KILLER WHALE'S SAN DIEGO MOVE DELAYED - US government red tape will likely delay Bjossa's transfer to Sea World until March at earliest

Bjossa, the only whale left in captivity at the Vancouver Aquarium, will not be going to SeaWorld in San Diego until March at the earliest. The 23-year-old Bjossa, who has been battling a respiratory illness all year and just came off antibiotics two weeks ago, was originally scheduled to move to California last month. But the aquarium said Wednesday the move was delayed because U.S. officials have requested additional documentation from the federal government on Bjossa's importation into Canada 20 years ago. "The permits are taking longer than expected", aquarium director John Nightingale said. "Bjossa came to Canada from Iceland in 1980 before we had centralized government records, so there has been a search for all the necessary records going on." Once SeaWorld's initial application is accepted by the U.S. government permit office, U.S. officials must post notice of her planned transfer and have a public comment period. Nightingale says Bjossa is being moved to Sea World because it has a larger facility where she can be with other whales. But Annelise Sorg, director of the Coalition For No Whales In Captivity, questioned Wednesday whether the delay is mostly due to Bjossa's health problems. "Sea World should be worried if Bjossa is sick because the water is shared by all tanks and there is only so much chlorine can kill," she said. "If you bring a sick animal and put it in the same water system, you run the risk of infecting the rest of your collection." No one at Sea World could be reached for comment. Sorg said most orcas in captivity have not survived past 20, with most dying at birth. In contrast, 80- to 90- year-old females have been found in the wild off the coast of British Columbia. "The bottom line is that the Vancouver Aquarium is lucky that Bjossa is still alive," she said. "I think the aquarium is once again misleading the public and painting a rosy, Disneyland picture which doesn't exist." Kerry Irish, a research assistant at the aquarium, said Wednesday most whale research in the world has taken place off the coast of B.C. She said female killer whales have lifespans reaching up to 90 years, while males generally live up to 40 years.

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