The documentary “Blackfish” and Point Loma High theater students reacting to it with a public-service announcement calling for SeaWorld to eliminate orca show performances has ignited a chain-reaction of local debate and inspired a state Assembly bill that would ban the practice.
\nAt issue are a number of fundamental questions. One is whether animals have legal rights and deserve protection under the law. Another is whether it is appropriate, moral or ethical for humans to hold animals of higher intelligence, like dolphins and killer whales, in captivity. A third involves the ethics \u2014 and wisdom \u2014 of requiring marine mammals to perform in live shows.
\nIt\u2019s an interesting discussion and one that should \u2014 and apparently will \u2014 be fully vetted.
\nThe outcome seems uncertain But however things ultimately unravel, one thing seems clear: In the end, the public\u2019s perception of the relationship between humans and captive animals is likely to be forever altered.
\nAnd the debate comes at an interesting time, as SeaWorld is being saluted for rescuing distressed marine mammals, promoting their conservation, and for the theme park\u2019s economic contributions to the city over the past half-century. The City Council has declared March as “SeaWorld San Diego Month.”
\nSides are chosen, lines drawn.
\nOn the one hand are global institutions like SeaWorld, zoos, aquariums and similar institutions exhibiting animals that many people would otherwise never have the chance to see. Such mostly for-profit entities insist what they do is essential to public education. They point to their conservation and research work that contributes toward saving and preserving endangered species as justification for what they do.
\nOn the other side are the pro-animal rights advocates who insist keeping dolphins, orcas and other higher-order animals captive is slavery, labeling institutions which do so as”abusement” parks which profit from exploiting innocent, allegedly illegally held captive animals.
\nThere are telling points on both sides. Whether or not it\u2019s right to hold higher-order animals captive requiring them to perform in shows is justifiably a matter of public debate. At the same time, it is undeniable that the SeaWorld and San Diego Zoo and Stephen Birch Aquariums of the world are not only cornerstones of our culture, but serve a useful purpose, not only in terms of research and education for humans, but in protecting and preserving dwindling global wildlife populations continually encroached upon and threatened by expanding human habitation.
\nThe danger here is in taking the argument too far. While “reassessing” the situation with captive animals performing for human entertainment is entirely appropriate, denying people the opportunity to see animals first-hand in marine parks, zoos, aquariums, circuses, etcetera, is not.
\nHorses that we\u2019ve saddled and ridden and used and held captive for centuries and “gambled” on in competitive races, doesn\u2019t that constitute exploitation? Are people who own dogs and cats “slaveholders,” as some animal-rights extremists would have us believe?
\nShould we stop using mice in scientific research aimed at discovering cures to diseases afflicting mankind?
\nLet\u2019s salute SeaWorld for the fine work its done and its contributions to San Diego over the past half -entury. Let\u2019s discuss, fully vet and come to reasonable conclusions as to whether captive dolphins and orcas performing in live shows is exploitation or not. Let\u2019s come to a collective consensus on that, and then act accordingly, changing the rules if they need to be changed for the betterment of both species.
\nBut let\u2019s not let extremists on either side of the debate dominate and control the conversation.
\nHuman beings and animals co-exist. They always have and, hopefully, always will. Let\u2019s define that relationship and set the parameters for what is, and is not, right for them as they continue to share this world.
\nLet\u2019s question whether orca shows at SeaWorlds are entertainment or exploitation.
\nBut let\u2019s not question SeaWorld\u2019s right to exist, or that they do \u2014 or should \u2014 have a continuing central, positive role to play in society moving forward.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The documentary “Blackfish” and Point Loma High theater students reacting to it with a public-service announcement calling for SeaWorld to eliminate orca show performances has ignited a chain-reaction of local debate and inspired a state Assembly bill that would ban the practice. At issue are a number of fundamental questions. One is whether animals have […]<\/p>","protected":false},"author":726,"featured_media":269477,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"11560","_seopress_titles_title":"Extremism on either side should not drive SeaWorld debate","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":[],"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_social_meta":[],"jnews_override_counter":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[11560],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-269476","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-la-jolla-village-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/269476","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/726"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=269476"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/269476\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/269477"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=269476"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=269476"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=269476"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}