Speak for the Marine Animals in the Vancouver Aquarium

Dear All, 

First I would like to congratulate Paul Shuley for getting his great letter published in today's Vancouver Courier newspaper (see letter below "Vancouver lacks expertise at dolphin care"). And then I'd like to thank everyone who wrote to the Park Board Commissioners regarding opening their meetings to the public - because the board has now decided to open the meetings to the public and the media (see article below "Whale activist makes parks board go public"). Now it's time to prepare to fight for the dolphins in person. Please join us on Monday March 26 to tell the Park Board to stop the Vancouver Aquarium's plan to import new dolphins into Stanley Park! PARK BOARD DOLPHIN MEETING Monday March 26, 2001 at 7 pm Park Board Offices 2099 Beach Avenue (brown building at the South entrance to Stanley Park)

If you plan to speak to the board, please sign up before Noon on Friday, March 23, with the Park Board Secretary at 257-8451. Delegations are limited to 5 minutes. Everyone is welcome at the dolphin meeting, whether you speak or not - we need YOUR support! For more information, please contact me. Annelise Sorg Coalition For No Whales In Captivity E-mail <annelise@direct.ca> Tel: (604) 736-9514

Vancouver Courier - March 11, 2001 

VANCOUVER LACKS EXPERTISE AT DOLPHIN CARE 

To the editor: Regarding "Dolphin pool questioned," Feb.21, I guess aquarium CEO John Nightingale is suggesting that Bjossa hasn't had the right medical attention in Vancouver and that's why her three babies died after birth. It sounds like he is hinting at a lack of expertise in Vancouver to take care of captive whales and dolphins. Shouldn't that be reason enough to stop the cruel practice of keeping dolphins? Paul Shuley, Port Coquitlam

Vancouver Courier - March 7, 2001 

WHALE ACTIVIST MAKES PARKS BOARD GO PUBLIC

By Sandra Thomas, staff writer THE PARKS BOARD will no longer hold staff-only "workshops" in place of committee meetings open to the public and media. Parks chairwoman Laura McDiarmid said the change came as a result of public pressure, in particular from Annelise Sorg, director of the Coalition for No Whales in Captivity. "Annelise questioned the legality of these workshop so we had our legal department look into it." McDiarmid said. "They said while there was nothing definitive, we were walking a fine line." Public committee meetings similar to the ones held by city council were the norm until 1996, when, in an effort to save staff hours, the board decided to replace them with less formal staff information workshops that didn't require minutes. "They were trying to find ways to make the operation more effective, but I never agreed with the change," McDiarmid said. "The committee meetings take a lot of staff time, but I always felt they should be public." In January, Sorg asked to address the board with concerns about a VAncouver Aquarium proposal to import dolphins once Bjossa the killer whale moves to SeaWorld San Diego, likely within the next few months. Instead, she was invited to take part in a Feb. 19 workshop. When told the meeting was closed to the public and the media, and no minutes would be kept, she declined the invitation and again requested time to speak at a regular board meeting. After Sorg questioned the legality of closed meetings under the Vancouver Charter and Bill 88 of the freedom of Information Act, she was granted an opportunity to speak at the March 26 regular parks board meeting. Sorg said the end of the workshops will make a big difference in the way groups deal with the board. "If I had to deal with (the issue of dolphins) in secret, I wouldn't get anywhere," she said. "This is excellent, wonderful news." Mc Diarmid said for now, workshops will be replaced by staff briefings, but committee meetings will likely be reinstated. "We need to find the most efficient way to conduct these information sessions, with the least impact on staff."