making the whales more vulnerable to threats that include commercial fishing gear, ship strikes and oil drilling.
The settlement requires the federal government to make a final decision by February 2016 about where and how much additional habitat should be protected.
Animals in captivity didn’t fare as well today.
British Airways refuses to cut ties with SeaWorld. With over a quarter of a million signatures on the petition, Jonathan Counsell, British Airways head of environment sent out the following update:
We have actively sought the views of and evidence from a range of people and organisations including the leading NGOs in this field on the issue of cetaceans in captivity.
We welcome the extensive work undertaken by ABTA in publishing best practice guidance for the welfare of animals in tourism, particularly in countries where laws do not govern animal welfare. SeaWorld has assured us that its animal care standards exceed this best practice guidance and are governed by US federal and state laws alongside accreditation standards set by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums as well as the Association of Marine Mammal Parks and Aquariums. Further, SeaWorld does not collect cetaceans from the wild and has not done so for nearly three decades.On this basis we currently see no reason to end our relationship with the organisation. We will continue to offer our customers the option to make their own decisions on whether to visit SeaWorld.
We recognise that the science of cetacean welfare is evolving and we encourage further study in this area.
Dolphin Research Center, located in Marathon, is offering “Holiday photos with a dolphin”, the very definition of exploitation. According to Virtual-Strategy Magazine,
Holiday Photos with a Dolphin takes place now through Dec. 19 at the Dolphin Research Center in Marathon. Visitors can bring their own Santa hats, reindeer antlers or other accessories to use while posing. The Dolphin Research Center’s experienced photographers will shoot the photos using high resolution digital cameras. Guest can go onto a floating dock to give backrubs and share a “flippershake” with a dolphin while having their photo taken.
Feel free to contact DRC to ask them to stop exploiting dolphins at drc@dolphins.org
Ocean Advocate 