The California Coastal Commission has approved a $100 million killer whale habitat expansion at SeaWorld in San Diego, but banned breeding of the captive orcas that would live in the new tanks.
The ruling came after a request by the San Diego aquarium to build new tanks for its orcas.
In a statement SeaWorld said it was “disappointed” with October 8 ruling.
SeaWorld plans to build two additional tanks for viewing and research.
“Breeding is a natural, fundamental and important part of an animal’s life and depriving a social animal of the right to reproduce is inhumane,” said SeaWorld San Diego Park President John Reilly.
The building project was approved “under a condition that would prohibit captive breeding, artificial insemination, and the sale, trade or transfer of any animal in captivity.”
The commission received more than 120,000 emails from people about the proposed expansion, mostly from those opposing the project, said commission spokeswoman Noaki Schwartz.
The ruling affects SeaWorld’s San Diego business, but not its locations in Florida or Texas.
The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) praised the ruling, saying this would effectively end the orca whale exhibit.
In a statement they said that it “ensures that no more orcas will be condemned to a nonlife of loneliness, deprivation and misery.”
SeaWorld has come under heavy criticism in recently years, particularly after the 2013 release of the documentary Blackfish which specifically criticized the company’s orca program.
Blackfish claims that whales in captivity become bored in their sterile environment which makes them aggressive towards their human trainers.
SeaWorld has called the film “false and misleading”.
Numerous celebrities have condemned SeaWorld’s treatment of its captive animals in the past years.
In August 2015, SeaWorld Entertainment reported an 84% drop in earnings in Q2 of 2015, compared to the same period in 2014, and a 2% drop in visitor numbers.
Lady Gaga stepped out in Bulgaria wearing what appeared to be a real fur coat as she left her hotel carrying a puppy.
Lady Gaga, 26, who was recently slammed by animal charity PETA for wearing a pink fur coat, then took to her Twitter account just to confirm that the garment she was wearing was real.
In a rather sarcastic manner, the pop star wrote: “For those press and such who are writing about whether or not my fur is actually real, please don’t forget to credit the designer HERMES. Thank You! LOVE, gaga.”
Her latest tweet is no doubt going to receive a backlash worldwide, but as she stepped out in Sofia yesterday, Lady Gaga didn’t seem to care what anyone thought of her attire.
Lady Gaga stepped out in Bulgaria wearing what appeared to be a real fur coat as she left her hotel carrying a puppy
The quirky star teamed the large grey coat with a pinstriped dress that was slit right up to her hips and almost revealed her underwear.
Lady Gaga completed her look with a pair of patent heels and large dark sunglasses while carrying the pooch and a small designer handbag.
As she left her hotel, Lady Gaga waved to her waiting fans and even stopped to sign autographs for them.
Lady Gaga is in Sofia for the start of the European leg of her Born This Way Ball world tour which kicks off tonight at the Armeets Arena.
Her arrival in the capital comes as RadarOnline revealed that PETA has targeted the singer by writing her a personal letter and begging her to no longer wear fur.
“Many of your gay fans, I among them, have long admired what you told Ellen: <<I hate fur, and I don’t wear fur>>,” wrote Dan Mathews, Senior Vice President of PETA.
“What happened? Are your stylists telling you that it’s fake, or are you a turncoat?” Dan Mathews asked.
“Many gays are animal advocates because we recognize that the same arrogance and indifference that some have toward animal suffering has at times been directed toward us personally because of our orientation,” he went on to say.
“By wearing those dumb furs in a heat wave, you’re making yourself a target just like the mindless Kim Kardashian. As we plan our fall campaigns, please tell us whether what you gracefully told Ellen was heartfelt or just a pose.”
HBO has decided to cancel TV horse-racing drama Luck, which stars Dustin Hoffman and Nick Nolte, after a third animal was injured and put down during production.
The series was filming its second season when the incident happened.
In a statement, HBO said it was “with heartbreak” that it was ceasing “all future production” on Luck.
Produced by Michael Mann and David Milch, the series looks at the seedy side of life in US horse-racing.
It sees Dustin Hoffman play a crime kingpin scheming to gain control of a racetrack and introduce casino gambling.
Luck debuted in the US in January and will see its first season finale broadcast on 25 March.
It is currently being shown in the UK on the Sky Atlantic channel.
HBO has decided to cancel TV horse-racing drama Luck, which stars Dustin Hoffman and Nick Nolte, after a third animal was injured and put down during production
The decision to cancel the entire series came one day after filming was suspended pending an investigation into the horse’s death.
“It is with heartbreak that executive producers David Milch and Michael Mann together with HBO have decided to cease all future production on the series <<Luck>>,” HBO said in its statement.
“While we maintained the highest safety standards possible, accidents unfortunately happen and it is impossible to guarantee they won’t in the future. Accordingly, we have reached this difficult decision.”
On Tuesday the American Humane Association (AHA) issued the suspension order, pending a “thorough and comprehensive investigation”.
HBO said the horse was being led to a stable by a groom when it reared and fell back, suffering a head injury.
The animal was put down at the track in suburban Arcadia, California, where Luck was filming.
Although the AHA – which oversees Hollywood productions – noted the accident did not occur during filming or racing, it issued the demand “that all production involving horses shut down”.
On Tuesday, California Horse Racing Board vet Dr. Gary Beck said he had just examined the horse as part of routine health and safety procedures before it was to race later in the day.
“The horse was on her way back to the stall when she reared, flipped over backwards, and struck her head on the ground,” Dr. Gary Beck said in a statement.
A second vet determined that euthanasia was appropriate, he added.
Dr. Rick Arthur, medical director of the state racing board, said such injuries occurred in stable areas every year and were more common than thought.
During filming of the first series in 2010 and 2011, two horses were hurt during racing scenes and were subsequently put down.
The AHA called for a production halt at the Santa Anita Racetrack after the second horse’s death, and racing resumed in February after new protocols were put in place.
The first two horse deaths drew criticism from animal rights group PETA, which said the safety guidelines were “clearly inadequate” as they failed to prevent the deaths.
On Tuesday, PETA vice-president Kathy Guillermo said: “Three horses have now died and all the evidence we have gathered points to sloppy oversight, the use of unfit, injured horses, and disregard for the treatment of thoroughbreds.”
People for the Ethical Treatment of the Animals (PETA) has called for TV and film safety rules to be tightened after two horses were put down during filming for HBO drama Luck.
The animals were injured in the making of the show starring Dustin Hoffman.
PETA said it “repeatedly reached out” to HBO before filming to offer safety advice but was “rebuffed”.
HBO, which worked with the American Humane Association, said both were “committed to ensuring all necessary safety procedures” were in place.
Luck, conceived by NYPD Blue creator David Milch, is billed as “a provocative look at the world of horse racing – the owners, gamblers, jockeys and diverse gaming industry players”.
The AHA said in a statement that the fatal accidents had taken place several months apart – one during the filming of a pilot episode and another during the filming of the seventh show.
AHA’s standard “no animals were harmed” statement was removed from the credits of both episodes.
PETA has called for TV and film safety rules to be tightened after two horses were put down during filming for HBO drama Luck
The AHA said both racehorses “stumbled and fell during short racing sequences”.
“The horses were checked immediately afterwards by the onsite veterinarians and in each case a severe fracture deemed the condition inoperable,” it added.
“The decision was that the most humane course of action was euthanasia.”
It listed a series of precautions taken including that each horse was “limited to three runs per day and was rested in between those runs”.
In a statement released to the New York Observer, HBO said filming was suspended after the second accident “while the production worked with AHA and racing industry experts to adopt additional protocols specifically for horse racing sequences”.
They included “the hiring of an additional veterinarian and radiography of the legs of all horses being used by the production”.
“HBO fully adopted all of AHA’s rigorous safety guidelines before production resumed.”
But, in a blog on its website, PETA said: “Perhaps if producers had considered the proved safety protocols that we would have suggested, these horses would still be alive.”
It added that “two dead horses in a handful of episodes exemplify the dark side of using animals in television, movies, and ads”.
It said it was now in discussions with HBO “about how to prevent even more deaths on the show”.
Kim Kardashian’s declining popularity looks set to receive a further blow after animal rights group PETA launched a billboard campaign slating the star’s love of fur coats.
Kim Kardashian, 31, has regularly been spotted wearing such jackets this year, despite already being chastened by PETA, who named her their worst dressed person of 2010.
In the emotive ad PETA has a cute picture of two fox cubs, with the statement: “Kim: These babies miss their mother. Is she on your back?”
In addition to the adverts, the animal rights organization has also blasted Kim Kardashian on their website.
PETA Senior Vice President Lisa Lange said: “Kim knows that animals on fur farms are beaten, electrocuted, and often skinned alive.
“We’ve explained it to her, and she’s watched a video expose that was filmed inside fur farms.
“When Kim is ready to put an end to her relationship with fur, PETA will be happy to take her discards and donate them to the homeless.”
Kim Kardashian, 31, has regularly been spotted wearing such jackets this year, despite already being chastened by PETA, who named her their worst dressed person of 2010
Ironically Kim Kardashian turned out to support a PETA campaign poster AGAINST fur which featured her sister Khloe earlier this year.
Kim Kardashian posed with Khloe next to the 2008 “Fur? I’d Rather Go Naked” picture, after her younger sibling stripped off for the charity.
It is the second time in recent days the Kardashians have been involved in a fashion flare-up.
It was claimed the Institute for Global Labour and Human Rights had criticized the Kardashians for using Chinese sweatshop labor to produce their fashion lines.
However the group’s executive director Charles Kernaghan later spoke out to say the allegations could not be proved, that he had been speaking about conditions in the country in general, and that his words had been twisted.
Charles Kernaghan did speak out again last night to say: “If Ms. Kardashian has found a way to overcome the iron-fisted repression under which the Chinese workers are forced to toil, then that would be huge news and worthy of tremendous applause.
“But unfortunately, based on our concrete experiences investigating factories in China and elsewhere, the chances are about one in a million that Ms. Kardashian has found a way to push back against the Chinese authorities and guarantee that her employees will be afforded their most basic, internationally recognized workers’ rights.”
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