Peta claims win after trainers stop riding astride dolphins
SAN DIEGO: SeaWorld Entertainment says it is ending the longstanding practice of trainers riding astride dolphins in marine park shows, nearly a year after animalrights activists began pressuring the company to ban such ‘‘circusstyle’’ displays.
The decision was disclosed in a letter sent earlier this month by a SeaWorld attorney to the Securities and Exchange Commission. The letter was addressing a shareholder proposal made last December by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta), which asked that SeaWorld prohibit trainers from riding on dolphins’ backs and standing on their faces.
As at last December, Peta held 163 shares of SeaWorld stock and has owned at least $US2000 ($NZ3100) worth of common stock for some time.
In the letter, signed by attorney Niyati Roy on behalf of Orlando, Floridabased
SeaWorld Entertainment, the company states it ‘‘no longer demonstrates ‘surfing’ [on dolphins] at any of its locations, and plans to phase out the demonstration of standing on rostrums [beaks] within the next few months, despite its belief that neither of these behaviours are harmful to the animals in any way’’.
It goes on to emphasise that only one of SeaWorld’s 12 parks — SeaWorld San Diego — continues to allow trainers to stand on the bottlenose dolphins’ rostrums.
‘‘Further, of the approximately 140 dolphins . . . in the company’s care, fewer than 10 currently participate in the presentation in which trainers stand on the animals’ rostrums,’’ wrote Roy, of New Yorkbased law firm Simpson Thacher & Bartlett.
Spokesman for the San Diego park David Koontz said yesterday the act of trainers standing astride the dolphins was phased out late last year.
In response to SeaWorld correspondence with the SEC, Peta has decided to withdraw its shareholder proposal. In turn, SeaWorld’s attorney yesterday withdrew its letter to the SEC.
‘‘I don’t think it’s coincidental that they decided to move away from this now,’’ said John Di Leonardo, senior manager of Peta’s animals and entertainment campaign.
‘‘In 2020, when the public is increasingly seeing that animals are not being exploited in circuses any more, it would be very unwise for them to move backward. It’s obvious Peta’s pressure was responsible for them to stop the surfing and standing on the dolphins’ faces.’’
SeaWorld said yesterday it was ‘‘continually evolving its animal presentations to create the best experience for both guests and our animals’’.
‘‘As an accredited zoological facility, our leadership solely determines the content and format of our presentations and is not influenced in any way by the actions of illinformed activists.’’ — The San Diego UnionTribune/ TNS