SeaWorld will no longer accept whales stolen from the wild

Home Top

Up close and personal with the gang members of El Salvador: Inside the prison that is so dangerous even the guards won't go in
Two Texas high school football players suspended as 'extremely disturbing' video shows them HIT a referee from behind before diving on top of him
Is El Chapo back in Mexico? World's most-wanted drug lord seen 'escaping from hospital after car crash' just days after that Costa Rica picture emerged
Ex-Mayor Rudy Giuliani says Bill de Blasio's 'progressive' view on homelessness is sending New York City back to the Dark Ages of Western civilization
JFK Jr was blackmailed into standing by Kennedy cousin accused of rape and was forced to support him in court against mother Jackie O's wishes, new book claims
'Let's speak American': Sarah Palin enters the immigration debate and echoes Trump's assertions that 'we're a nation that speaks English'
'Scammed' ex-Trump University student who paid $35,000 to learn billionaire developer's real estate secrets says The Donald should not be President
Former New Jersey mayor, 71, is sentenced to 25 years in jail for repeatedly raping six-year-old child relative for two years
Troubled George Michael is seen smiling and posing topless in selfie with retired hairdresser 'he met online'
PICTURED: Muslim flight attendant 'suspended by ExpressJet for refusing to serve alcohol because it is against her faith'
'Shame doesn't matter right now': Couple calls out daughter's heroin overdose in obituary in hopes of preventing 'agony' for others
Biting the hand that feeds? NSA whistleblower granted asylum by Russia slams country's 'wrong, disappointing and frustrating' crackdown on human rights
Coalition forces have carried out 21 air strikes on ISIS in Iraq and Syria this weekend
Attempt by brothers to kill their parents fails as father distracts sons while mom dials 911, according to police
'My crib is almost finished in AFRICA!' 50 Cent reveals palatial new overseas home... as he struggles to unload Connecticut mansion after bankruptcy filing
From the horrors of starvation in south Sudan to a symbol of protest in Tiananmen Square: Heartbreaking sight of little Aylan's lifeless body is latest in line of powerful photos that have changed history
Battle for Chip the traffic chicken: FIVE-way custody dispute over hen 'arrested' for causing gridlock on San Francisco's Bay Bridge
Another cub of Cecil the lion is feared dead after being killed by rival male adult that is trying to take over the pride
Manhattan veterinarian, 59, charged with groping three women and using their dogs as cover for his creepy behavior
Student's drone crashes into Kentucky's newly renovated Commonwealth Stadium just before kick-off
'Ma'am, do you mind if I stand behind you to make sure you're safe?': Female Texas cop bowled over by teen who wanted to protect her at gas station a week after Houston officer was gunned down at the pump
New Bond author shoots down fellow 007 writers over too many plot twists which 'Fleming would never have done'
The perfect leading lady: Princess Charlene dazzles in Dior as she and husband Prince Albert honour acting icon Robert Redford at Monaco gala
The image of Syrian toddler Aylan, three, washed up dead on a Turkish shoreline has shocked the world - but he is not the only child victim of the migrant crisis

The unprecedented policy change comes in the wake of mounting criticism
Visitor numbers have been declining since critical documentary Blackfish
During a concert in July, Harry urged his fans: 'Don't go to SeaWorld'
His comments prompted a 400 per cent spike in negative comments online

Published: 10:38 EST, 6 September 2015 | Updated: 11:21 EST, 6 September 2015

View
comments

SeaWorld has announced it will no longer be accepting whales that have been stolen from the wild - in what has been called the biggest impact of the 'Blackfish effect' yet.

The unprecedented policy change comes in the wake of criticism from Harry Styles, who recently urged One Direction fans to boycott SeaWorld attractions.

The star's comments during a concert in San Diego, home to one of the most popular SeaWorld attractions, prompted a 400 per cent spike in negative online comments about the parks.

In a bid to restore the brand's reputation - which has been in decline since 2013 when critical documentary Blackfish was released - SeaWorld announced its new stance on its website this week.

Scroll down for video

In an unprecedented shift in policy, SeaWorld announced it will no longer accept whales stolen from the wild

Harry Styles caused waves of controversy after telling One Direction fans to boycott SeaWorld in July

SeaWorld has a history of filling its parks with creatures stolen from the wild - and for years, has been waiting for government approval to import 18 beluga whales that were captured in Russia.

The Georgia Aquarium are currently appealing the decision in court after their application was denied by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

If the aquarium, which already has three belugas, brings the whales to the United States, some would remain in Atlanta on display and the others would go to facilities across the country including SeaWorld tanks.

A statement on SeaWorld's website said: 'Like Georgia Aquarium, SeaWorld is committed to the educational presentation of belugas and to working in partnership with all U.S. beluga holders to conserve this fascinating species.

Analysts at Credit Suisse have warned SeaWorld about 'brand impairment issues' - stemming directly from Harry's controversial remarks

'SeaWorld has not collected a whale or dolphin from the wild in decades and last year signed the Virgin Unite pledge indicating that we will not collect cetaceans from the wild.

'To reaffirm that commitment, SeaWorld has informed the Georgia Aquarium that we will not accept any of the belugas listed on their NOAA Fisheries import permit application.

'The Marine Mammal Protection Act supports the collection and importation of animals for public display in accredited zoological facilities, and SeaWorld's decision on this matter does not in any way reflect judgment on those facilities leading or participating in this beluga whale conservation effort.

'Rather, it reflects an evolution in SeaWorld's position since this project began more than eight years ago.'

The Animal Welfare Institute said the decision was 'significant'.

On its Facebook page, it said: 'AWI was astounded when SeaWorld recently posted to its ‪#‎AskSeaWorld‬ website that it would no longer consider taking any of the belugas proposed for import from Russia by Georgia Aquarium.

'To our knowledge, this is the most significant clarification about SeaWorld's policy on acquiring cetaceans from the wild and may be the biggest impact of the 'Blackfish effect' yet.'

Naomi Rose, a marine mammal scientist with the AWI, believes SeaWorld's decision is a bid to avoid further public backlash.

She told The Dodo: 'SeaWorld is not known for publicly admitting that anything about it was historically in need of evolution.

'For them to publicly announce on their website that not only are they changing their position on these beluga whales, but also that it is in fact a change — an evolution — in their position, is a new precedent for them."

Visitor numbers have been sliding at SeaWorld since 2013 when documentary Blackfish was released

But she added: 'They're not actually saying that capturing these animals from the wild is wrong, they're just saying they're not going to do it anymore. They're hoping people will read into it like they're doing the right thing.'

SeaWorld's CEO, Joel Manby, has already announced plans for a new company strategy to be put forward in November.

'We realize we have much work ahead of us to recover more of our attendance base, increase revenue and improve our performance as returning to historical performance levels will take time and investment,' he said.

'On the reputation side, early feedback on our campaign has been positive. However, we recognize that fully resolving our brand challenges in California will require sustained focus and commitment to correct misinformation.'

Visitor numbers have been sliding at SeaWorld since 2013 when documentary Blackfish was released.

It claimed SeaWorld's treatment of captive orcas provoked violent behavior in the whales, leading to the deaths of three people.

The documentary led Harry Styles to ask a roaring crowd in July: 'Does anybody like dolphins?'

When his legion of fans roared their approval, he quickly followed with: 'Don't go to SeaWorld.'

Following the band's show at Qualcomm Stadium on July 9, many fans took to social media to retweet and share the video of Harry's public declaration, including Game of Thrones' actress Maisie Williams.

Credit Suisse said Harry's four words led to a 400 per cent spike in negative comments about the controversial park, already suffering a slump in attendance after a documentary criticised its treatment of killer whales.

The company, which operates 11 theme parks across the U.S, reported a profit of $5.8million for April to the end of June - 7 cents per share - down from $37.4million for the same period last year.