Change.org Start a petition Browse Dodi Livergood Dodi Livergood My petitions Profile Settings Logout Sign this petition with 16,538 supporters 8,462 NEEDED Dodi Livergood Dodi Livergood Edit Claremont Rd. Rembert, SC Share with Facebook friends Please create a bylaw or call a public referendum regarding the phasing out of cetaceans at Vancouver Aquarium Petitioning Mayor Gregor Robertson Please create a bylaw or call a public referendum regarding the phasing out of cetaceans at Vancouver Aquarium Marcie Callewaert Petition by Marcie Callewaert Victoria, Canada This petition aims to convince the current Vancouver Park Board Commissioners, Mayor and City Council to create a strong bylaw which would phase out all cetacean captivity at the Vancouver Aquarium. No cetacean should ever be held in a concrete tank and the people of Vancouver, British Columbia and Canada have made their voices loud and clear - an end to this inhumane practice is necessary. If a decision cannot be made in structuring a bylaw, we ask that the Park Board, Mayor and City Council, respect democracy and allow a whale referendum question to be placed on the municipal election ballot on November 15, 2014. The referendum question would ask the public if they agree with keeping whales and dolphins in captivity in the public aquarium. The only way that the Vancouver Public Aquarium can be compelled to end the barbaric practice of keeping whales and dolphins in captivity is through the democratic process. Because this aquarium is located in Stanley Park, which is public land, this means that the democratically elected Parks Board Commissioners have the jurisdiction to determine whether or not whale and dolphin captivity should be tolerated in Stanley Park. This is a sensitive matter that requires a wider public discussion and ultimately, a democratic resolution. Tragically, until now the Parks Board, regardless of which political party has been in power, has consistently refused to give the citizens the democratic option to express their opinion on this issue. The public should be consulted through a whale referendum during the upcoming November, 2014 civic elections. Please help make this happen and sign this petition. Whales and dolphins are highly intelligent, intensely social, highly cooperative animals that in the wild live in extended family units called pods. In captivity, they are often forced to share tanks with animals from different pods, species and geographic locations. Like humans they suffer greatly in captivity. In captivity they are perpetually stressed out and often die prematurely. In the wild these animals dive hundreds of feet into the depth of the ocean and may easily travel more than a 100 kilometres in a single day. It is simply not possible to meet the complex physical and behavioural needs of these animals in captivity. The American Humane Society has concluded that keeping dolphins in confinement in concrete tanks is “inhumane beyond comprehension. They suffer whether or not they were taken from the wild or bred for captivity. For these reasons, in May 2013, the Government of India “officially recognized dolphins as non-human persons, whose rights to life and liberty must be respected” and thereby banned the import, capture and captivity of cetaceans in all public and private enterprises. In stark contrast the Vancouver Aquarium is currently expanding its whale tanks and plans to maintain the whale and dolphin captivity program in perpetuity adding more animals to fill up those tanks. These animals are suffering in captivity for one reason only, profits. There is no educational or scientific value to the Aquarium’s whale and dolphin display. As the internationally respected oceanographer and educator Jacques Cousteau aptly put it, “the educational benefit of watching a dolphin in captivity would be like learning about humanity only by watching prisoners in solitary confinement”. To: Mayor Gregor Robertson The Vancouver Park Board Constance Barnes Sarah Blyth John Coupar Melissa De Genova Aaron Jasper Trevor Loke Niki Sharma Vancouver Mayor and City Council Dear Commissioners, Councillors and Mayor: Whereas the Vancouver Aquarium is situated on public lands that are under the jurisdiction of the Vancouver Parks Board; Whereas the Vancouver Parks Board enacted a bylaw on September 16, 1996 that prohibits the importation of any more cetaceans (whales and dolphins) into city parks; Whereas despite such restrictions, the Park Board has not... Read More Recent signatures Mary Ellen Campion WESTFIELD, NJ 3m News Jane Goodall Joins our Ranks and a June 10th Protest Opportunity! Marcie Callewaert by Marcie Callewaert Petition Organizer Jane Goodalls letter and Van Aquas response: cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/vancouver-aquarium-s-beluga-breeding-indefensible-says-jane-goodall-1.2655675 As well, join us on Tuesday, June 10th from 5-7 pm as we return to the aquarium for a demonstration that coincides with their invite-only Grand Opening Celebration. In attendance will be local politicians, local media personalities and influencers, and aquarium board members, donors & key supporters. vanaquafacts.org This is our chance to reach all of these people with our message of compassion, caring and freedom for all cetaceans! YOUR CHALLENGE: To help us build upon the incredible success of Empty The Tanks, were asking each of you to bring ONE friend with you who wasnt at Empty The Tanks. Lets keep the momentum going!!! (Note that the aquarium is not publicly advertising their event). More info and event page: https://facebook/events/241099572765210/?ref=br_tf Vancouver Aquariums beluga breeding indefensible says Jane Goodall Renowned conservationist Dr. Jane Goodall has entered the growing controversy over the Vancouver Aquariums beluga program, penning a letter to the park board saying that on-site cetacean breeding is no longer defensible by science. In her letter, Goodall says the high mortality rates of such programs and the complex social and sensory lives of the animals are reasons to end the program. Vancouver Empty the Tanks Protest Marcie Callewaert by Marcie Callewaert Petition Organizer On Saturday, May 24th, people will be gathering at aquariums around the world to protest the captivity of cetaceans. Our petition has the ability to have a huge impact. By drawing 15,700+ people together to call for an end to cetacean captivity at the aquarium, it has created massive awareness for this cause and created one VERY loud voice! This voice will be even louder when we stand outside the aquarium this Saturday for a peaceful, family friendly protest, asking for an end to the inhumane practice of cetacean captivity at the Vancouver Aquarium. Please join us at 2 pm, Saturday, May 24th - and let your voice be heard again! We will be creating a hashtag (#) for the event to use on social media - Stay tuned for more updates closer to the date! See you there!! https://facebook/events/753788941301503/ Empty the Tanks - Vancouver Aquarium | Facebook Like most marine parks, theres some things the Vancouver Aquarium doesnt want you to know about its captive whales and dolphins. Reached 15,000 signatures Call to Action! Show Your Support for THEIR Support! Marcie Callewaert by Marcie Callewaert Petition Organizer We would like to send out a special thank you to Mayor Gregor Robertson, Constance Barnes and Sarah Blyth for supporting an end to cetacean captivity at the Vancouver Aquarium! Please send a “Thank You” to each of them for taking this progressive step forward. You can email Mayor Robertson ([email protected]), Constance Barnes ([email protected]), and Sarah Blyth ([email protected]), with your personal message of support. Thank you for standing with us on this issue - The cetaceans at the Vancouver Aquarium deserve the best lives possible, and no tank can ever provide that for them! Reached 12,500 signatures Vancouver Aquariums Day in the News! Marcie Callewaert by Marcie Callewaert Petition Organizer The Vancouver Aquarium has had quite a day, facing strong statements from the Park Board and Mayor Gregor Robertson. The Mayor stated that the Vancouver Aquarium should begin to phase out the holding of whales and dolphins in captivity, Robertson says in the statement. I’m hopeful that the Aquarium and the Park Board can work collaboratively and come to an agreement on how to achieve this with a dialogue and review that will be informed, thoughtful, and inclusive. ” The Mayor did however, stop short of voicing support for the petition. CTV Vancouver will also air a segment tonight about this issue, where the petition and the Mayors comments will be discussed. To see the news stories from today, click on the following links: straight/news/623906/mayor-gregor-robertson-calls-end-whale-and-dolphin-captivity-vancouver-aquarium vancouversun/technology/Pete+McMartin+Vancouver+Aquarium+Thar+blows/9721058/story.html Pete McMartin: The Vancouver Aquarium: Thar she blows! Up! The Big Fish in our small pond wrote us an email Wednesday. Asked for his opinion, Mayor Gregor Robertson waded in on the subject of whales. Commissioner to Van Aqua - Keeping whales in captivity is torture Marcie Callewaert by Marcie Callewaert Petition Organizer Our petition is mentioned in the article - We have become too big to ignore! metronews.ca/news/vancouver/996445/park-board-commissioner-to-vancouver-aquarium-keeping-whales-in-captivity-is-torture/ Park Board Commissioner to Vancouver Aquarium: Keeping whales in captivity is torture Their argument is simple - keeping whales, dolphins or porpoises inside the Vancouver Aquarium is nothing short of torture. This is the message being sent out by Vancouver Park Board Commissioner Sarah Blyth and vice-chair Constance Barnes. The two believe containing the cetaceans is cruel and as such they aim to have the city officially put an end to it. CBC has gotten involved in the debate! Post a comment on their article! Marcie Callewaert by Marcie Callewaert Petition Organizer cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/should-vancouver-aquarium-keep-whales-and-dolphins-1.2601479 Should Vancouver Aquarium keep whales and dolphins? More than 11,000 people have joined an online petition to get the issue of whales and dolphins in captivity on Vancouvers municipal election ballot in Novermber. The petition calls on Mayor Gregor Robertson, Vancouver Park Board and City Council to let voters decide in a referendum whether whales and dolphins should be kept at the Vancouver Aquarium. COPE Push for a Public Vote on Whale Captivity at the Vancouver Aquarium Marcie Callewaert by Marcie Callewaert Petition Organizer straight/news/617631/cope-push-public-vote-whale-captivity-vancouver-aquarium-ahead-2015-review COPE to push for a public vote on whale captivity at the Vancouver Aquarium ahead of 2015 review The question of whale and dolphin captivity at the Vancouver Aquarium will be put to a public vote, if the Coalition of Progressive Electors (COPE) has its way. On March 30, COPE members adopted a policy in favour of a referendum on the issue. Captive Whale a Relic That Must End Marcie Callewaert by Marcie Callewaert Petition Organizer vancourier/news/captive-whales-a-relic-that-must-end-1.925738 Captive whales a relic that must end A few days after a training boat for the Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue was surrounded by up to 200 playful dolphins, I was on a beach in Maui with my partner watching a pod of humpback whales breaching on the horizon. It was quite the show, and I dont mean the whales exclusively. Childrens Protest at Vancouver Aquarium Marcie Callewaert by Marcie Callewaert Petition Organizer cbc.ca/player/News/Canada/BC/ID/2444043795/ Blackfish film inspires beluga action Children protest keeping whales and dolphins in captivity outside the Vancouver Aquarium Reached 10,000 signatures Park Commissioner Sarah Blyth Questions Future of Captivity at Van Aqua Marcie Callewaert by Marcie Callewaert Petition Organizer straight/blogra/599751/park-commissioner-sarah-blyth-questions-future-captivity-vancouver-aquarium?comment_mode=1#add-new-comment Park commissioner Sarah Blyth questions future of captivity at Vancouver Aquarium On Facebook, Vision Vancouver park board commissioner Sarah Blyth has announced she is not seeking reelection or running for city council in this Novembers civic election. But thats not all Blyth said in her statement, posted today (March 4). Reached 9,000 signatures Marcie Callewaert Interviews with the Simi Sara Show Marcie Callewaert by Marcie Callewaert Petition Organizer https://soundcloud/marcie-callewaert/marcie-and-simi-sara-discuss Humane Society Slams Aquarium Childrens Programs Marcie Callewaert by Marcie Callewaert Petition Organizer straight/news/593841/humane-society-slams-aquarium-childrens-programs Humane Society slams aquarium childrens programs Thank you for a well-researched and comprehensive article on the Vancouver Aquarium by Travis Lupick [ Aquarium bucks trend by keeping whales , February 13-20]. We at the Vancouver Humane Society consider it an embarrassment for our city that the aquarium continues to display marine mammals despite evidence that they suffer in captivity. Reached 8,000 signatures Great Blog Outlining the Battle Between John Nightingale and the Public Marcie Callewaert by Marcie Callewaert Petition Organizer seaworldpledge.org/blog/vancouver-aquarium-responds-to-expansion-plan-backlash/ Vancouver Aquarium responds to expansion plan Backlash Vancouver Aquarium Backlash Minutes after the February 19th article on Straight reporting on the expansion plans of the Vancouver Aquarium, a social media firestorm erupted. For the first time John Nightingale, president and CEO of the Vancouver Aquarium confirmed that the plans included acquiring more dolphins and whales for their exhibits. Open letter from Van Aqua Marcie Callewaert by Marcie Callewaert Petition Organizer In this open letter, Van Aqua makes the claim that it needs extra space for an expected increase in rescued cetaceans. However, if a cetacean is truly rescued and cannot be released, is life in a concrete tank, with hundreds of people staring at it, daily performances, food rationing (How else do those shows happen?), and likely incompatible social groupings, really the best situation? If these cetaceans are truly rescues, they deserve much better than life in an aquarium doing tricks for food. They deserve a natural sea pen far from the city. Vancouver Aquarium needs to choose - Are they an aquarium - putting animals on display for the public, or a rescue centre - where animals should not be exploited, but allowed to live in a natural and peaceful setting. No cetacean deserves captivity, but to exploit injured animals is even more disgusting. aquablog.ca/2014/02/an-open-letter-on-cetaceans-in-our-care/ An Open Letter on Cetaceans in Our Care We would like to take this opportunity to provide facts in the light of the continued circulation of inaccurate messages that have been shared by some who may be misinformed about our animals and our conservation efforts. Global BC Calls John Nightingale/Van Aqua on their Contadictory Statements Marcie Callewaert by Marcie Callewaert Petition Organizer The Vancouver Aquarium has declined several invitations to speak on Global BC. globalnews.ca/video/1161018/more-whales-coming-to-the-vancouver-aquarium More whales coming to the Vancouver Aquarium? Watch More whales coming to the Vancouver Aquarium? Video Online, on GlobalNews.ca John Nightingale Cant Keep to One Story. Marcie Callewaert by Marcie Callewaert Petition Organizer John Nightingale announces they will likely be adding more cetaceans to Vancouver Aquarium - In an interview this morning on the CBC Radio Early Edition show, president and CEO John Nightingale was asked point blank if the aquarium will bring in more large marine mammals. The simple answer is likely, Nightingale replied. Besides profits funding programs and animal care they also go to paying several staff members large salaries - In its filings to the Canada Revenue Agency in 2012, the aquarium disclosed that one staff member was paid between $250,000 to $299,000 that year. Seven other full-time employees were paid between $120,000 and $199,000. straight/news/590946/vancouver-aquarium-will-likely-acquire-more-large-marine-mammals-including-beluga-whalesShare your latest development here. Give Citizens a Vote on Whale and Dolphin Captivity at the Van Aqua Marcie Callewaert by Marcie Callewaert Petition Organizer straight/news/588211/janos-mate-give-citizens-vote-whale-and-dolphin-captivity-vancouver-aquarium Important to Note... Marcie Callewaert by Marcie Callewaert Petition Organizer It is very important to note, that even though we are called extremists we have, in fact, become the norm. John Nightingale needs to accept the fact that Blackfish and The Cove have changed the public opinion in leaps and bounds and it is no longer a minority that disagree with captivity - it is a majority! We are not extremists for believing in humane animal treatment! Van Aqua Head Dismisses Anti Captivity Petition Marcie Callewaert by Marcie Callewaert Petition Organizer metronews.ca/news/vancouver/944813/vancouver-aquarium-head-dismisses-anti-cetacean-in-captivity-petition/ Vancouver Aquarium head dismisses anti-cetacean in captivity petition The head of the Vancouver Aquarium says extremists are behind a petition calling for a referendum to decide whether any new dolphins, whales or porpoises can be added to its expanding tanks. Reached 7,000 signatures More News Supporters Reasons for signing Most Popular Latest M A Hundley VAIL, AZ 5 months ago Liked 9 I am glad to hear that some of your dolphins are truly rescued, but you do not need to add more animals. Take good care of the ones you have and boycott the animals from Japan. Firouzeh Buller BROMMA, SWEDEN 5 months ago Liked 6 I am from Vancouver & an avid scuba diver. Seeing animals in captiivity does not teach us anything in comparison to seeing the animals in the wild. I have been to the Vancouver aquarium 100s of times, but not once stepped foot in the area where these whales and dolphins are held captive. Not having them at your aquarium is not going to deter people from coming to the Vancouver aquarium. So please dont keep them captive. Stacy Linowski HAMPTON, GA 5 months ago Liked 5 The animals already in captivity need to be rehabilitated and released. Please dont add any more cetaceans to captivity...and of all places PLEASE do NOT accept any dolphins from Taiji where they unfairly capture and brutally kill so many dolphins! Its horrific and tragic, an utter disgrace. When the demand stops, the killing can too. Thanks. maurice shapiro POWELL RIVER, CANADA 5 months ago Liked 4 Set an example for marine parks around the world... jody dargatz KELOWNA, CANADA 5 months ago Liked 3 I do not belive animals need to be kept in captivity for the human race to study,learn from and enjoy. This should be done in the wild. 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