(JP/CA) COALITION FOR NO WHALES IN CAPTIVITY

[Guest guest]

461-1755 Robson Street, Vancouver, BC CANADA V6G 3B7

Tel: (604) 736-9514 Fax: (604) 264-0653

E-mail: annelise Web: www.whaleprotection.org/cfnwic

JULY 31, 2001

 

Aquarium supports Japanese dolphin slaughter

and imports a new dolphin

 

Today the Vancouver Aquarium informed the Vancouver Park Board by fax of the

arrival of a new dolphin imported this morning into Stanley Park. The new

dolphin was bought from a dolphinarium in Osaka, Japan - an aquarium which

regularly purchases dolphins from bloody dolphin drives where hundreds of

animals are slaughtered on the beach and a selected few are sold to

dolphinariums around the world.

 

It is dolphinariums like this one in Vancouver that finance and support the

cruelty of killing and capturing dolphins. For more information and video

footage of a Japanese dolphin drive, please visit the website:

 

http://stream.realimpact.net/?file=realimpact/peta/dolphin.rm

 

A Park Board bylaw restricts the aquarium from importing dolphins captured

after September 1996. The Coalition For No Whales In Captivity warned the

board in April that the aquarium was planning to bring dolphins from Japan.

At the April presentation, the board was shown the video of a dolphin drive

in Ikki Island, Japan. Chairwoman Laura McDiarmid gave her personal

guarantee to Annelise Sorg, director of the Coalition For No Whales In

Captivity, that the aquarium would inform the board of any new dolphins it

planned to import into Stanley Park well before the arrival of any new

animals. This was necessary in order to review documentation and confirm

that new dolphins met the bylaw's restrictions.

 

Park Board Commissioner Roslyn Cassells is outraged at the aquarium's

disregard for process: " Bringing a new dolphin into Stanley Park without

first advising the commissioners is a flagrant disregard for the wishes of

the public and the authority of the Vancouver Park Board. "

 

Send your protest letters to:

 

Vancouver Park Board Commissioners

Commissioner Roslyn Cassells <rcassells

Commissioner Laura McDiarmid <laura_mcdiarmid

Commissioner Duncan Wilson <duncan_wilson

Commissioner Dianne Ledingham <dianne_ledingham

Commissioner Clarence Hansen <chhansen

Commissioner Christopher Richardson <chrisgiv

Commissioner Alan deGenova <adegenova

 

Vancouver Aquarium President and CEO

John Nightingale <nightij

 

The Coalition is unable to hold a demonstration outside the Vancouver

Aquarium at this time, but will support any other groups and individuals who

wish to stage a protest.

 

Thanks.

 

Annelise Sorg, Director

Coalition For No Whales In Captivity

annelise