WHALES AND DOLPHINS BELONG WITH THEIR FAMILIES

WHALES AND DOLPHINS BELONG WITH THEIR FAMILIES
 
Christmas and the Holidays are about families and compassion.  We need your help to improve conditions for whales and dolphins and to prevent further captures.   As more people become aware of their plight, there are now only two aquaria in Canada where whales and dolphins are held captive against their will.  Earlier this year, there was another in a series of public outcries when conditions at Marineland resulted in investigations and a public inquiry.  Despite information appearing in the news media, there are in fact laws to require suitable and adequate food, water, shelter and veterinary care for animals under the Criminal Code of Canada.  On anothe front, Canada was one of the original founding signatories of the United Nations Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), one of the most important wildlife treaties on the planet and before any whales or dolphins can be brought into Canada, this can only take place by way of a CITES permit issued by the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans.  The Humane Society of Canada is a longstanding participant at CITES treaty negotiations and for years has demanded that the federal government have an open 90 day public comment period before the permits are issued so expert groups and citizens can lend their expertise.  Instead of working to try and prevent animal suffering, the government instead has emphatically denied this requestand refuses to provide information even under freedom on information laws.
 
The Humane Society of Canada has funded studies showing whales and dolphins die faster in captivity than they do in the wild.  In 1991, England closed down its last two aquaria, and the three dolphins were flown to the Caribbean, and after a careful period of rehabilitation were released back into the wild.  Underwater in my scuba gear, I marvelled at the ease and grace with which "Rocky", "Missie" and "Silver" swam around me.  Many people have asked if they were thanking me for their freedom.  I believe that if they were trying to send me a message it was simply this: "What took you so long?"
 
The feeling of joy and happiness was overwhelming as I watched them streak away. During the first day of their new found freedom, they swam more than 40 km.  Their story was made into a documentary "Into the Blue" narrated by actor Michael Caine.
 
There are still more whales and dolphins living in squalid concrete tanks that need our help.
 
Please join our petition asking the Honourable Gail Shea, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans to hold off issuing any more CITES permits to bring whales and dolphins into Canada and to review the reports of experts about the conditions under which these highly intelligent social animals are kept after they have been wrenched away from their families along with finding the ways and means to rehabilitate and release existing captives back into the wild where they belong.
 
On behalf of the animals, thank you,
 
Michael O'Sullivan
Chairman & CEO

Please learn more and support us at www.humanesociety.com