Rep. Huffman Applauds SeaWorld For Ending Breeding of Captive Orcas; Eventually Phasing Out Public Exhibition

March 17, 2016

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Today, SeaWorld announced the end of all orca breeding for their company’s 29 whales, marking this current group as the final generation of SeaWorld’s Orcas and ending the cruelty of keeping captive orcas for public display. Rep. Huffman co-authored the Orca Responsibility and Care Advancement (ORCA) Act - which would prohibit the breeding of orcas for the purpose of public display - and has been leading the Congressional effort to drive USDA federal regulations to improve conditions for captive mammals. In response to the news, Congressman Huffman thanked SeaWorld, as well as all those who have advocated on the orcas’ behalf, for their commitment to finally end this inhumane practice.

“For far too long, these intelligent mammals have been subjected to the heartwrenching practice of being kept captive in cruelly small tanks solely for public entertainment value. After years of public outcry and many letters, meetings, amendments, and even legislation, I am thrilled to see the wave of opposition build to where SeaWorld finally has done the right thing and ended their captive breeding program of orcas.

“This is a new chapter for SeaWorld and I am proud to see important animal welfare groups like the Humane Society of the United States support this announcement, and I hope SeaWorld becomes a model for others in the exhibitor industry to step up and do the right thing voluntarily.

“While this is a critical step forward and we will continue to push for better regulations to govern the remaining 29 orcas in captivity, let us also use this as an opportunity to push SeaWorld to protect the wild orca populations and their vulnerable food sources, such as our salmon populations. SeaWorld must do more on wild salmon conservation, and I hope today’s announcement is one in several real commitments to protect and conserve wild marine mammal life and the species they depend on.

“To ensure that all marine mammals in captivity are treated humanely, we must continue to work together. I remain committed to working with my colleagues in Congress, stakeholder groups, and the scientific communities to push federal agencies to update their captive marine mammal regulations, that have sadly languished for the past 20 years,” said Rep. Huffman.

Rep. Huffman has been very active in improving human conditions for captive marine mammals. Along with Rep. Adam Schiff, he led a letter in 2014 with other members of Congress urging USDA to update the captive marine mammal regulations. The text of the letter can be found here.

In 2015, Huffman, Schiff and Sens. Feinstein and Boxer also asked the asked the Office of Budget and Management to publicly release the proposed rule.

And then, last Congress, Huffman and Schiff passed an amendment to the Agriculture Appropriations bill for USDA to conduct and update the science necessary for Animal Welfare Act regulations on captivity of orcas and cetaceans. The Schiff-Huffman amendment passed with unanimous bipartisan support.

Schiff and Huffman also introduced the Orca Responsibility and Care Advancement (ORCA) Act. This landmark legislation would phase out the captivity of orcas so that their display ends with this generation. Specifically, it would prohibit the breeding, the taking (wild capture), and the import or export of orcas for the purposes of public display.

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