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VANCOUVER COURIER, July 20, 2005
By Sandra Thomas-Staff writer
Dead beluga immersed in politics
A local animal activist says an employee of the Vancouver Aquarium
Marine Science Centre should give up her bid for a seat on parks
board, especially in light of the death of a three-year old beluga
whale Sunday.
Heather Holden, who works at the aquarium as director of research
programs, announced last month she will run for parks board under
the NPA banner in November's municipal election.
"It makes total sense that she would run," said Annelise
Sorg, director of the Coalition for No Whales in Captivity. "The
aquarium is a very powerful business disguised as a charity and
she's just one of their pawns."
A beluga named Tuvaq died unexpectedly Sunday morning before a
crowd of onlookers, three days before the third anniversary of its
birth. It was only one of two belugas conceived and born at the
aquarium. After it stopped breathing, its mother Aurora and four
other belugas including an aunt stayed near the body for several
hours.
Sorg said her group is pressuring the parks board to put a moratorium
on collecting any more cetaceans-dolphins, whales or porpoises-until
a referendum is held. The group wants the board to include a referendum
on the issue in the upcoming election.
"The NPA would never give us a referendum in the past and
Heather is both a member of the NPA and an employee of the aquarium,"
said Sorg. "This is the ultimate in conflict of interest."
Holden did not return a phone call from the Courier during business
hours, but left a voice mail message saying any perceived conflict
would be eliminated through due process.
"Any conflict needs to be declared and should I be elected
I wouldn't take part in any discussions about the aquarium,"
she said. "This is a part-time job and everyone on the board
has outside interests. I'd be surprised if anyone didn't have a
conflict."
Holden said she's running for parks board because she feels she
can do a good job and because of her personal interests.
Before moving to Vancouver, Holden lived in Southeast Asia where
she was a professor of geography at the National University of Singapore.
Her research involved management of marine parks and protected areas,
as well as studying conflict resolution in natural resource management.
Holden holds a Canadian commercial pilot's licence and was a competitive
gymnast, rower and triathlete. She also coached rowing, and was
a swimming and fitness instructor, lifeguard and a recreation centre
manager.
"I'm not running for park board as an employee of the aquarium,"
she said in her message. "I'm running for myself."
COPE parks board chair Eva Riccius agreed that if elected Holden
could declare conflict of interest and excuse herself from voting
on any decisions pertaining to the aquarium.
"But there's lots of other issues she could get involved in,"
she added.
Riccius said the board is not considering a change to its policy
on cetaceans.
"It's too early to know what happened," she said.
Clint Wright, vice-president of operations and animal management
for the aquarium, told the Courier the reason for the beluga's death
might remain a mystery. An autopsy Sunday showed no immediate cause
of death, so more detailed testing is taking place.
"Some tests take three, four or five weeks to get the results
and hopefully they will give us some answers," he said. "But
we were warned this morning that in the case of sudden death we
might not ever know."
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