Thursday, March 28, 2024

Canadians want to ban keeping whales and dolphins in captivity (REPORT)

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A recent study on zoos, aquariums, and keeping animals in captivity in Canada yielded some interesting results.

This latest Angus Reid report shows that four-in-ten Canadians think that keeping cetaceans like whales and dolphins in captivity should be banned, while one-in-three disagree with this statement.

At this time, only two facilities in the country house cetaceans: the Vancouver Aquarium, and Marineland in Niagara Falls.

The Vancouver Aquarium recently announced that they would no longer keep whales and dolphins in captivity unless they need to be rescued and rehabilitated.

Some people, like Andrew Trites, director of the Marine Mammal Research Unit at the University of British Columbia disagree with these changes, as it means they will have to find other sources through which to conduct their research.

(Angus Reid)

On the merits of zoos and aquariums

When it comes to discussing whether or not zoos and aquariums are necessary institutions in the community, the study shows that opinion is swayed based on when the individual last visited one or the other.

(Angus Reid)

However, 55% of Canadians believe that only certain animals should be allowed to be kept in captivity, depending on various criteria such as their species, how intelligent they are, whether or not they’re injured and/or endangered, etc.

Among those who say that keeping animals in captivity depends on the animal in question, 52% further believe that housing cetaceans in aquariums should be banned.

These findings are based on a survey filled out by a random sample of 1,509 Canadians. Click here to read the full report.

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Brishti Basu
Former Senior Staff Writer and Content Manager at Victoria Buzz.

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