Urge the Virginia Marine Science Museum Not to Imprison Dolphins and Seals

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Source- apiforanimals.org (API)

 

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Urge the Virginia Marine Science Museum Not to Imprison Dolphins and Seals

 

 

 

Until now, the Virginia Marine Science Museum has been known as a museum

that focuses largely on conservation and education. Located only several

miles from the Virginia Beach coast, the museum has taken non-invasive,

genuinely educational approaches to its relationship to marine mammals, such

as offering excursions to see dolphins where they live in their ocean homes.

But now the museum is taking a giant step backward with plans to add a

dolphin tank and hold at least six dolphins and several seals captive.

 

You can help. Please write to the Virginia Marine Science Museum's Executive and let him know how you feel about imprisoning marine mammals.

Urge him to maintain his museum's integrity as a conservation, education and

rehabilitation facility by opting not to add a captive marine mammal

display. Also write to the Mayor and City Manager of Virginia Beach. The

city has a right to question the museum's plans as the museum receives

several million dollars each year from the city.

 

Some points to include in your letters:

 

The Marine Science Museum currently runs a top-notch stranding center. If

more tanks are built, they should be used for rehabilitation, not for

warehousing healthy animals for public entertainment.

Threats to marine mammals include pollution, entanglement in fishing nets,

and human harassment. Captivity and captive breeding (currently, dolphins

and seals are having no trouble reproducing in the wild) address none of

these threats.

Real conservation focuses on protecting animals in their natural habitat.

Captive marine mammal displays do nothing to protect wild animals.

Tanks deprive captive marine mammals of normal social and environmental

interaction and physical activity.

Write to:

 

Mr. Mac Rawls

Executive Director

Virginia Marine Science Museum

717 General Booth Blvd

Virginia Beach, VA 23451

http://www.vmsm.com/contact.html

 

The Honorable Meyera E. Oberndorf

Mayor, City of Virginia Beach

2401 Courthouse Dr.

City Hall, Bldg. #1

Virginia Beach, VA 23456

757-427-4581

 

James Spore, City Manager

Municipal Center, Bldg. #1

2401 Courthouse Dr.

Virginia Beach, VA 23456

 

 

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