Vancouver Aquarium fighting proposed cetacean ban when it meets with Park Board later this month
Vancouver Aquarium representatives will appear before the Vancouver Park Board on 26 July in a bid to continue its conservation work with large marine mammals currently in captivity.
In addition to the decision, the Park Board – made up of seven elected commissioners with jurisdiction over a raft of leisure facilities and visitor attractions in Vancouver – will deliver a report on best practices for all aquariums.
A review of the aquarium’s work with cetaceans was requested by Park Board chair Aaron Jasper in April. The same day, city mayor Gregor Robertson called for an end to whale and dolphin captivity at the Vancouver Aquarium and several park commissioners have publicly voiced a similar opinion.
Aquarium CEO John Nightingale has said that restricting the conservation of such animals would “destroy research” and become a “life-and-death” matter for the aquarium’s continued existence.
The aquarium currently holds two beluga whales and two Pacific white-sided dolphins in its tanks in Stanley Park, which, despite heavy protest is planning to expand its whale and dolphin tanks rather than phase them out.
If passed, the “Sunset Bylaw” would provide for whales and dolphins currently housed at the aquarium to remain there while prohibiting both breeding and the importation of additional cetaceans from other facilities. The bylaw does leave room for rescued animals to be kept at the aquarium, provided they are deemed unreleasable by Fisheries and Oceans Canada and approved for permanent housing by the Park Board.
Aquariums have come under immense pressure from protest groups in the wake of CNN’s controversial documentary Blackfish, which recounts the 2010 death of trainer Dawn Brancheau which was caused by a 12,000-pound (5.4-ton) bull at SeaWorld in Orlando, Florida. The documentary claimed that by being kept in captivity for entertainment the whale was driven to madness.
California is also facing new state legislation that could spell trouble for SeaWorld attractions, which would no longer be able to hold orca shows in Florida.
Whale ban could mean ‘life or death’ for Vancouver Aquarium
SeaWorld takes another hit as STA removes it from its travel database
Proposed legislation would ban Orca shows in California
SeaWorld trainer dies after killer whale attack
GoCo Health Innovation City in Sweden plans to lead the world in delivering wellness and new science
Aman sister brand Janu debuts in Tokyo with four-floor urban wellness retreat
€38m geothermal spa and leisure centre to revitalise Croatian city of Bjelovar
Two Santani eco-friendly wellness resorts coming to Oman, partnered with Omran Group
Kerzner shows confidence in its Siro wellness hotel concept, revealing plans to open 100
Ritz-Carlton, Portland unveils skyline spa inspired by unfolding petals of a rose
Rogers Stirk Harbour & Partners are just one of the names behind The Emory hotel London and Surrenne private members club
Peninsula Hot Springs unveils AUS$11.7m sister site in Australian outback
IWBI creates WELL for residential programme to inspire healthy living environments
Conrad Orlando unveils water-inspired spa oasis amid billion-dollar Evermore Resort complex
Studio A+ realises striking urban hot springs retreat in China's Shanxi Province
Populous reveals plans for major e-sports arena in Saudi Arabia
Wake The Tiger launches new 1,000sq m expansion
Othership CEO envisions its urban bathhouses in every city in North America
Merlin teams up with Hasbro and Lego to create Peppa Pig experiences
SHA Wellness unveils highly-anticipated Mexico outpost
One&Only One Za’abeel opens in Dubai featuring striking design by Nikken Sekkei
Luxury spa hotel, Calcot Manor, creates new Grain Store health club
'World's largest' indoor ski centre by 10 Design slated to open in 2025
Murrayshall Country Estate awarded planning permission for multi-million-pound spa and leisure centre
Aman's Janu hotel by Pelli Clarke & Partners will have 4,000sq m of wellness space
Therme Group confirms Incheon Golden Harbor location for South Korean wellbeing resort
Universal Studios eyes the UK for first European resort
King of Bhutan unveils masterplan for Mindfulness City, designed by BIG, Arup and Cistri
Rural locations are the next frontier for expansion for the health club sector
Tonik Associates designs new suburban model for high-end Third Space health and wellness club
Aman sister brand Janu launching in Tokyo in 2024 with design by Denniston's Jean-Michel Gathy
The Peninsula London unveils Peter Marino-designed spa inspired by London’s famous parks
First glimpses revealed of Mandarin Oriental, Mayfair's subterranean spa retreat
"Architecture is alive" says Ma Yansong, as Shenzhen art museum opens exhibition showcasing work of MAD Architects
From parks designed to mitigate the effects of flooding to warming huts for one of the world’s coldest cities, these projects have been designed for increasingly extreme climates