In response to your Jan. 13 editorial, ”Spoiling the good news about belugas,” the claim that beluga whales are being captured for a captive breeding program is ludicrous. To sustain a captive population of belugas would require the capture of dozens and dozens more from Churchill, Manitoba. Even if a sufficient number were caught tomorrow, there wouldn`t be anywhere to put them.
The Churchill beluga is not yet endangered. Surely the enormous sums of money required to capture, transport, house and care for these animals would be better spent on other species that desperately need the help.
I would have thought that human experience with dolphins in captivity would be enough to derail the capture of belugas. Bottlenose dolphins have been kept in aquariums for decades, and the few births that do occur are overshadowed by an extremely high level of mortality. If a sustainable captive population of smaller, better understood bottlenose dolphins is not attainable, why on earth would anyone think a captive breeding program for larger, less understood belugas is feasible?
Yes, a great many people still visit aquariums and marine amusement parks, but that does not negate the fact that a large number stay away because they find certain aspects of the marine mammal industry offensive. Good attendance does not justify an activity.
