Statement From PETA re SeaWorld’s New Orca Prison

For Immediate Release:
September 25, 2015

Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382

PETA Foundation Director of Animal Law Jared Goodman released a statement in response to the California Coastal Commission staff’s recommendation of approval for SeaWorld’s new orca tank:

A stamp of approval on SeaWorld’s newest orca prison would be bad for the orcas and for California. SeaWorld admits that the space of the new tank would be used to confine even more orcas, leaving each of these far-ranging, intelligent, and social animals with virtually no additional space at all and no escape even from each other. These orcas would still be deprived of everything that is natural and important to them, would still be drugged, and would still die at young ages from captivity-related causes. California just passed a bill to protect elephants from cruel circuses and is considering a bill that would send the orcas at SeaWorld to a sanctuary, but approving SeaWorld’s permit would roll back the state’s progress for animals. PETA is calling on the California Coastal Commission to vote down this “Hail Mary” effort from SeaWorld, whose profits, public relations, and attendance have plummeted and won’t recover until the abusement park empties its tanks and builds coastal sanctuaries.

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to use for entertainment”—will come out in force at the California Coastal Commission meeting next month to call for a “no” vote. More information about our SeaWorld campaign is available here.