Dem bills would ban whale capture for public display

Roughly 50 whales are still being held in captivity in the United States.

July 28, 2022

 New legislation introduced in both the House and Senate this week would prohibit whales from being captured or bred for public display.

“The science and tragic real-life experiences have shown us time and again that marine mammals suffer from being in captivity, often being exploited and abused, but our laws and practices don’t reflect that,” said Rep. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.), chair of the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water, Oceans and Wildlife.

Huffman teamed up with Reps. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and Suzan DelBene (D-Wash.) to introduce the House bill, called the “Strengthening Welfare in Marine Settings (SWIMS) Act."

Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) introduced a companion bill.

“SeaWorld announced in 2016 that its current orcas in captivity will be its last; the federal government should expand on this example and prohibit all new captive whales for purposes of entertainment,” she said.

The lawmakers said that roughly 50 whales are still being held in captivity in the United States.

Schiff called whales “among the most intelligent, fascinating, and beautiful creatures in the world” and said they do not belong "in captivity where their lives are defined by the four walls of a concrete tank.”

DelBene called orca whales “icons of the Pacific Northwest” and said they should be free in the wild.

“The science is clear: When these marine mammals and other large whales are kept in captivity, they are often exploited, treated poorly or abused,” she said.

The legislation would amend the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 to prohibit “the taking, importation, or exportation” of whales for the purpose of putting them on public display.

It would also amend the Animal Welfare Act to prohibit any breeding of whales for display in the future.

The legislation has been endorsed by a long list of organizations, including the Nonhuman Rights Project, the Animal Welfare Institute, Animal Defenders International, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, the Endangered Species Coalition and the Oceanic Preservation Society.


By:  Rob Hotakainen
Source: E&E Daily