The BC SPCA came out in support of the Vancouver park board decision to ban cetaceans in city parks, effectively preventing the aquarium from brining any new whales, dolphins or porpoises into its Stanley Park tourist attraction.
In a statement issued a day after the May 15 vote and unprecedented protests outside the park board office, the chief scientific officer of the animal rescue organization said captivity is not ethical.
“In the past 30 years, new research has emerged on the complexity of cetaceans and their ability to communicate, to create social bonds and to demonstrate cognitive abilities such as self-awareness, recognition of individuals and memory,” said the SPCA's Sara Dubois.
“As humans, we know that confinement and social isolation in small indoor spaces without any control over our environment is emotionally damaging for our well-being. We now have evidence that for cetaceans, appropriate social interaction and having enough diverse space are very basic requirements for their psychological well-being as well," she said.
The BC SPCA was and remains “extremely supportive” of the aquarium’s marine mammal rescue centre but “doesn’t believe a decision to ban the display of cetaceans would have impacted these efforts.”
The organization runs a wild rescue centre outside Victoria on Vancouver Island and does not open the treatment facilities to the public.
