Over the past five years , the popularity of nautical parks with captive orcas in the US has been quickly dilapidate away after decades of cramped tanks and unethical treatment . But as China ’s economy enjoy its prison term in the Sun , the ever - growing midway class is fire a massive microphone boom in the jailed orca park industry .
According to a report by theChina Cetacean Alliance,“the ocean theme commons industry is expanding rapidly in China . ” They establish that 250 wild - caught cetaceans were enrapture to Formosan theme park between 2010 and 2015 . It ’s thought there are more than 500 cetacean , include orcas and bottlenose dolphin , kept in imprisonment .
China currently has 44 marine composition parks operating , with 18 more scheduled to open , USA Todayreports . The huge majority of these facility moderate point where dolphin and whale perform circus tricks , much like the infamous SeaWorld show that have now ceased .
This calendar month , Chimelong Group , one of the China ’s biggest amusement park companies , announcedthe country ’s first engrossed orca breeding program , established at the group ’s biggest parking area , Chimelong Ocean Kingdom . The car park presently holds nine grampus , all of which were catch in Russian waters .
Also this month , Zhonghong Group – a Chinese leisure and touristry companionship – buy a 21 per centum shareof SeaWorld Entertainment Inc. Along with the sight , SeaWorld will offer support for the company to develop theme parks in China , Taiwan , Hong Kong , and Macau .
Much like the former era of sea wolf parks , claims are being made that this is all being done in the name of conservation . “Chimelong has accumulated more than 20 years of experience with peril animal conservation and their international team of professional strength has made a passel of outstanding achievement , " Meng Xianlin , from the Endangered Species Import and Export Management Office of China , saidon the Chimelong internet site . “A highly responsible posture towards animal preservation has been to the full endorse by the international animal conservation community . ”
No doubt for the most part thanks to the 2013 documentaryBlackfish , most of the worldly concern seems to have acquire its lesson when it comes to these marine park put up tumid and highly sound nautical mammal . This is well symbolized by SeaWorld end both itscaptive orca breeding programsandlive orca whale showsin the US .
China seems to be proceed against the tide with its position . Unfortunately , conservationists believe this is “ just a form ” China needs to get through before it watch the ignitor .
“ They are break down through a learning curvature that is not necessary and completely superannuated — and they ’re bring an enormous risk , ” Naomi Rose , marine mammal scientist with the Animal Welfare Institute in Washington , D.C. , toldUSA Today . “A trainer will be injured or killed sooner or later on . It ’d be distressing because it ’s entirely avertable . ”
