LONDON: Orca whales have now been added to the endangered species list. Lolita, the killer (Orca) whale featured at the Miami Aquarium may now win federal protection for her family.
For almost 50 years, Lolita has been highlighted in acrobatic presentations at the Miami Aquarium. Though her family was given protection status by the federal government a decade ago, Lolita still remains in captivity.The current decision on orca whales being considered an endangered species does not mean anything will change for the Miami-based orca whale. Though, a round of legal fights will ensue.
Will Stelle, a chief in the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration, stated that this is a listing decision. There has not been any action taken on the orca whale’s living conditions, even though animal activists have long criticized them as being harsh and inhumane. He stated that the current discussion does not have anything to do with the current battle, but all to do with public attention.
In 2013, animal rights activists pleaded to the NOAA to include Lolita, the orca whale in question, to the endangered species listing. The plea was a legal battle to ask for the retirement of the whale because it was believed that the orca was the oldest in captivity – at 50 years of age.
Jared Goodman, a litigator with the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), stated that the organization he represents is going to do anything in its power to ensure the newly discovered protection for orca whales are granted, insofar as reducing and rejecting the actions of harm and harassment towards the whales.
It is unclear whether or not Lolita will be placed under the same protection as her orca family, considering she has been in captivity for nearly half a century. The title of endangered species normally applies to animals facing extinction that are currently in the wild which protects them from further harm. This means imposing restrictions on fishing and stopping human influence on the animal’s habitat like construction and the dumping of man-made pollutants and waste.
