People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals has filed a lawsuit against Sea World for allegedly violating the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution -- which bans slavery -- by keeping orcas at parks in San Diego and Orlando, Fla.
Part of the lawsuit also asserts that it is illegal to artificially inseminate the females and then take away their babies. We talk to bioethicist Wesley Smith about this case and while ridiculous, why it is also very dangerous.
Captive breeding, as conducted by aquariums, is contrary to the World Conservation
Union (IUCN) Policy Statement that: "Reintroduction to the wild should be the
ultimate objective of all captive breeding programmes" (IUCN, 1991). Reintroduction
has never been a component of cetacean captive breeding programmes. Breeding
programmes may provide new captive animals, but their value to conservation is
highly questionable. Is the aim only to conserve a species in captivity? -Jerye Mooney
metridium 3 months ago