. | . |
France's Marineland accused of 'mistreating orcas' by Staff Writers Antibes, France (AFP) March 27, 2016 Environmental campaigners said Sunday they were taking legal action against a French marine park, Europe's largest, over the treatment of its orca whales and other animals after many were killed in a recent storm. The Antibes Marineland reopened a week ago after suffering severe damage in deadly storms that struck the Cote d'Azur, on France's Mediterranean coast, in October. Many animals and fish at the park were killed in the storm, including Valentin, a 19-year-old orca whale which succumbed to internal injuries a week later. The park was deluged with mud, killing sharks, sea lions and turtles because it was left without electricity to pump in clean water. International NGO Sea Shepherd organised a protest attended by around 250 people outside the park on Sunday, saying the orca enclosures remain highly unsatisfactory and the animals should never have been subject to such dangers in the first place. "We are against the keeping of orca whales in captivity because it is simply not where they should be," Paul Watson, founder of the NGO, told reporters. There has been growing global opposition to keeping orcas, also known as killer whales, in captivity, particularly since the release of a widely seen 2013 documentary Blackfish on the treatment of orcas at SeaWorld in the United States. SeaWorld announced earlier this month that it would no longer breed captive orcas and that the current generation would effectively be its last. Sea Shepherd has lodged a legal complaint against Antibes Marineland, saying the park mistreats its animals and pollutes the local environment. It expects a first hearing to be held in September. Marineland denies charges of mistreatment and said in a statement on Sunday that "the conditions of well-being of the marine mammals are carefully and strictly controlled by several organisations, as well as European and international regulations." The park is already subject to a preliminary investigation following complaints of animal cruelty by three French NGOs. fbe-vxm/er/pdw
Related Links Follow the Whaling Debate
|
|
The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us. |