From the Resorts World Sentosa website: "The Marine Life Park is set to be the world’s largest oceanarium, with 700,000 fishes. The oceanarium programme offers guests the chance to admire dolphins up close, or dive with and feed menacing tiger sharks."The question is whether it will stop at whale sharks, dolphins and tiger sharks?
We only need to look at the experiences of aquariums such as the Georgia Aquarium to see what lies ahead for Resorts World Sentosa.
The Georgia Aquarium, which already has whale sharks and swimming with whale sharks, is now pushing for "new fish every 90 days" to improve the "aquarium’s bottom line".
In an effort to increase attendance, the Georgia Aquarium will add a “wow factor” fish to its waters every quarter, interim Chief Executive Officer Mike Leven says.Whale shark in a tank=marine conservation?
“We need to ensure that every 90 days or so we have new things coming to the aquarium,” Leven said, flipping through a stack of possible candidates such as barracuda, tiger sharks and colorful yellowfin tuna. “You have to constantly upgrade and bring in new and interesting animals. They are a critical component to our growth.”
Leven said his aggressive plan to introduce new “charismatic” fish every quarter is a sea change from the course the world’s largest fish tank has been charting. With the exception of a handful of smaller species and the four whale sharks that replaced Ralph and Norton, who died last year, the aquarium’s inhabitants have mostly been the same since the tank’s opening in November 2005.
Leven said that inertia may have stopped some visitors — especially locals, who are the bread and butter of the attraction — from coming back a second and third time, which is crucial to the aquarium’s bottom line. While the slumping economy has contributed to the attendance drop, he said he believes the aquarium has not given visitors enough reasons to come back.
From Georgia Aquarium: New fish every 90 days, by Leon Stafford, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution 21 Aug 08
Apparently some scientists don't think so.
The aquarium's proposal drew mixed reactions, with some conservationists pouring water on the proposed Atlanta conference even before the invitations are mailed. The conference would likely take place in 2011.
"I would never come because that would condone what they are doing," said Lisa Carne, a conservationist from Belize who doesn't think whale sharks should be kept in captivity. "I'm pretty much one of those people who doesn't believe aquariums should exist."
Other scientists, however, applauded the idea of the Atlanta conference and a comprehensive whale shark reference book.
From Georgia Aquarium invitation riles whale shark scientists
Jim Tharpe, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution 20 Jul 08
The aquarium has produced no credible evidence supporting the claim that visits to their whale shark exhibit (or any other exhibit, for that matter) translate into better understanding of whale sharks (or any other species).This about sums up the experience for the whale shark at the Georgia Aquarium especially after people were allowed to swim with it.
From Aquarium's swim with whale shark programme will endanger the animals; Whale sharks turned into carnival ride: Georgia Aquarium endangering its animals with new program, Lori Marino, Randy Malamud and Ron Broglio, Atlanta Journal-Constitution 14 Feb 08;
"It'd be the equivalent of you being in a bedroom for the rest of your life after having had the ability to walk around freely, and then having 20 people come join you in your personal space every so often."
From Swimming with the whale sharks at the Georgia Aquarium
Atlanta visitors willing to pay can get up close and personal with the world's largest fish, but some experts call it a bad idea. By Richard Fausse, Los Angeles Times 19 Jun 08;
Some recent responses to the statement by Acres, SPCA and NSS.
More links
Whale sharks at Sentosa IR? Bad move, say activists
Resorts World promises 'top-class' care as animal welfare groups raise issue; Ang Yiying, Straits Times 29 Aug 08;
SUFFERING, NOT SMILING: The Truth About Captive Dolphins
on the Acres website
Sentosa Resorts World to shark's fins: "no, but..." more about Resorts World Sentosa and marine issues including the reefs affected by the IR construction on the wildfilms blog.
Sentosa IR: Captive dolphins to be used for spa therapy
Dolphins at your doorstep? Cara van Miriah, Electric New Paper 22 Dec 07; Plans underway for dolphins to be released from oceanarium daily to swim to posh water bungalows on stilts
Dolphins at the Sentosa Integrated Resort
Dolphin export, Solomon Star 14 Apr 08;
Dolphin therapy a dangerous fad?
CDNN - CYBER DIVER News Network 23 Dec 07;
Nature groups against oceanarium at Sentosa
Letter from SPCA, NSS, Acres Straits Times Forum 21 Oct 06
No critical need to keep whales prisoners
Letter from Dudley Au, Straits Times Forum 28 Oct 06
Rethink idea of having whale sharks in Sentosa lagoon
Letter from Thomas Paulraj Thamboo, Straits Times Forum 19 Oct 06
Sea Shepherds on the Whale Sharks at Sentosa IR
Letter from Grant W. Pereira Asian Education Advisor Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, unpublished letter to the media
