Guest guest Posted December 10, 2005 Report Share Posted December 10, 2005 Dear Ms Yitze Ling and AAPN colleagues, One of the most comprehensive critical studies on aquariums has been conducted by Jordi Casamitjana for the Captive Animals Protection Society in UK( http://www.captiveanimals.org/aquarium/suffering.htm). In the US there was a comprehensive debate on keeping cetaceans in captivity in aquariums.( http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/whales/debate/ ) Incidentally one of the persons interviewed in that programme was Mr Ric O'Barry who belongs to this list. Studies have also been conducted by Mark Berman at the Earth Island Institute. I concur with the sentiments expressed in the attached letter. Personally, I have observed very severe cases of stereotypic behaviour in fur seals in Bristol Zoo, inadequate conditions for West Indian Manatees, Californian Sea Lions and Jackass Penguins in Singapore Zoo, several species of sharks at the London Aquarium and in numerous species of fishes and sea snakes kept in captivity in India(including the Taraporevala Aquarium in Bombay). Some time ago, I visited an aquarium in a seaside resort called Digha. To my surprise, I found five sea snakes(I could not identify the exact species they belonged to but surely more than one species) and was informed that they were continually replaced when they died(Sea snakes do not do well in captivity). The place has the official tutelage of the Zoological Survey Of India. Aquariums are the new zoos that incarcerate animals in captivity for ostensible conservation reasons. There is also a thriving trade in tropical fishes for the pet trade. I wrote a paper on aquariums(partially based on an interview I did with Jordi Casamitjana at the Brighton Sea Life Centre in Sussex) and would gladly share it with anyone who wants to pursue the issue further. In India most aquariums are either ornamental attachments to zoos or institutions run by the Fisheries Department and nothing could be further from their goals than conservation. I reckon the situation is similar in many other Asian countries. Best wishes and kind regards, Sincerely yours, http://www.captiveanimals.org/aquarium/suffering.htm Suffering Deep Down: CAPS launch investigation into UK public aquaria *A new scientific report on UK public aquaria has been published by the Captive Animals' Protection Society. The 136 page comprehensive report is the culmination of the largest and most in-depth investigation ever made on any public aquaria industry (involving visiting the majority of the public aquaria currently in the UK), which was commissioned to an independent animal welfare consultant in 2004. As a result of the study CAPS is launching the campaign SUFFERING DEEP DOWN aimed to highlight the plight of fish and aquatic invertebrates in public aquaria.* CAPS had become increasingly alarmed at the continuous growth of the UK aquaria industry - and the animal welfare consequences on captive fish - and by the lack of published information about the public aquarium trade, as well as what really goes on behind the public facade of the aquarium tanks. As a result, an in-depth investigation was commissioned which involved the visiting and video recording of 31 randomly selected public aquaria throughout the UK (55% of all aquaria), looking at most aspects of their performance, from the welfare problems of fish, the design of the exhibits, to even the risk aquarium visitors may be exposed to. Among many findings, the investigation found that the majority of public aquaria in the UK display animals showing abnormal behaviour, keep many animals with evidence of physical health problems, keep mostly wild-caught individuals, and do not prevent physical contact between visitors and animals (with the subsequent health risk to both). A staggering 98% of the animals kept in UK public aquaria do not belong to species classed as threatened by the World Conservation Union, and at the very least 45% of the public aquaria release fish to the sea for reasons other than conservation, which could be considered illegal. Jordi Casamitjana, author of the scientific report, concluded: " On almost every front public aquaria seem to fail. Many animals suffer in public aquaria, and no conservation, education or research work can compensate for this. However, in UK public aquaria, there seem to be minimal conservation activities, the education value is very poor and scientific research is almost non existent, so even the aquaria's own claims that could possibly justify the animals 'sacrifice' are totally unfounded. Furthermore, in the context of the new UK zoo legislation, it appears that many of UK public aquaria no longer meet the new zoo licensing conservation criteria that would allow them to stay open to the public. " *Click here to view video clips online<http://www.captiveanimals.org/aquarium/video.htm> * *Click here for the Suffering Deep Down report (PDF)<http://www.captiveanimals.org/aquarium/suffering.pdf> * *Click here for the Aquatic Zoos report (PDF)<http://www.captiveanimals.org/aquarium/aquaticzoos.pdf> * [image: Captive cod in aquarium] *We are very concerned about what we have found during this investigation. There are clear and serious animal welfare problems that should, by themselves, result in the closure of public aquaria, but there are also very grave and wide conservation implications of the activities that take place in such centres.* [image: Shark being held for aquarium visitors to touch] *Most public aquaria exist only because of the trade in animals removed from the wild, and in some cases welfare problems in aquaria are so great that many animals die soon after being put on display, to be soon replaced by yet more wild-caught individuals.* [image: Dying bluemouth] *The evidence unearthed during this study has confirmed the ethical position long held by CAPS. By showing the extent and gravity to which the public aquaria industry is damaging the lives of many animals, calls for the abolition of public aquaria can now be made not only on ethical grounds, but also on practical ones.* *This campaign has received coverage in the Independent<http://www.captiveanimals.org/aquarium/independent.htm>and the Sunday Herald <http://www.sundayherald.com/45009>. Edinburgh-based Advocates for Animals have also published a report into public aquaria in Scotland - full details can be seen on the Advocates for Animals website<http://www.advocatesforanimals.org/campaigns/captive/aquaticparks/beyond\ theglass.html> ..* Photographs © Captive Animals Protection Society/Casamitjana CAPS September 2004 http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/whales/debate/ [image: THE DEBATE OVER CAPTIVE DOLPHINS & WHALES] [image: Pro-Captivity Views]<http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/whales/debate/procap.html> from FRONTLINE's interviews with Jim McBain and Brad Andrews, Sea World, Inc. [image: Anti-Captivity Views]<http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/whales/debate/anticap.html> from FRONTLINE's interviews with Naomi Rose, Humane Society of U.S., and Ric O'Barry, animal advocate [image: The Atlantis Marine Park Project]<http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/whales/debate/atlantis.ht\ ml> Marine biologist Kelly Waples' fascinating, first-hand acount of lessons learned from a project in the early '90s to reintroduce to the wild nine bottlenose dolphins from a Western Australia marine park. [image: What Should We Know Before We Free Willy?]<http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/whales/keiko/what.html> In this article the National Marine Fisheries Service emphasizes the difficult issues that must be addressed before releasing captive cetaceans [image: The Ethics of Keeping Whales and Dolphins Captive]<http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/whales/debate/ethics.html\ > Orca expert Erich Hoyt offers some of the clearest explanations of ethical arguments against keeping orcas captive [image: An Introduction to the Missions of Zoological Parks]<http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/whales/debate/intro.html> The Alliance of Marine Mammal Parks and Aquariums presents their strongly-argued case on the importance of marine life parks, aquariums and zoos [image: Dangers to Trainers]<http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/whales/debate/trainers.h\ tml> In this investigative piece, orca expert Erich Hoyt reports on numerous accidents, and even deaths, involving trainers of killer whales. [image: The Navy's Report on Reintroducing Dolphins into the Wild]<http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/whales/etc/navy1.html> In 1992, Congress allocated $500,000 to the Navy to explore the possibility of returning to the wild dolphins deemed unnecessary to military programs. In October 1993, the Navy issued this report which concluded that, because of the research and technological development required before the dolphins could be returned to the wild safely, a reintroduction program would not be cost effective. [image: Protocol for Readaptation & Release]<http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/whales/etc/protocol.html> Animal advocate Ric O'Barry explains the process and criteria required for releasing captive dolphins - and why it can be done with most, but not all, of these mammals On 12/9/05, yitzeling <yitzeling wrote: > > Dear aapn members, > > Aquariums are big business in Asia and no one seems to know the > suffering of these aquatic animals. Can anyone comment on the horror > of the aquarium business and the suffering to aquatic wildlife > particularly seals, penguins ets. > > Thank you for your time. > > This is extracted from a letter written by a tourist to Malaysia. > > So being keen to extend our experience to cover some of the famous > Malaysian aquatic life, we visited Underwater World and the dream > holiday turned into a nightmare. Penguins standing like statues in a > totally inappropriate tank, two seals with hardly room to swim, swans > (yes swans!) with no room to move marooned in a tiny pond in the 'rain > forest' section. Marmoset monkeys are hardly aquatic life and we did > not visit Malaysia to see swans, seals and penguins, which no doubt > feel the heat even more than human visitors. > > The standard of these animals was frankly, appalling, and my partner, > a travel agent, ( who arranges many visits to Malaysia), was reduced > to tears. Through the section where six turtles sit in a three foot > square pond with inches of water, past the two parrots in a cage with > no room even to spread their wings, to the gift shop, supermarket, > restaurant etc. Basically it is profit that matters and who cares > about the animals? > > I can assure you that tourists simply cannot stand such cruelty to our > fellow creatures. I write to you in the hope that others will take up > the banner in our absence. > > David Klackan > 26th April 2005 > > > > > > For more information on Asian animal issues, please use the search feature > on the AAPN website: http://www.aapn.org/ or search the list archives at: > aapn > Please feel free to send any relevant news or comments to the list at > aapn > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 10, 2005 Report Share Posted December 10, 2005 Okinawa has the second biggest aquarium in the whole world. (please correct me if I am wrong), it is quite beautiful and many tourists come year round to visit. We have friends and relatives that visit and ask to see the aquarium due to it's popularity. I also feel saddened by the conditions the turtles are kept in, there are some other animals that are in very dirty water, they hit their heads in the glass enclosures and seem depressed. Okinawa does not have a Humane Society or animal welfare society that anyone can go to. Some attention has been brought to the public on the conditions of the animals at the Zoo, maybe the same could be done for the animals at the aquarium. OAARS has been concentrating on making changes for the strays, abandoned, abused and neglected animals. Besides the politics, we also have to deal with the mentality of individuals in the animal business. Pet owners are not held accountable for abuse or neglect. If more people were to write the Govt. officials and push for changes, particularly those that would suffer financially if tourism dropped, we would see the conditions for these animals improve. Please, keep up the good work you are all doing. Best regards, Liz OAARS yitzeling <yitzeling wrote: Dear aapn members, Aquariums are big business in Asia and no one seems to know the suffering of these aquatic animals. Can anyone comment on the horror of the aquarium business and the suffering to aquatic wildlife particularly seals, penguins ets. Thank you for your time. This is extracted from a letter written by a tourist to Malaysia. So being keen to extend our experience to cover some of the famous Malaysian aquatic life, we visited Underwater World and the dream holiday turned into a nightmare. Penguins standing like statues in a totally inappropriate tank, two seals with hardly room to swim, swans (yes swans!) with no room to move marooned in a tiny pond in the 'rain forest' section. Marmoset monkeys are hardly aquatic life and we did not visit Malaysia to see swans, seals and penguins, which no doubt feel the heat even more than human visitors. The standard of these animals was frankly, appalling, and my partner, a travel agent, ( who arranges many visits to Malaysia), was reduced to tears. Through the section where six turtles sit in a three foot square pond with inches of water, past the two parrots in a cage with no room even to spread their wings, to the gift shop, supermarket, restaurant etc. Basically it is profit that matters and who cares about the animals? I can assure you that tourists simply cannot stand such cruelty to our fellow creatures. I write to you in the hope that others will take up the banner in our absence. David Klackan 26th April 2005 For more information on Asian animal issues, please use the search feature on the AAPN website: http://www.aapn.org/ or search the list archives at: aapn Please feel free to send any relevant news or comments to the list at aapn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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