A proposal to import five whales to Connecticut has sparked a standoff between animal welfare groups and an aquarium that says the animals will contribute to its research.
FILE - In this Oct. 20, 2004 file photo, trainer Lynn Marcoux works with Naku, a beluga whale at Mystic Aquarium in Mystic, Conn. . Mystic Aquarium wants to import the captive-born beluga whales from Marineland of Canada in Niagara Falls, Ontario. The Connecticut aquarium, where belugas have been a popular attraction for generations, says the acquisition of the whales would enable research that helps protect the species.
Animal Welfare Institute and other animal advocates disagree. They said the stress of importation would be too much for the whales, and it would make more sense for the scientists to come to the“From a stress standpoint, from a welfare standpoint for the whales, I think it just makes more sense to do it there,” said Naomi Rose, a marine mammal scientist with Animal Welfare Institute. “The research can be done at Marineland.
Belugas are white, cold-water whales that can weight up to about 3,500 pounds and are often displayed in captivity. Some subpopulations of the whales are endangered, and they face threats such as pollution and climate change. “Our five full-time researchers conduct conservation studies to increase our understanding of marine mammals. Nearly everything that’s known about belugas was learned in aquariums, and the only way we can protect them in the ocean is through these non-invasive studies,” Wolbrink said.
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