Conservationists target virgin and richard branson
Don’t sell holidays to see captive whales their message to tour operators
The campaign is set up to expose Sir Richard Branson’s and asking Sir Richard to ‘do better’. In short, says WDC (Whale and Dolphin Conservation). Says WDC "he is an environmentalist and is an Ocean Elder" . "He speaks out against cruel hunts in Japan"
However, says WDC – "He sees nothing wrong with sending people to SeaWorld to see orcas held in captivity. Some of these orcas were taken from the wild. They are forced to live in cramped concrete pools for our ‘entertainment’ so we think he is being a hypocrite"
WDC have created an infographic:
And a film to go with the campaign: WATCH IT HERE
Says WDC "Captive born whales and dolphins are still wild individuals and suffer from many of the same health and welfare problems that their pool mates taken from the wild do. In the case of orcas, those who have been born and died in captivity survived an average 4.5 years, compared to an average of 30 years for males and 46 years for females in the wild, where, in spite of the lack of veterinary care, protection from pollution and "restaurant quality" fish, they live a maximum 60 to 90 years. Captive-born orcas have only reached a maximum age of 25 years."
The campaign also avers that "There is no educational benefit in seeing orcas performing in circus style shows which have no value in informing the public about wild orcas and their habitats. The types of behaviour seen in dolphin shows, including SeaWorld’s orca shows, bear little to no resemblance to the types of behaviour seen in wild dolphins. This is little evidence to support the claim that seeing whales and dolphins in captivity or performing in shows educates or even provokes interest in conservation among visitors."
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