Seaworld sells some pups
Seaworld, Orlando has sold six sea lion pups to the Navy for training to patrol
harbours for intruders and land mines. The Marine Connection have already joined
worldwide protests from animal welfare groups and concerned individuals on
the use of sea lions and dolphins for secret operations in the war in Iraq
including at the key port of Umm Qasr, and it seems that the US Navy are now
stepping up their programme.
The sea lions will be trained by the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Centre
in San Diego, and will be trained to carry a device in their mouth that is
linked to a boat above. When they spot a diver they will swim up, press the
device to his leg. The device will snap shut, the sea lion will swim away and
the boat above will reel the intruder in. There also will be training to ferret
out land mines.
The fact that Seaworld have now joined in supporting the use of marine mammals
in this way makes the company's continued aims to market itself as a public
education, conservation and animal rescue facility a mockery, particularly
as Busch Entertainment Corporation have recently launched their 'Sea World & Busch
Gardens Conservation Fund', a private charitable foundation to substantially
increase its current financial support for these very issues. Their actions
only serve to highlight their true motives - to maximise the company's profits
at the expense of the animals they are at pains to emphasise they care for
so much.
Fred Jacobs, a spokesman for Busch Entertainment of St. Louis, the owner of
SeaWorld said that everything the sea lions are trained to do is defensive
in nature and intended to protect U.S. troops. "They make it safer for
our men and women in uniform. They deserve our support," he said.
However, The Marine Connection agree with the comments of Christopher Heyde
an Army veteran who said he is disappointed in the military's lack of respect
for marine mammals. Whilst we, like Mr Heyde, fully support the need to protect
ports and ships, the best way to do that is through diligence and existing
technologies and not through the use of marine mammals press ganged into service
for the Navy.
Please write to Fred Jacobs of Busch Entertainment, telling them that by selling
these sea lion pups, they are treating them like disposable equipment to be
deployed for the use of the US Navy.
Fred Jacobs
Busch Entertainment / Anheuser-Busch Companies Inc
One Busch Place
St Louis
MO 63118
USA
or email via the Anheuser Busch website :
http://contactus.anheuser-busch.com/contactus/talktous.asp
|
