And — in the face of extensive protests — while SeaWorld is ending its breeding program and phasing out orca shows, one state lawmaker wants to go further to ensure that no one else can exploit the brainy marine mammals.
State Rep. Jared Moskowitz, a Coral Springs Democrat, has filed the Orca Protection Act, which, if passed, would completely ban keeping orcas in captivity for entertainment purposes. It would also bar "harvesting" DNA from the whales (yuck) for the purpose of artificially inseminating female orcas as well as the transport of orcas to another state or country.
In a statement heralding the bill, Moskowitz cited animal welfare, given captivity's apparently detrimental impact on an orca's lifespan.
“The conditions that captive orcas inhabit is reprehensible and it’s past due that we take a stand for the proper and humane treatment of these animals,” he said.
He added that the bill basically puts what SeaWorld is already doing into state law in order to protect currently captive as well as future generations of orcas from being forced into captivity and forced performances. Without a law, supporters say, another entity could pick up where SeaWorld left off, by buying the whales "grandfathered" into the park's captivity program and make a killing off the exact same exploitation.
It's unclear whether the bill has any legs in the legislature; it has yet to pick up a sponsor in the state senate and the legislative session is nearly halfway over.
Supporters are also pretty concerned that the tourism lobby and SeaWorld itself may try to wield its influence in Tallahassee this legislative session to get the bill buried.
"It’s unacceptable that SeaWorld (now partially owned by a Chinese corporation) would attempt to block a commonsense rule protecting the well-being of orcas, a rule that they were supposedly committed to honoring internally,” Moskowitz said.
The bill, HB 1305, was initially filed earlier this month and must clear several committees before making it onto the house floor for a full vote.
This article appears in Jan 18-25, 2018.