Vancouver Aquarium Vancouver Aquarium News 2014

Ok that last article is misleading. The decision came down tonight. The whales, dolphins and porpoises will stay. Breeding all but threatened species is banned. An oversight committee is being imposed to deal with animal welfare and they are to look at whether they can meet the well being of whales using all data. Basically sound like a bunch of nothing phased to sound like something is being done. They only breed belugas which depending on where you are talking about can be considered threatened so they will continue to breed. And to ask a world renowned aquarium to look at all of the research on whales in captivity is so stupid. They are aware of the research. If they didnt think they could do a good job they would have ended the program themselves. Its all a lot of foolish hot air just so the activists will shut up for awhile thinking they kind of won. My money is most of the staff is just laughing at all this nonsense that does and changes absolutely nothing.

Vancouver Aquarium whale, dolphin breeding program to end - British Columbia - CBC News
 
I'm so ticked off. Is there any way this might be reversed in the future? Can the Aquarium ask for an appeal? Even file a lawsuit? Maybe the Aquarium Should just find another place to be (l know that is a ridiculous suggestion). Forgive me, I'm not entirely familiar with the workings of Canadian politics, frankly I only have a vague idea because I know that both our countries (for the most part, I know Quebec civil law) work under the common law system.
 
Really I feel that this is the best case scenario, it appeases all, but doesn't actually change anything about how the aquarium is run. Will be interesting to see how the oversight committee works, and it will likely mean more paperwork for the aquarium, but otherwise it sounds like nothing really changes.

What specifically are you ticked off about wensleydale?
 
They could appeal but why. The aquarium is really not facing a single change. Its not like to aquarium cant breed belugas. It can. Its not like they dont know the research. They do which is why they continue to keep them. Its not like the aquarium doesnt have its won animal welfare type committee. Most zoos and aquariums have committees of their own for that. And it might not be an order but a request. Toronto had one for the zoo to have an idiotic animal welfare committee including anti zoo groups which the board said thank you for the recommendation but we already have our own committee in place.
 
Because I don't like the idea of banning anything. I generally don't believe in bans.

This also has the potential to lead to lawsuits down the road. Who decides what the definition of "threatened" is. Not the park board I hope.

Also, they won't be able to make an attempt at breeding their Pacific White Sided Dolphins, it would be a loss for the Aquarium if they lost them.

What happens if the Porpoises breed?
 
I would guess the definition of threatened that would be acceptable would be anything the government of BC or Canada has decided is threatened. And in the case of the beluga whales the government of Canada has listed them as an animal at risk.

Parks Canada - Species at Risk - Species at Risk

With the dolphins and porpoises dont forget they are rescues. They never intended on breeding them, just maintaining them. If an accident happens and a baby is born thats an accident. So long as they arent purposely trying I dont think theres a problem. And if there was an accidental birth Im sure the aquarium itself would look at how to prevent it in the future. I dont know if its possible the females can go on birth control.

Once they die out theres no ban on bringing more in. Nothing was said about adding animals other than through breeding at the aquarium itself. Plus theres always the chance of more who cant be released like the false killer whale calf. It will happen.
 
TZFan said:
I would guess the definition of threatened that would be acceptable would be anything the government of BC or Canada has decided is threatened. And in the case of the beluga whales the government of Canada has listed them as an animal at risk.

Parks Canada - Species at Risk - Species at Risk

With the dolphins and porpoises dont forget they are rescues. They never intended on breeding them, just maintaining them. If an accident happens and a baby is born thats an accident. So long as they arent purposely trying I dont think theres a problem. And if there was an accidental birth Im sure the aquarium itself would look at how to prevent it in the future. I dont know if its possible the females can go on birth control.

Once they die out theres no ban on bringing more in. Nothing was said about adding animals other than through breeding at the aquarium itself. Plus theres always the chance of more who cant be released like the false killer whale calf. It will happen.
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Since the entire Arctic is open to exploration the definition of threatened if and when argued will apply to almost all species maintained!
 
Chester the False Killer Whale has been moved to a larger pool and now weighs 103 kilograms His teeth are coming in and he is being given herring periodically.

I know it is too early to tell, but does anyone have any guesses on what will happen to him later on? As in will he stay in Vancouver, or will he go somewhere else. I have it in my head that he could go to the University of Hawaii and live with their female False Killer Whale.

I also wonder how his vocalizations are matching up with those of wild False Killer Whales, given that he has probably been away from his conspecifics longer than he was with them. This could provide some insight into whether their vocalizations are instinctual or learned.
 
Thanks to my position of employment and some of the people I know within it, I have a fair bit of info about Chester and his future.

However, as it stands its still fairly private information that I'm not able to disclose at the moment :(
 
Did you know that the aquarium played host to 9 weddings this summer? Or that more than 17,000 burgers were sold between the two cafes? The link below has many more fascinating statistics on one of the largest aquariums in North America.

A Vancouver Aquarium Summer in Numbers | AquaBlog
 
I hope the couples getting married there had to pay through the nose for the privilege. As I have said before I hate zoo, aquarium, and other weddings held in public places that are made no longer public for a whole afternoon (or worse).
 
wensleydale said:
I hope the couples getting married there had to pay through the nose for the privilege. As I have said before I hate zoo, aquarium, and other weddings held in public places that are made no longer public for a whole afternoon (or worse).
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I doubt they ever close the entire facility for weddings, they are probably only allowed to be conducted after hours, or in some function areas where it doesn't limit other visitors. That's how most zoos/aquariums do them. But I bet they were charged through the nose too.
 
zooboy28 said:
I doubt they ever close the entire facility for weddings, they are probably only allowed to be conducted after hours, or in some function areas where it doesn't limit other visitors. That's how most zoos/aquariums do them. But I bet they were charged through the nose too.
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Well, I haven't been to places where closing the whole place is the official policy, but on occasion I have effectively been muscled out of significant parts of various facilities on a much looked forward to to and all too rare trip to the zoo or an art museum or botanical garden (art museums and botanical gardens are two of my other loves) due to setup for an after hours wedding. One incident that sticks out in my mind is the time a catering company took over the only working public bathroom in the place I was visiting (as well as a large part of their lovely formal garden) and it was an hour and a half (unless I wanted to risk a speeding ticket or a stop at a very filthy rest stop) home. That has left me very bitter about zoo weddings. They should pay through the nose. They deserve it (they don't deserve the money and the aquarium does).
 
A weaker repeat of what happened earlier this summer. Jane Goodall announces her opposition (and I remark she should stick to chimps) to the Aquariums cetacean program.

Jane Goodall on Vancouver Aquarium belugas: 'That's not right' - British Columbia - CBC News

The Aquarium fires back.

www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-colu...r-aquarium-belugas-that-s-not-right-1.2763828

Feeling queasy, and having even less respect for Jane Goodall than I did before. Thank God Common Chimps aren't my thing (I am more of a Bonobo and Gibbon person).
 
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