EMPTY THE TANKS!
Alongside fellow animal welfare groups whose specific advocacy is for marine animals, PAWS proudly supports the call to “empty the tanks” and end the captivity of these wonderful creatures.
Many marine parks claim that captivity helps further scientific studies on these animals and that their being showcased in shows or in their tanks provide educational opportunities for the audience.
While the first claim may have been true in earlier times where marine research could not have been carried out successfully because of technical and logistical obstacles, this is no longer true today where advancements have allowed many scientists to actually study these animals in their natural habitats.
Further, because of the artificial settings, research in captivity provides little knowledge that can be applied to the protection, management and conservation of these species in the ocean.
This also refutes the second claim on educational value as it has long been established that captive animals behave differently than those who live in the wild. This separation from their natural environment therefore does not really provide an accurate picture of their behavior and therefore really does not carry any educational value.