Aquarium considers capture of more wildlife

Transfer of killer whale Bjossa forces search for new exhibit Nicholas Read Vancouver Sun

Walruses, sea lions, arctic foxes, sea otters and even polar bears are among the animals being considering as replacement exhibits for Bjossa's Stanley Park pool once the orca is moved to San Diego's Sea World later this year.

Vancouver Aquarium director John Nightingale said while there are no firm plans for the pool yet, he and his staff have considered using it to display animals either from the Arctic or the West Coast.

The Arctic display is much less likely, Nightingale said, and, given its possible inclusion of polar bears, far more controversial. Until its closure as a result of a 1993 plebiscite, the Stanley Park Zoo housed two polar bears. The last one, Tuk, died in 1997 at the age of 36.

Nightingale said the Arctic idea is "highly unlikely," but that it was aquarium practice "never to say never."

"We kicked around some ideas," he said of the proposal, "but we never drew up a list of the animals it might include."

Much more attractive, he said, is the idea of turning Bjossa's pool into an "interactive, customizable, multi-species" display of West Coast marine life, including Pacific white-sided dolphins, Stellar sea lions, harbour seals, fur seals, sea otters, and various sea and shore birds.

The aquarium already has one white-sided dolphin, Whitewings, sharing the orca pool, as well as eight Stellar sea lions, three sea otters, and two harbour seals in other pools. But depending on what form the exhibit takes, more animals may be required, and Nightingale doesn't rule out catching them from the wild.

"We made an agreement in 1996 that we will not catch any more cetaceans [whales and dolphins] from the wild, and we will honour that," he said.

But the agreement does not include any other types of animals.

Park board chairwoman Laura McDermid said she was "shocked" to hear that wild animals could be caught for permanent display.

"I'm okay with rehabilitating sick or injured animals and returning them to the wild, but if we're talking about capturing wild animals for permanent display, that's something the board certainly needs to look into."

Vancouver Humane Society director Debra Probert said she was "astounded that the aquarium would consider replacing Bjossa with other animals."

"Growing scientific evidence demonstrates that it is impossible to keep most wild animals in captivity and provide them with any semblance of a normal existence. Live-animal displays at the Vancouver Aquarium are simply a zoo with water."

Nightingale disagrees, saying the exhibit he envisions would provide visitors with a link to the real West Coast.

"Most visitors to the aquarium will never visit the wilderness. We can provide them with a surrogate experience."

By doing that, he says, visitors will come to learn about the environment and cultivate an interest in protecting it.

That, says Probert, is a "tired old argument" for justifying keeping wild creatures in captivity. "What does one learn by exploiting animals? The residents of the City of Vancouver spoke in 1993 and made their wishes clear -- no more zoos.

"If [the aquarium] wants to do the right thing, the ethical thing, they should set aside all aesthetic considerations and give the space to the Belugas who are desperately in need of more room."

Nightingale said none of the plans has been formalized, and that any changes to the pool will take place over a five-to-seven-year period.

He wants to consult the park board as well as tourism and conservation groups before he commits the aquarium to anything, because they all have an interest in its future.

McDermid agreed that "so far there hasn't been any discussion at the board level about exhibits and exhibit changes."

The cost of renovating the pool would depend on what changes will be made to it, Nightingale said, but it could run as high as $20 million. He expects the money will come from corporations, foundations, the government, aquarium revenue and individual donations.

Nightingale couldn't give a firm date for Bjossa's departure, saying that it depends on when the U.S. government issues a permit for her transfer (that could happen in February), agreeing on a timetable for that transfer with Sea World, and Bjossa's health, which has been precarious for a number of years.

Nicholas Read
Vancouver Sun