State lawmakers are due to debate a bill today which could effectively outlaw orca shows at SeaWorld’s San Diego park, following the delivery of a 1.2 million-signature petition yesterday presented by animal welfare activists.
The bill, introduced by state assemblyman Richard Bloom and sponsored by the Animal Welfare Institute, would ban public shows and domestic breeding of the whales.
The move follows months of intense media coverage and a public backlash after the airing of the documentary film ‘Blackfish’ last year.
However SeaWorld has allies in the capitol, notably incoming speaker of the state assembly, Toni Atkins.
SeaWorld is the number one paid attraction in the San Diego area, it contributed around $14 million in annual rent to the city in 2013, and employs an estimated 4,000 temporary and full-time staff.
Last week SeaWorld executives presented their case to lawmakers, calling for the bill to be thrown out.
"This film was a piece of propaganda and an attempt to exploit a tragic incident," said John Reilly, president of SeaWorld San Diego.
The company has not said how it would make changes if the bill was passed.
A recent SEC filing showed a 13% drop in attendances at SeaWorld parks in the first quarter of 2014.
Naomi Rose, a marine mammal scientist with the Animal Welfare Institute said the bill is not about destroying SeaWorld but changing the way it handles captive animals.
"We are not talking about shutting down SeaWorld, we are talking about transforming them," Rose said.
