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Where last year’s animal abuse experience was controversial… 10th death
Happingdoll “Strong measures such as suspension of experience and closure of facilities are required”
Geoje Sea World in Gyeongsangnam-do was pointed out last year for animal cruelty as an experience program for riding on the back of a dolphin or beluga. Since the facility opened in 2014, breeding whales have died every year, and to date, a total of 10 whales have died there. Hot Pink Dolphins provided
Last year’s dolphin experience program Geoje Sea World in Gyeongnam, amid controversy over animal crueltyOne beluga eventually died. Marine environment group Hot Pink Dolphins announced on the 26th that “Aja, one of the four beluga (Beluga) used for the Geoje Sea World dolphin experience, belatedly confirmed that it died on November 21, 2020.” According to the data received through the Democratic Party’s Office of Representative Yang Yi Won-young, Geoje Sea World’s Beluga Aza received a death report from the Ministry of Environment on November 30 last year. Beluga Aza, who died this time, is an 11-year-old female beluga and is the 10th breeding whale in Geoje Sea World. Hot Pink Dolphins said, “Geoje Sea World has been running an animal cruelty program where trainers ride on Beluga’s back, dance, ride on the back, and so on. In the last year alone, a total of 5 dolphins died in domestic cetacean confinement facilities. In particular, Geoje Sea World has died every year since its opening. Geoje Sea World, where the most deaths occurred, needs strong administrative measures such as stopping the dolphin experience program and closing the facility.”
Geoje Sea World Cetacean Death Status. Hot Pink Dolphins provided
Current status of cetacean breeding facilities in Korea as of January 2021. Hot Pink Dolphins provided
The average life span of beluga in the wild is about 35 to 50 years, and the beluga aza of Geoje Sea World did not meet half of its lifespan and died early. Belugas usually live in large families of 10 to 20 animals and travel tens to hundreds of kilometers per day. It is active within the depth of 20-50m, but when diving deeply, it goes down to 700m, and is known as a species that leads a high social life. Belugas are mainly captured in the Arctic Ocean and the Sea of Okhotsk as their young and sold to aquariums around the world. Because they live in a herd, the entire Beluga family is caught at the time of capture, but the traders only capture the young because they are easy to move and tame. According to the documentary “Born to be Free,” produced by a Russian freediver in 2016, more than half of the baby belugas died during poor transportation. Due to this unethical capture method and narrow breeding environment, voices have been steadily urged domestically to release Beluga. In particular, in June last year, Geoje Sea World’s Beluga experience program attracted social interest, and demands for whale release and abolition of facilities were intensifying. At that time, an article urging the abolition of the program was submitted to the Blue House national petition, and a total of 50,000 people agreed. Besides Geoje Sea World has died every year since its opening in 2014.It is also a place that has earned the stigma of’the aquarium of death’. Two of them died in 2015, three in 2016, one in 2017, and two in 2019, so a total of 10 whales have died in this facility to date. Hot Pink Dolphins said, “Already last year, Minister of Oceans and Fisheries Moon Seong-hyuk answered that the Beluga experience at Geoje Sea World corresponds to animal cruelty, but there was no immediate stoppage action. If this experience that had a great impact on animals was stopped, Beluga could have prevented the death. “The government immediately banned Geoje Sea World’s dolphin experience program and closed the facility, We urge you to release them.”
There are 10 Belugas introduced in Korea so far, and 4 have died so far, and 6 remain. Lotte World AquariumIn 2016 and 2019, two Belugas died, deciding to release the remaining one, and announced a plan to be transferred to a stocking farm by this year. Civil society organizations have been asking for the release of two remaining belugas in Hanwha Aqua Planet Yeosu, where one male beluga died last year. previously The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries announced the 1st Comprehensive Plan for Aquarium Management (2021-2025) on January 21st.It also announced that it would prohibit the conversion of the aquarium’s license system, which was operated by the existing registration system, and experience programs such as’riding dolphins’.
By Kim Ji-sook, staff reporter [email protected]