Andrew is a post-doctoral researcher in North Carolina focused on population and conservation genetics in hydrothermal vent communities.
WhySharksMatter beneath a whale shark
Following the deaths of two whale sharks in 2007, many animal rights activists harshly criticized the Georgia Aquarium for keeping these animals captive in the first place. I recently visited the Georgia Aquarium for blogger day, and the aquarium’s Chief Science Officer Dr. Bruce Carlson agreed to answer my questions about their whale sharks. I know that many of you have strong opinions about shark issues, but I wanted to provide the Georgia Aquarium’s side of the story.
WhySharksMatter (WSM): How did you get whale sharks to Atlanta?
Bruce Carlson (BC): Georgia Aquarium’s whale sharks came from Taiwan’s commercial fishery, which until 2008, caught a quota of whale sharks annually for food (the Taiwanese used large nets to collect them) . The whale sharks at Georgia Aquarium were taken out of that quota. The animals were flown more than 8,000 miles on a specially configured B747 freighter aircraft from Taipei, Taiwan, through Anchorage, Alaska, to Atlanta. All of the whale sharks were under the care and supervision of Georgia Aquarium professional staff, and were maintained by a highly advanced marine life support system.
Photo by David Shiffman
WSM: Please explain the medical care that your whale sharks receive.
BC: We have a novel, comprehensive health care/preventative medicine program for all our animals, including whale sharks. We routinely take samples including blood, which permits us to not only gather individual health data but generate biological profiles for several species.
Photo by David Shiffman
WSM: How are the whale sharks fed?
BC: The whale sharks are fed a diet consisting of krill, small shrimp and gel nutrients. Stationed in boats, Georgia Aquarium animal care specialists feed each shark individually by ladling the food into the water as the sharks swim alongside the boat.
(WSM interjection- I witnessed this feeding process and it was pretty cool to watch. Also, the Ocean Voyager tank is indeed large enough that multiple boats can fit in it)
Photo by David Shiffman
WSM: I have in the past argued that while the life of an individual shark might be worse in an aquarium than in the wild, the presence of sharks at an aquarium helps sharks as a whole by promoting education and conservation to the public. Would you say that your current whale sharks are better or worse off than they would be in the wild? Would you say that the presence of whale sharks in the Georgia Aquarium helps whale sharks as a species?
BC: The immediate answer to this question is “of course they are better off!” The whale sharks on exhibit at the Georgia Aquarium were all destined for the fish market in Taiwan and would have been killed years ago had they not been obtained for this exhibit (NOTE: Taiwan has now banned the killing of whale sharks in their waters). While they are now confined to an aquarium (albeit an immense aquarium!), they are healthy, well fed and receive expert veterinary care.
The ultimate impact that these animals have on the public is of great value. Prior to 2005, only a handful of Americans had ever had the opportunity to observe a living whale shark. Seeing a whale shark was only possible for those who could afford travel to far-off locations, or the lucky few fishermen and boaters who happened upon one out at sea. Since the opening of the Georgia Aquarium, over 10 million people have now had the opportunity to observe these magnificent animals and listen to an informative presentation about their biology. Standing only inches away from a 20’ living animal has significantly more impact than watching a two-dimensional animal on television or viewing a photo in a magazine. I am certain that there are now many more people who care about whale sharks and who would advocate protecting them, than there would have been without this exhibit. And, after watching the response of thousands of children, I have no doubt that at least a few of them will want to become marine biologists as a result of their visit to the Aquarium to see whale sharks. These animals will thus have an impact far into the future. Finally, as noted elsewhere, revenues generated by the Georgia Aquarium have been used to help promote research and conservation of whale sharks in the wild, particularly off the Yucatan coast of Mexico.
WhySharksMatter with a different whale shark
WSM: In 2007, the two whale sharks you had at the time died. Animals rights advocates used this as proof that certain animals shouldn’t be kept in captivity. What happened to Ralph and Norton?
BC: Several months prior to their deaths, the Aquarium’s husbandry team observed that both Ralph and Norton stopped eating within a few days of each other. One theory to this loss of appetite was a series of conservative treatments used in 2006 to manage parasites in the 6.8 million gallon Ocean Voyager exhibit (other theories were also considered). The other whale sharks inhabiting the exhibit did not experience this same course of treatment (one that is commonly used in professional aquariums). As a precaution, the Aquarium immediately stopped using this treatment after the loss of appetite was observed. The necropsy performed on Ralph indicated that peritonitis, an inflammation of the membrane that lines the abdominal cavity, was the cause of death. Norton’s necropsy did not produce any immediate findings that explained the possible cause in the decline of his health.
Photo by David Shiffman
WSM: The Georgia Aquarium is one of the few in the world that allows SCUBA divers to swim in the shark tank for a fee (my local aquarium uses volunteer divers like myself). Some have criticized this program, particularly in the wake of the deaths of Ralph and Norton. Convince us that the program is safe for the animals in the tank.
BC: There are actually several Aquariums that have dive immersion programs, many of which allow people to dive with sharks. And as noted in the question above, we have a theory as to the deaths of the two whale sharks. In Georgia Aquarium’s dive immersion program, the safety of our animals and guests is our top priority. All gear used by the participants is aquarium owned and managed, thus we are able to sanitize the equipment, mitigating the concern of introducing something undesirable to the exhibit. During the pre-dive orientation, safety rules are carefully explained. Guests are instructed on the proper procedures and the importance of observation only during the event. The dive program is a guided tour; it is not a free swim. Any behavior outside of the instructions (such as trying to touch the animal or get to close to it) results in the removal of the guest from the exhibit. After the initial orientation, guests receive an additional on-deck briefing, reiterating the safety rules during the guided tour. Guests are instructed to stay together in buddy pairs and to follow the lead dive master. A safety diver brings up the rear and monitors and assists the guests, while another safety diver maintains the group from the side. Both the safety dive master and lead dive master carry a visual and physical barrier for the animals if necessary. A fourth dive master on deck monitors the dive and is prepared to enter the water and activate emergency response if necessary. For the safety of our guests, a first aid kid and oxygen are always on deck, as well as an AED. All dive masters are rescue and first responder trained and participate in semi-monthly extrication drills. There is also constant communication between the dive team and animal care specialists to ensure everyone is fully informed and aware. In addition to all of these measures, the Georgia Aquarium team appreciates and respects the animals and are ever diligent as to their locations and actions within the environment.
Photo by David Shiffman
WSM: Advocates for zoos and aquaria often say that money generated by ticket sales goes into research and conservation efforts. What conservation and research efforts is the Georgia Aquarium involved with?
BC: While the Aquarium already has participated in a multitude of research programs, in 2010 Georgia Aquarium is financially supporting and participating in more than a dozen research projects. Some of those include, but are not limited to:
· Three projects researching different aspects of dolphin biology in Florida and Georgia
· Three projects studying beluga whale biology, including continued field research in Bristol Bay, Alaska
· Continued whale shark research in Mexico, with two new foci on offshore aggregations and how they find food
· A study of spotted eagle ray populations off the coast of Florida
· Several clinical veterinary research projects that apply science to improving the care of the animals in our collection
· Sea turtle population monitoring in National Wildlife Refuge(s) on the Georgia Coast
· We will begin our first collaborative project studying Northern right whales, Georgia’s state marine mammal
The aquarium is proud of the research they support. Photo by David Shiffman
End of interview
Dr. Carlson paints a very different picture of the aquarium’s relationship with whale sharks than that of the animal rights activists.
The aquarium’s whale sharks were bought from fishermen, and would have otherwise been eaten by hungry Taiwanese. They have access to world-class medical care and healthy food. Money generated by ticket sales goes towards whale shark research and conservation in the wild, and the aquarium itself is full of excellent signage and enthusiastic volunteers who educate people about sharks.
In short, I think that the Georgia Aquarium has done a great service to these particular whale sharks and to the species as a whole. However, ethical debates aren’t just about what I think.
Do you think that it is acceptable for whale sharks to be held in captivity?
Do you think that whale sharks as a species benefit from the captivity of these few individuals?
Are you satisfied with Dr. Carlson’s explanation of the deaths of Ralph and Norton?
Do you think the “dive with the sharks” program is appropriate?
~WhySharksMatter
Note: This ethical debate is a heavily modified re-post of an earlier ethical debate on the old site, which can be found here. It is part one in a series of two interviews with Dr. Carlson about the Georgia Aquarium
While I do understand the importance of raising revenue for various research projects, I was woundering is the Georgia Aquarium doing anything to raise funds/ awareness of shark finning, which is one of the major causes of elasmobranch population decline?
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They are raising awareness through their “Planet Shark: Predator or Prey?” exhibit. I’ll have a post on that sometime soon.
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Whale sharks aren’t mammals. They are fish.
Also, if these particular whale sharks weren’t in captivity, they would be dead now. They were purchased from fisherman who had already caught them and were instead going to sell them to a fish market.
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In an ideal world all creatures would be wild and free and live happily ever after. Unfortunately we are destroying habitats all over the world. If keeping some creatures in captivity helps educate people so that they help save all the endangered places and creatures, then it is a necessary price to pay. The other benefit is always financial – who would donate enough money to fund all the research that is needed? Ticket sales make a huge contribution.
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While I can sort of understand the arguments used promoting the keeping of some wildlife in captivity and the greater good is serves, I also do not agree totally on the notion that seeing things in captivity live necessarily motivates kids to become something in later life. I believe that is achieved more so by how the parents raise the children and what experiences overall they provide for them. In any case, any kid at a young age who KNOWS what he/she wants to do at a later age and actually follows through with that is probably in the minority and is probably going to be ending up that way anyway. Fish may be one thing to keep in captivity, but intelligent animals are another issue entirely. I for one prefer to see any animal in the wild, and for whale sharks this is no exception, especially after having the pleasure to swim with them.
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“I also do not agree totally on the notion that seeing things in captivity live necessarily motivates kids to become something in later life. ”
When I was about three years old, my favorite thing to do was to sit by the shark tank at Pittsburgh’s aquarium.
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I agree with what you said regarding the difference between fish held in captivity and intelligent animals. I don’t think a fish, even a big fish such as a whale shark has as much of an intellectual sense as say a monkey. Also, there are few people that have the opportunity to swim with whale sharks in the ocean, so aquariums are a good way for people to get live experience up close with the fish.
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The one point that wasn’t touch upon was whether the sharks are happy. I think if one could demonstrate that, it would be much easier to argue acceptability.
Anyone know what a happy whale shark looks like?
I thought he didn’t really give an explanation: they had a theory, but he didn’t connect it to the autopsies.
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I don’t know if I’ve ever seen (or heard of) a fish demonstrating happiness… or sadness for that matter.
Some fish are stressed in captivity, and that doesn’t seem to be the case for these particular whale sharks from what I could tell from staring at them with my jaw dropped for four hours. That was hardly a medical assessment, though.
The Georgia Aquarium staff perform medical assessments on their whale sharks, and they told me that the animals are not stressed.
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Its all about balance, and right now there is no way to hit the nail on the head, if there is no real experience ( a human characteristic – the senses) associated with it, so Aquariums are still important features in a society.
I developed a passion for the Ocean world and in particular Dolphins, when I had a chance in 2009 to touch one in a research institute, the animal was going about its normal daily activities, swiming, and jumping around, but the scars on its body revealed a different story of hardship and near death experiences that it had lived through.
So I try in any way I can to support the cause of these sea creatures and I guess that is the promient ’cause and effect’ of Aquariums.
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For and against aquariums:
I like that people can see what’s in the ocean up close; a lot of people do not have the opportunity to snorkel or scuba dive, and it can be hard to see things even if you do! For everyone to be able to get an appreciation of what’s under the sea, and what’s in their local area in particular, is a beautiful thing.
However, I am concerned about the impact upon the natural environment of aquariums of all sizes. Allegedly, many aquarium fish (for home as well as commercial aquaria) are taken from areas without adequate controls to ensure that the impact on the ecosystem is managed and sustainable. I’ve seen fish in US mail-order catalogues which are very difficult to find in the areas that they are from and appear scarce. As such, I’m dubious about the sustainability of keeping wild-caught fish of any kind.
Further, as we saw with Finding Nemo, increased exposure of fish can lead to an increased rate of fish-keeping and increased pressure on fish stocks. As an aside, I’m still horrified by the irony of a film about the misery of being held in a tank leading to an explosion in the keeping of tropical fish in tanks…. Anyway, obviously it won’t be a problem with Whale Sharks specifically, but if people seeing fish in aquaria leads to them wanting their own fish-in-a-tank at home, it could further pressure fish stocks and damage coral reef ecosystems (in particular).
To what extent do aquariums educate and to what extent do they add to pressure upon fish populations? I suspect it’s a difficult question to answer!
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I am currently carrying out a study in to whale shark growth rates in wild populations. However, to date, apart from a study on 15 deceased specimens in South Africa, all accurate growth data has come from aquariums. Including live neo-natal specimens removed from the uterus of a pregnant female caught and killed in Taiwan.
Such information can be utilized to determine age at maturity of individual whale sharks and, when incorporating that information in to the study of population dynamics, should help to form a starting point in predicting the responses of populations to various perturbations.
This data, amongst others obtained from captivity, could consequently have a positive impact on our overall knowledge of the biology of whale sharks and therefore may assist in the conservation of the species.
This is obviously only one small part of the argument, and I could go on both for and against for many pages but this is worth bearing in mind.
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Why not buy the shark from the Fishermen and then release it ? That would have been a better option.!
I have recently seen ” Sammy ” the whale shark in the Atlantis Hotel Dubai and it’s a disgrace…many articles you can read about it on the web !
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They don’t have great whites at the Georgia Aquarium.
Why do you find it monstrous?
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Monterrey Bay Aquarium has a juvenile Great White.
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Do they presently have one? I know they did a few years ago, but I thought they released it. Amy (Hamilton, not BlueGrass Blue crab) and I were pondering a road trip to visit it back in 2007 but I thought it was released.
Did they get another one?
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link to montereybayaquarium.org
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Oh, cool. Amy’s back from Peace Corps now, I’ll see if she wants to road trip out there. Thanks for the link.
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When he says “The whale sharks at Georgia Aquarium were taken out of that quota” does he mean that the sharks were taken as part of that quota or the sharks that were caught and sold didn’t count for the quota?
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The quota refers to how many whale sharks can be caught and removed from the ocean in the first place. What happens to them after, whether they are sold at the fish market or placed in an aquarium, is irrelevant from a fisheries management perspective.
These individuals animals would have otherwise been sold at a fish market, and no additional animals were sold at a fish market as a result of these guys going to the Georgia Aquarium.
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My question was does “taken out of the quota” mean that the whale shark that was sold was “taken out” of the final count for the quota, which would have allowed another whale shark to be caught, or does he mean that the whale shark was taken as part of the quota?
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As part of the quota. No other animals were caught as a result of these ones being used by the aquarium.
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“I think they did, too. The sharks are now alive, healthy, and being used to educate the public about sharks. The alternative was that they would simply be eaten- in which case they would be dead and not educating the public about sharks. What exactly is the source of your outrage here?”
Ofcourse it is a good thing the sharks are now alive and not on a plate, and as i said later in my message if the visitors walk away with a different view on sharks i am all for that as well. But that does not have to happen in a sealed environment, is it not better to go out onto the ocean to view the sharks in the wild?
“They paid for the sharks, keeping the hunt for the sharks alive and are now them selves profiting from them as well… something i am very much against.”
“Wait, are you against fishing for sharks or against the concept of profit?”
Both, i am against fishing for sharks and profiting on either their death or capture. Education is a hard one, as i said i would love to show my daughter the sharks… but i can not shake the bad taste in my mouth. If you can, please help me see this differently.
And as shark hunting in Taiwan being illegal, i don’t think it would be all to hard to find shark pochers and polititions turning their heads there…. but that is a different story
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Whoooops… wrong thread
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I think I would be much more passionate about the release of these animals if the wild was a safe place for them. With thousands and thousands of dollars worth of fin on the whale shark an aquarium seems like the safest place for them to be. It’s sad that it seems like a death sentence to release them. Unless evidence was found a la The Cove that whale sharks are so unhappy in captivity or people would stop freaking finning sharks into extinction, I think they should probably stay where they are. It seems that they are well attended to but it’s hard to trust what anyone says. The aquarium is, of course, going to say they’re happy and healthy. But that’s probably a different discussion
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What bothers me the most is the way they acquired the shark. The aquarium seems to think they did a good thing by taking the shark from the Taiwanese quota. They paid for the sharks, keeping the hunt for the sharks alive and are now them selves profiting from them as well… something i am very much against.
But i am torn on the matter.
My daughter is now almost 2 years old and i would love to take her to aquariums to see sharks and dolphins in the hope she shares my passion for marine life, and later the protection of it. IF these experiences help build her into a better person, it is hard to say no… sadly the image of kids tapping on glass windows also comes to mind.
I hope that she does the same i do and later in life takes a trip and swims with whalesharks in the wild… the way it is supposed to be. I am sure going to do my best.
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“The aquarium seems to think they did a good thing by taking the shark from the Taiwanese quota.”
I think they did, too. The sharks are now alive, healthy, and being used to educate the public about sharks. The alternative was that they would simply be eaten- in which case they would be dead and not educating the public about sharks. What exactly is the source of your outrage here?
“They paid for the sharks, keeping the hunt for the sharks alive and are now them selves profiting from them as well… something i am very much against.”
Wait, are you against fishing for sharks or against the concept of profit?
The demand for these sharks was there before there was an aquarium. If there wasn’t a Georgia Aquarium, there would still be demand for the meat of these sharks.
That said, Taiwan has since made fishing for whale sharks illegal, so this particular “hunt for sharks” is in fact no longer alive .
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I can understand both sides. The whale shark would have been killed and eaten so it was saved by taking to Georgia Aquarium. It is getting great care while there.
I am not yet convinced that it is good to keep in captivity. The results in deaths of Ralph & Norton are part of that reason. I am not happy with report after necropsy. There was not enough information as to why the second one died. Was it loss of companionship? They are living, caring beings even tho they are fish.
On the other hand, the fact that the whale shark has been seen by so many people is great for educational purposes and many more people are interested in saving the species. I think education is the main key in saving all animals.
I hope to be able to see the facility for myself sometime in the near future and get a better prospective.
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We conserve what we love. We cannot love something to which we cannot relate. We cannot love something that is abstract, distant or hidden, or else we love the mere fact that it IS abstract, distant or hidden.
As a shark biologist now, I am a testament to this. I LIKED sharks my whole life, but not until I had the privilege of sharing the company of sharks in their natural environment that I truly LOVED these animals. Nothing compares to seeing sharks in person. Discovery Channel does not do these animals justice. The sharks’ utter beauty and grace are so often masked in documentaries by scary, dissonant background music.
However, most folks do not have the time or money to travel far distances to swim with or dive with sharks in the wild. Aquariums are the next best thing. I fully support having whale sharks (and baby white sharks for that matter in the Monterey Bay Aquarium) in appropriate captive spaces, such as Georgia Aquarium. The benefit of people seeing these animals to science and conservation far outweigh the “sacrifices” made by these particular captive animals.
That being said, we must be careful about assigning human emotion to these animals (the same goes for captive killer whales and dolphins). The animal rights activists like to say these charismatic captives are lonely, swimming in their own urine, cramped swimming in a “bathtub,” etc. The truth is, these sharks only care about two things: getting food and mating. And getting food is the most important. If they are fed, the are “happy.” Sharks in aquariums are certainly well fed. And in many aquariums captive sharks mate on a regular basis. Animals mating in captivity is perhaps the single greatest indicator of “happiness,” that is, that all their needs are being taken care of.
For the sake of conservation and getting the public excited about loving and protecting sharks, these whale sharks and the like must be taken into captivity to let people see them. There is no better way to incite that desire to conserve!
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When I saw my first whale shark in Galapagos it was the most incredible experience. They need to be free and not turning and turning in a big box.
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A complicated issue, especially given the general state of global shark populations. The tragic reality is that as much as any shark lover fights to prevent it, we are losing the fight. Conservation movements have made giant leaps in protecting sharks, but the numbers are still staggering. Millions are taken legally every year, millions more illegally by finners. As long as there is a profit to be made, there will always be poachers. Public perception and understanding has become the primary focus of shark conservation, and there is NO better way to do this than by letting people see them face to face.
However, any aquarium is still a business at heart. They will always state that their animals are happy and their needs are met. Even if there is no concrete way of actually measuring this. Andy is right in saying we need to stop with the anthropomorphic descriptions of how these animals are feeling. “Happiness” is a complex emotion probably not capable in fish, just based on the structure and processing capabilities of the brain. This has become a weapon used by activists in their arguments against captivity, but is ultimately biased.
I can see both sides to the debate. The idea of confining any creature for our profit and amusement is abhorrent and arrogant. As is the complete butchering of entire wild populations. Seeing an aquarium shark is an unforgettable experience for anyone, but seeing one in its natural environment is that and more.
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I’ve never understood why some people get so upset about captive whalesharks, but not by captive grouper, or lionfish, or something else in a proportionally similar tank.
I also don’t understand why some people get more upset by captive whalesharks than they do about captive dolphins.
My only guess is that they don’t know much about the biology of the critters. Maybe a visit to the aquarium would help them out?
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“And, after watching the response of thousands of children, I have no doubt that at least a few of them will want to become marine biologists as a result of their visit to the Aquarium to see whale sharks.”
Is it actually that powerful, having seen it?
On the topic of the deaths of the two sharks, I fail to see how a parasite treatment would cause peritonitis, as I’m unfamiliar with whale shark medicine (crazy, huh?). Correlation isn’t causation, and if the only evidence is that those sharks received the treatment and one died of peritonitis, they probably need to revise their theory.
Also, where’d they get veterinarians trained to manage whale shark health? They’re not commonly held, and I’d imagine that they’re very few and far between. You know, unless there’s a required vet school class entitled “Random animal health 754: What to do when you’re totally just WTF why do you have this?!” I’d imagine that the Hotel Atlantis would have been able to provide some help, but I do wonder exactly how much is written on the topic.
Ethically, though, I don’t have a problem with them keeping whale sharks, once I get over the shock of the idea. As an exotic pet hobbyist, my attitude is that, as long as you can give an animal the absolute best care available, you can keep it, and as a conservation-minded person (being a 3rd semester bio major doesn’t really afford me the right to say “conservationist”) I say as long as it was caught sustainably, you can buy it. It sounds like the Georgia aquarium fits those criteria, so I’m a-okay with them.
The only part where I have an issue with it is where it’s too far away for me to visit. I guess I’ll have to make do diving with sturgeon who suck on my head at the local aquarium.
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I think the single most important question (to me) hasn’t been answered- are the sharks happy and content or are they miserable and unable to express it?
If someone saved my life, only to keep me captive and on display, I wouldn’t be grateful, I’d be pissed. I know people believe that animals like this don’t have the same range of thought/emotion, but until someone can prove it to me, I choose to err on the side of caution.
Also, saying they have the “best care available” is tricky. If they live longer in the wild than they do in captivity, then NO aquarium offers the “best care available”. I know this is true killer whales, not sure how whale sharks fare.
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Good thing sharks aren’t human. You’re anthropomorphizing.
I’ve not heard that no aquariums offer less of an extended lifetime- actually, I’m fairly certain that captive-held animals live up to twice as long, depending on the animal. Most reptiles (bearded dragons for sure) live at least 3-6 years longer than they do in their natural environment. It’s reasonable to extrapolate that this trend might apply to aquaria as well. I can speak to professional aquarists on Tuesday if you’d like.
Saying “the best care available” isn’t tricky. It simply means give the animal the highest quality care based on the best information possible that you can.
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With all my respect to the two sides of the story, I do not really understand how dose Georgia aquarium knows that there are whale sharks had just been caught now in Taiwan by fishermen?
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I don’t understand your question. They bought the shark from fisherman.
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Good reporting, Dave. Again you raise the bar for science blogs and science reporting. Since you are brave enough to seek opinion, I’ll offer this…
The MOST dangerous place for a whale shark to be is in Taiwanese waters. Since these two sharks were bought from the fishery they would have been bush meat, so they were imminently better off at Georgia Aquarium.
There is no question in my mind that aquariums are good for the ocean. They actively raise awareness, and support research. Hopefully the lessons learned will be applied elsewhere.
The captivity issue is a charged one. My guess is that captive animals are not happy. Certain behaviors are indicative. Ideally, the animals would rotate back to the wild (not Taiwan!). If that’s not possible, the tanks should be very large, as they have apparently done in Georgia.
So, in my book, GA did all the right things, and made a positive difference for whale shark populations. Thanks again for the story.
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@Sam: The lifespan of Killer Whales (O. orca) is shorter in captivity than in the wild. Granny (J2) is and extreme case but she is 99 years old.
Do we have any idea of what it means to keep captive a migrating animal like a Whale Shark?
We need a better understanding of what it means to various animals to be captive. I have no idea of whether keeping a Whale Shark is OK or not.
Tom
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I can’t help but feel that an animal this large just should not be help in captivity. I do not fault the Georgia Aquarium and I understand the reasoning behind capturing wildlife for research purposes. However, I think this issue goes ethically deeper than research and “more people seeing a whale shark”.
I agree with Sweetwater Tom. Do we know what captivity means to animals that normally cover immense spans of ocean? Well, we sure will if we keep catching them and they keep dying.
Our inability to observe a creature in nature to me does not justify forcefully creating the situation.
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Jasen…“I also do not agree totally on the notion that seeing things in captivity live necessarily motivates kids to become something in later life. ”
WSM…”When I was about three years old, my favorite thing to do was to sit by the shark tank at Pittsburgh’s aquarium.”
Ok, fair enough…but maybe you MIGHT have ended up doing the same job regardless? No proof of anything…simply anecdotal and also doesn’t prove me right either. As I mentioned, I do not TOTALLY agree it works, which means I do a bit, but am not sure about the solid connection. It’s not an overly scientific correlation just because one or two people have that experience. Someone needs to do a proper study on the subject.
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I would love to see a proper study on whether or not aquariums influence people to go into marine biology.
I know that a great many of my marine biology friends also grew up spending lots of time at the aquarium, but that is still anecdotal evidence.
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