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Richard Branson, whose planes and holidays we hereby boycott.: Try again. A Pledge for all dolphins and whales.Not just some.
Matthew D.
started this petition to
Richard Branson, whose planes and holidays we hereby boycott.
One answer is consumer-power... this is a Pledge for a Pledge. We, the undersigned, will not buy a Virgin Holiday or set foot on a Virgin Airways plane until a meaningful, police-able Pledge is written.
The latest Pledge allows marine parks to accept animals captured from the wild pre-February 2014.
A coalition of welfare charities describes the “capture, trade and confinement of whales and dolphins” as “devastating” and states that to really “inhibit” the capture of dolphins for display Virgin must also “refuse to do business with any facility that continues to acquire dolphins or whales from the wild”.
Branson met conservationists, activists, scientists, marine park reps in February 2014. This 'engagement' was an exciting opportunity to stop the glamorizing of dolphinaria that fuels Taiji's dolphin death camp.
>>>We needed a Pledge recognizing captive-bred and wild-caught dolphins can suffer the same problems; we got another Pledge about wild-capture [requiring facilities to agree not to take or accept marine mammals caught from the wild anytime after February 2014].
***The Pledge makes no mention of captive breeding programmes.***
>>>We needed a new Pledge that was police-able, enforceable; but we got one that, in the words of Tim Zimmerman, Associate Prodcuer, Blackfish "...is riddled with potential loopholes...” .Leading conservation Website The Dodo asks Dodo asks how a lack of transparency and reporting by marine parks can ever make the latest Pledge easy to practice.
>>>We needed a Pledge on SeaMammals, but as the Blackfish associate producer points out, Branson has left out Walruses, Sea Lions and Seals.
>>>We needed a Pledge that dropped SeaWorld and similar abusement parks; but we got one that failed to cut ties with marine parks.
>>>We needed a Pledge that acted upon the advice of leading animal charities, that were part of the Branson's engagement. He didn't get it.
We then got a coalition of organizations (Animal Welfare Institute, Born Free Foundation, Orca Research Trust, World Cetacean Alliance, Whale and Dolphin Conservation) expressing further concerns and disappointment. It didn't have to be like that.
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The coalition of concerned animal welfare charities has called for a “return to the table” to commit to “1. work with suppliers to end shows and captive breeding programmes within a specified time-scale 2. prohibit breeding or display as part of rescue or rehabilitation programmes 3. help develop sanctuaries or other alternative display environments.. for captives that may never be returned...”
The current, new Pledge led Jeffrey Ventre, former SeaWorld trainer, who appeared in Blackfish to say, “The self-proclaimed progressive, Branson, put on a hollow show for the masses and the end result is more profits for a corporation, SeaWorld, that makes its money on the backs of captive marine mammals, and triggered the decimation of the Southern Orca population. It's a shameful outcome and a missed opportunity for Virgin. I won't be flying that airline.”
Zimmerman summarizes where we are now:""11. Zimmerman highlights the problems with the Pledge elegantly: “If you caught lots of wild dolphins for your shows before February 2014, no problem. If you engage in breeding loans with marine parks that capture wild dolphins and killer whales, no problem as long as the animal you are importing wasn't wild caught (though it can be the offspring of a wild dolphin or whale....)... the pledge is riddled with potential loopholes... the issue of rehab and rescue... is without question a back-door into captivity.”
Not a penny or a cent from us until Branson returns to the table to help end the exploitation of all dolphins and whales, The show's over Richard. Captivity kills. Enough is enough.
The latest Pledge allows marine parks to accept animals captured from the wild pre-February 2014.
A coalition of welfare charities describes the “capture, trade and confinement of whales and dolphins” as “devastating” and states that to really “inhibit” the capture of dolphins for display Virgin must also “refuse to do business with any facility that continues to acquire dolphins or whales from the wild”.
Branson met conservationists, activists, scientists, marine park reps in February 2014. This 'engagement' was an exciting opportunity to stop the glamorizing of dolphinaria that fuels Taiji's dolphin death camp.
>>>We needed a Pledge recognizing captive-bred and wild-caught dolphins can suffer the same problems; we got another Pledge about wild-capture [requiring facilities to agree not to take or accept marine mammals caught from the wild anytime after February 2014].
***The Pledge makes no mention of captive breeding programmes.***
>>>We needed a new Pledge that was police-able, enforceable; but we got one that, in the words of Tim Zimmerman, Associate Prodcuer, Blackfish "...is riddled with potential loopholes...” .Leading conservation Website The Dodo asks Dodo asks how a lack of transparency and reporting by marine parks can ever make the latest Pledge easy to practice.
>>>We needed a Pledge on SeaMammals, but as the Blackfish associate producer points out, Branson has left out Walruses, Sea Lions and Seals.
>>>We needed a Pledge that dropped SeaWorld and similar abusement parks; but we got one that failed to cut ties with marine parks.
>>>We needed a Pledge that acted upon the advice of leading animal charities, that were part of the Branson's engagement. He didn't get it.
We then got a coalition of organizations (Animal Welfare Institute, Born Free Foundation, Orca Research Trust, World Cetacean Alliance, Whale and Dolphin Conservation) expressing further concerns and disappointment. It didn't have to be like that.
***********************************************************************************************************
The coalition of concerned animal welfare charities has called for a “return to the table” to commit to “1. work with suppliers to end shows and captive breeding programmes within a specified time-scale 2. prohibit breeding or display as part of rescue or rehabilitation programmes 3. help develop sanctuaries or other alternative display environments.. for captives that may never be returned...”
The current, new Pledge led Jeffrey Ventre, former SeaWorld trainer, who appeared in Blackfish to say, “The self-proclaimed progressive, Branson, put on a hollow show for the masses and the end result is more profits for a corporation, SeaWorld, that makes its money on the backs of captive marine mammals, and triggered the decimation of the Southern Orca population. It's a shameful outcome and a missed opportunity for Virgin. I won't be flying that airline.”
Zimmerman summarizes where we are now:""11. Zimmerman highlights the problems with the Pledge elegantly: “If you caught lots of wild dolphins for your shows before February 2014, no problem. If you engage in breeding loans with marine parks that capture wild dolphins and killer whales, no problem as long as the animal you are importing wasn't wild caught (though it can be the offspring of a wild dolphin or whale....)... the pledge is riddled with potential loopholes... the issue of rehab and rescue... is without question a back-door into captivity.”
Not a penny or a cent from us until Branson returns to the table to help end the exploitation of all dolphins and whales, The show's over Richard. Captivity kills. Enough is enough.
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