Sea World to stop breeding killer whales

Embattled theme-park operator Sea World announced Thursday that it is ending its controversial captivebreeding program for orcas, meaning the killer whales currently in its care “will be the last generation of orcas at Sea World.”

The company said it is ending “all orca breeding as of today,” officially putting an end to a practice animalrights activists have called inhumane — and that had already been prohibited by officials in California.

“Why the big news?” the company said in a statement. “Sea World has been listening and we’re changing. Society is changing and we’re changing with it. Sea World is finding new ways to continue to deliver on our purpose to inspire all our guests to take action to protect wild animals and wild places.”

Sea World has come under intense scrutiny over its treatment of captive killer whales since the highly critical 2013 documentary Blackfish, which spotlighted the animals’ living conditions and the dangers posed to their handlers.

The company’s CEO resigned in December 2014 after months of declining revenue and attendance at its 11parks across the United States. Last year, Sea World announced the end of its iconic killer whale shows in San Diego.

In October, the California Coastal Commission said Sea World would not be permitted to breed the animals while in captivity. The new breeding restrictions, announced as the commission approved an expansion of Sea World San Diego’s killer whale habitat, made it likely that the orcas currently in captivity would be among the company’s last; Thursday, Sea World made it official.

“This announcement reaffirms our commitment to not collect marine mammals from the wild,” Sea World said.

The Humane Society of the United States, which partnered with Sea-World on its new policies, praised Thursday’s announcement.