As a stockholder, PETA is part owner of SeaWorld, which gives us the opportunity to submit shareholder resolutions and inform other investors about the suffering endured by the orcas, bottlenose dolphins, and other animals confined to the company’s concrete tanks. Today, we’re submitting a resolution calling on SeaWorld to reinvent itself by moving the orcas into seaside sanctuaries and replacing the current exhibits with innovative and cutting-edge virtual reality.
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Public opposition to orca captivity continues to grow: California Gov. Jerry Brown signed legislation banning captive-orca breeding, and New York state legislators introduced a bill that would prohibit the possession of orcas in aquariums and sea parks. Ontario, Canada, has made it illegal to buy, sell, or breed orcas. The Blackfish effect, which, along with PETA’s vigorous international campaign, helped propel SeaWorld’s downward spiral, isn’t going away.
SeaWorld recently laid off hundreds of workers, attendance has slumped, and the company is trying desperately to change public opinion in order to keep the parks afloat as the stock price continues to fall. SeaWorld management must accept that its exploitative business model of confining orcas is dead and that in order to remain relevant, the company must invest in only animal-free entertainment for guests.
What You Can Do
Tell SeaWorld executives that you want the orcas and other animals to be retired to sanctuaries.
