Hong Kong's Ocean Park: a possible opportunity in Asian perceptions of ocean conservation

A brief news item caught my attention as it serves as a follow up to my recent post about the assessment of shark conservation at the recent BLUE Ocean Film Festival and Ocean Summit.

Hong Kong's Ocean Park - an aquatic amusement park similar to the Sea World parks in the U.S. - is initiating preliminary research on the viability of acquiring beluga whales from Russian waters, specifically the Okhotsk Sea.

According to Hong Kong's The Standard, the research could take anywhere from 5 to 10 years, but some conservationists are concerned that the research will be fast tracked to just a few years and that whales could be captured without fully knowing the impact on beluga whale populations in the area.

Naomi Rose, senior scientist with The Humane Society International, was quoted as saying, "'My guess is [Ocean Park officials] are going to acquire them from Russia, and if they sponsor this research ... it would take five years minimum, more like 10, before they would have sufficient information to determine any kind of safe removal level,' she said. 'They are not going to wait five to 10 years. They are going to do a couple of years of research and say: `Oh, we know now' and this is how many that would be safe.'"

Ocean Park is a very successful attraction in China. It includes a marine mammal park, major aquarium, and a variety of amusement park rides. In attendance, it ranks in the top 20 worldwide (15th in 2008), exceeding Hong Kong's Disneyland. It is also a member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), which requires members to seek animals from other institutions and acquiring wild animals only as a last resort.

Now, as I have previously said in this blog, I am not an advocate of marine mammals like whales and dolphins in captivity, particularly as these animals are pelagic. There just isn't an exhibit large enough to provide a healthy environment. But what I found interesting with the article and after reviewing the Ocean Park website is the growing schizophrenic position that Asian cultures are beginning to find themselves in. They can view sea creatures with awe and enthusiasm at Ocean Park - just like Western cultures - and then finish the day with a bowl of shark fin soup or whale meat. But this paradox can lead to an opportunity.

As Peter Knights of WildAid commented during the recent shark conservation panel I moderated for the BLUE Ocean Film Festival, many of the Chinese people, and other Asian countries, are not fully aware of the practices of shark finning, or dolphin/whale hunting. At the moment, they have their feet in two worlds - a cultural heritage that looks at many sea creatures as merely food items to be taken as needed and by any means possible, and a more contemporary approach where a greater appreciation for the animals and the ecological implications exists. It's a paradox that provides a fracture for conservationists to utilize if done rationally and carefully.

However, it is very easy for outside groups to alienate themselves and lose the opportunity to sway Asian public opinion in favor of protection and conservation if the approach is perceived more as condemnation and ridicule rather than a rational and tempered argument. Everyone responds to enlightenment and illumination when it is not at the expense of humiliation. That is the tightrope that shark and marine mammal conservationists must walk to effectively reach the Asian populace.

Read article in The Standard.
View Ocean Park's website.

Marine Mammals Postscript: act today in advance of Congressional hearing

As a follow up to yesterday's post about captive marine mammals (whales and dolphins), the folks behind the documentary film The Cove have sent out an email apprising people about a Congressional subcommittee hearing regarding marine mammals on display.

At question is the National Marine Fisheries Service's permitting process that requires that education and conservation - not entertainment - be the foundation for issuing permits to hold marine mammals in captivity. Whether this is being adhered to or that it requires some tightening is one of the key issues. As you can expect, there will be significant pressure from organizations like SeaWorld to keep things as status quo.

There is a public comment period that expires Friday, May 7th. If you would like to send a brief and respectful comment, you can email subcommittee clerk Katherine Romans at katherine.romans@mail.house.gov

Here is some suggested copy from David Phillips of the "The Cove" - Save the Dolphins group:

"There is no educational value to the whale and dolphin shows prominent within public display facilities today. The ethics of riding atop these wild animals, feeding and forcing interactions with them, goes against everything we are taught about them – in fact, those types of encounters are illegal in the wild. And yet, public display facilities promote this bad behavior and even encourage it for paying customers.

This is a manipulation of fact for the benefit of financial enterprise.

I strongly urge you to establish strong oversight of the education programs for public display facilities of marine mammals. Under the current law they have become performance spectacles that serve our amusement rather than our education."

Here is the body of the email I sent:

"Dear Ms. Romans:

Please forward or print this email for the appropriate subcommittee members.

Since the very first marine mammals (ie: whales and dolphins) were placed in captivity, scientists have learned more about the intelligence and complex social and physiological behaviors of theses animals – behaviors that are in direct conflict with the conditions that these animals are subjected to today while in captivity. While scientific study and educational outreach to better understand mankind’s impact globally on marine mammal populations is a valid activity, the priority today of marine amusement parks like SeaWorld is entertainment and an economic return on investment. We have evolved beyond the need for animals jumping through flaming hoops or balancing balls on their noses to appreciate their important roles within a marine ecosystem.

While some might advocate the release of all captive marine mammals, I side with those advocates, like Jean-Michel Cousteau, who feel that these animals have, unfortunately, been in captivity long enough (some since birth) that the prospects for successful introduction into the open oceans is doubtful. However, I support a ban on seeing any other marine mammals taken captive in the future accept for quantified and justified scientific research solely and not for public display.

Congress needs to initiate agencies to exercise greater oversight in granting permits for the capture and display of whales and dolphins. Large pelagic animals – animals that roam the open seas – should not be subjected to the confines of tanks and forced to perform tricks for our amusement. We are a better species than that. And these species deserve better treatment than that.

Respectfully,

Richard Theiss
RTSea Productions"

Yes, I know. I run a bit long. So, pick and choose as you like, but send something to Ms. Romans today.

Read USA Today article about upcoming Congressional hearing.