Why Are Aquariums Built?

[DavidBrown]

Most major natural history museums are philanthropic or public institutions. Most (certainly not all) aquariums are for profit businesses. That's an important difference.

I didn't say that people don't learn at aquariums. I just suggested that that's not the reason they're built.

Many aquariums in North America are non-profit institutions (minus the emerging chain of SeaLife aquariums popping up, which are for profit). The major aquariums like Monterey, Shedd, Georgia Aquarium, etc. are run with an education and conservation mission.

 

[CGSwans]

Many aquariums in North America are non-profit institutions (minus the emerging chain of SeaLife aquariums popping up, which are for profit). The major aquariums like Monterey, Shedd, Georgia Aquarium, etc. are run with an education and conservation mission.

Yeah, the US might be the big global exception to this one, perhaps as a result of its philanthropic culture (your billionaires love spending the taxes they evade on civic monuments, it seems). US seems to be a mix.

Certainly all Australian aquaria are for-profits. The same would be true throughout Asia and at least significant parts of Europe.

 

[LaughingDove]

Education tends to be the justification for aquariums to be built. Entertainment tends to be the reason.

Let us not fool ourselves.

Yes, but education *should* be a major reason. In my opinion the best zoos, aquariums, nature centres etc combine education, conservation and entertainment.

 

[ZooLover4Life]

Are you serious?

Yes.

I'm a sick and tired of people trying to "justify" zoos/aquariums because "we need them for conservation". There's absolutely nothing wrong with keeping animals in zoos and aquariums for people's enjoyment. I'd rather be the deer/bear/cow in the zoo instead of being hunted or in a slaughterhouse. lol

There's been some crazy anti-zoo movement where it seems like they want no animals kept in captivity because they are obsessed with keeping ALL animals in their "natural" environment.(natural environment also means starving to death/most young animals don't make it to adulthood/being eaten alive...not some kind of Disney fantasy...ie FREE WILLY!)

So because of that, people try to justify the zoo FOR conservation. As if that's the only reason for a zoo/aquairum. B.S.! I laugh in the face of that. I don't' need to justify it.

NOTHING at all wrong in having zoos/aquariums. CLEAN HEALTHY FOR FUN FOR YOUNG AND OLD ALIKE!

Also, you don't need a zoo to be educated. You could watch a nature documentary. Many of which value animals over people. The classic example is shark week where they've done a good 15 year propaganda campaign for shark conservation and fight against proven methods of reducing shark attacks(they want to get rid of shark netting at popular beaches in Australia for example) at beaches and outright LIE about how endangered the sharks are and try to put the blame on the victim and use useless irrelevant statistics about lightning. It's not "education". It's manipulation.

If you know enough on your own about shark behavior/population, these shows are laughable. They are so manipulative. Great example....sharks spit the human out because they don't like the taste. That's actually the hunting patter of the GW shark. One bite, then leave and let the animal bleed to death. Another example: sharks don't like the taste of people and are picky eaters...Tiger shark will eat tires. I could go and on and on. Tigers/bulls are not even close to being endangered and neither is the white. They can't even provide the numbers of them. It's pure b.s. Their numbers are actually rising.

 

[ZooLover4Life]

What's wrong with looking at fish in tanks for our own enjoyment?? I don't get it.

 

[jbnbsn99]

Because some people want to have a deeper, more complex understanding of everything around them. If everything were just surface level, i.e. entertainment, then this deeper meaning disappears. The more layers something has, the more rewarding it will be.

 

[LaughingDove]

Another point is that the Earth/nature/animals needs protecting, even more so in future with the world's population expanding and the demand on resources by people increasing, so for people to want to protect nature then they will need to know that it needs protecting. I can't think of a better way for people to be educated about nature than in a zoo or aquarium (assuming they can't afford to go to where the species are wild). So, (similar to what jbnbsn99 said) there is nothing wrong with looking into a tank for fun but if they can learn at the same time then that's better.

This quotation gives a similar message:
"If we can teach people about wildlife, they will be touched. Share my wildlife with me. Because humans want to save things that they love."
-Steve Irwin