UNITED ACROSS THE ATLANTIC – LOLITA ORCA END CAPTIVITY NOW

IMG_783022

UNITED ACROSS THE ATLANTIC – LOLITA ORCA END CAPTIVITY NOW

This week on April Fools Day Miami and London united to rally against Lolita the Orca’s ongoing Captivity.

Lolita has become iconic in the fight against Cetacean captivity (Dolphins, Whales etc) for base and degrading entertainment and the general awareness through investigations such as “Blackfish” that Cetacean Captivity is the highest form of psychological torture that can be committed against a species that functions primarily around emotional family bonds. ( http://www.blackfishmovie.com/ )

Lolita has been kept in a tank that violates the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) standards for size requirements. APHIS is an operating unit of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).

In November 2011 Animal Legal Defense Fund (ALDF), PETA, and three individuals filed a lawsuit against the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) to end the exclusion of Lolita from the Endangered Species Act (ESA) of the Pacific Northwest’s Southern Resident Orcas. NMFS reviewed ALDF’s joint petition, along with the thousands of comments submitted by the public and found the petition merited. In February 2015, the NOAA announced it would issue a rule to include Lolita in the endangered species list. Although the Orca population that she was taken from is listed as endangered, as a captive animal, Lolita was specifically exempted from this classification.

Lolita has been reported to have raised 160 million Dollars in Profits for the Miami Seaquarium through there Orca entertainment program. There is no evidence, despite Global Animal Rights assertions that the reason for Lolita’s exemption, from being classified as endangered, is in any way linked to her ability to draw profits for the organisation.

Lolita is Miami Seaquarium’s main attraction. She has attracted global attention from animal rights groups and anti-captivity activists. In 2003 Lolita was the subject of the documentary Lolita: Slave to Entertainment in which many anti-captivity activists, most notably Ric O’Barry (former Flipper Dolphin trainer), argue against her current conditions and express a hope that she may be re-introduced to the wild. Protesters assert that the Seaquarium is treating Lolita cruelly.

Lolita is approximately 21 feet long and 7,000 pounds. Per the guidelines, the tank for a killer whale the size of Lolita must be a minimum of 48 feet wide in either direction with a straight line of travel across the middle. Lolita’s tank is only 35 feet wide from the front wall to the slide out (work island) barrier*. It is 20 feet deep at the deepest point and a mere 12 feet deep around the edges.

The Orca is a majestic creature exhibiting the highest levels of Emotional Intelligence, held to surpass Humanity and be equal to Dolphins : Find out more about Orca’s at “Whale Facts” http://www.whalefacts.org/orca-facts/

Global Animal Rights groups and Charities united to coordinated protests to raise awareness over the plight of  Lolita’s on going captivity at Miami Seaquarium and Arle Captial in London.

Arle Capital Investments have a direct link in the chain which keeps Lolita captive at Miami Seaquarium.

Palace Entertainments, owners of Miami Seaquarium and Lolita, is the US operating subsidiary of Parques Reunidos – a European based company. They are owned by Candover, a private equity fund which is managed by London-based Arle Capital Investments.

The Rally heavily supported by Mainstream Media, With the Independent and Daily Express running full page spreads on the campaign, and the Sunday Times investigative journalism, was a family friendly event intended to urge Miami Seaquarium and Arle Capital to allow Lolita to retire to a safe sanctuary to live out the remainder of her years and live as an Orca truly should be-FREE. FISHINABOX were invited to take a look at the London Rally in more detail, this is what we found at Arle Capital, London:

IMG_8015

Video speeches to be given by:
Howard Garrett – Orca Network, Tim Gorski – Director of Lolita: Slave To Entertainment, Dr Paul Spong – OrcaLab, Margaux Dodds – Marine Connection

https://www.facebook.com/josweb23/videos/863638023746015/

https://www.facebook.com/julie.selby.5/videos/10153472872651190/?autoplay_reason=ugc_default_allowed&video_container_type=1&app_id=350685531728

Rally Speaker:
Clive Martin – Founding Partner World Cetacean Alliance, Director Orca Rescues Foundation
Press and Interviews: Angela Lynch, Jo Phillips

12790848_10154116481536454_3526622644988757642_n 12321679_10154202339891454_1697755311318499648_n10403556_10154202303621454_7239617474842073928_n

IMG_8030  IMG_8050 IMG_8033 IMG_8068 IMG_8038 12932727_10154202305546454_7016098635471980882_n 12920474_10154202302091454_3377274002905747447_n IMG_8027 IMG_8026 IMG_8029 12809723_10154202766736454_5378491387490332219_n 12472645_10154202305531454_2206391601840339257_n  IMG_8034   944981_10154202305711454_3238084897453183668_n   IMG_8051 IMG_8039IMG_8036IMG_8024 IMG_8046 12592596_10154202305551454_8760942604434352805_n IMG_8032 12495146_10154202301841454_7703983626211528526_n12472645_10154202305531454_001 12919728_10154202302881454_7380407902277287917_n 12670835_10154202363241454_3112218498272129318_n 12417518_10154202304251454_8904324520499899927_n 12932724_10154202303611454_5349088350003172727_n 12932724_10154202304321454_8258093183317017378_n (1) IMG_8028IMG_8070 IMG_8062IMG_8056 12717875_10154202300291454_6343231546963526584_n 12112517_10154202301191454_333289741805468303_n 12512428_10154202301256454_2680934465701204135_nIMG_8044 IMG_8052 IMG_8022IMG_8061  10945590_10154202316801454_908983169651891614_nIMG_8069IMG_806412809725_10154202302316454_1838591281553476767_nIMG_805312472458_10154202303751454_7616359097797171195_nIMG_805512957400_10154203368811454_704552133_nIMG_8035IMG_8031

Want to find out more about the Lolita Campaign, Freebies and Funding, check the below links:

GLOBAL AWARENESS – http://www.orcanetwork.org/Main/

FREE POSTER – http://josweb.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/lolita.jpg

Find out more – HISTORY / LINKS / INFO:

http://www.savelolita.org/

http://www.seaworldofhurt.com/features/lolita/

https://www.thedodo.com/lolita-orca-45-years-1301583008.html

http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/jul/20/killer-whale-lolita-orca-peta-miami-seaquarium-lawsuit

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-whale-lolita-idUSKCN0PU23C20150720

FISHINABOX RECORDS excerpt their right under section 230 of the Communications Decency Act of 1996 to discuss all aspects of the Live animal trade and captivity entertainment industries, source material, comment on this project and all content under the context of “fair comment and criticism”.

DISCLAIMER: Links to information on sites other than those operated by FISHINABOX RECORDS are for your convenience only and are not an endorsement or recommendation of those sites. FISHINABOX RECORDS does not control or provide any content or information at these sites, makes no representation or warranty of any kind with respect to these sites or their content, and does not maintain, operate, or take responsibility for information provided. FISHINABOX RECORDS does not endorse and is not responsible for the accuracy or reliability of such content or information and any use thereof is solely at the user’s risk.

Bookmark the permalink.

One Comment

  1. Great demo. Proud to have been part of it, with all you wonderful people. We will NEVER, EVER give up fighting for your freedom, Lolita!!!! <3

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *