Another blow to animal Activists by judge SeaWorld makes "Good Faith Effort"

   In the same week the documentary "Blackfish" enters a theater in Maitland Fl, around the corner from the theater, another blow for animal activists from the ruling of the judge for the same company portrayed in the documentary, SeaWorld in Orlando. The documentary depicts the life and treatment of a whale named Tilikum a transient Orca who was captured off the East Coast of Iceland back in November 1983, almost 30 years ago.Tilikum was then stuck in a tank to perform daily, do tricks to entertain the public, and all the while the industry claiming it is for educational purposes. This is one of the first times if ever, Tilikum's story is being told publicly in front of a local audience. The purpose of the documentary is to expose his life, the truths about what happens behind closed doors of a marine mammal park, and to try and show that the industry needs to change. Many believe the industry causes the whales to behave in manners not seen in the wild, some of which include emotional and physical abnormalities within the Orca population being held in captivity. Just when people who have been fighting with the captive industry to change for years are thinking the tables are turning, they get an unexpected blow.
    Judge Welsch in Orlando, has ruled SeaWorld has made a  "Good Faith Effort" to protect its trainers from the Orca's in their care. In the article posted by clickorlando.com they state the judge indicated that SeaWorld has more expertise then OSHA when it comes to determining how closely the trainers can work alongside these majestic cetaceans. Why then, do we have OSHA if that's the case? OSHA is supposed to over see safety concerns, SeaWorld is above OSHA when it comes to their killer whales? If this is true, why then were the mistakes made and another life taken before they realized what they had already implemented was not good enough? SeaWorld is not above anyone else when it comes to understanding safety. They still believe what they do with these Orca's has an educational value on learning about them. They do not seem like they are experts in Orca's nor their behaviors, if they were, they would be able to realize a pool without interaction of their true pod members is no home or place for an Orca to live. Bring in a true expert on Orca's, have them decide. Not SeaWorld or anyone associated as they are the industry in question, if the judge truly believes OSHA has no expertise in the matter.
      OSHA along with others feel there is still a very big safety concern. How many people need to be injured or yet die, on the account of a mistake and overlook of the safety at this facility and others alike? Orca's belong in the wild, not in a pool for observation and harassment. These whales are harassed on a daily basis and it causes many psychological induced behaviors, aggression being one of them. If SeaWorld is depicted to be better in determining the safety then that of the place who is there to make sure they imply safety measures, what will this mean in future events? There will be another incident and it may even be another death. All you have to look at is the incidents that have happened yearly at marine parks, many go unreported as well. You can see some of these incidents here http://www.orcahome.de/incidents.htm Whether it is tomorrow or many years from now, there will likely be another incident like that back in 2010, of Dawn Brancheau and others prior to that, the reason that all this is now taking place.
    When OSHA and SeaWorld went to court back in 2012 the judge ruled in favor of OSHA, the same judge now ruling, many truly thought there would be a change at least to the captivity industry when it came to water works. In doing so, many thought there would be more changes to come and possibility of a blow to SeaWorld and its industry. Instead people who have fought and hoped for this are now the ones receiving the blow. Waterworks is a very big part of SeaWorld and by taking that away, you are taking away half of what SeaWorld is. Many animal activists thought this would be the start of a change in the captivity industry. Once again though, SeaWorld has overcome the obstacle in front of them, at least for the time being.
     The judge in the case has given an extension of six months to SeaWorld to show that they have implemented safety precautions and procedures, but yet they are not limited to the abatement's of OSHA. If they can come up with and demonstrate that their tactics and their safety measures are as effective,or more effective then OSHA's abatement's, then they may even be able to get out of their fines with OSHA, as well as possibly even start waterworks again. SeaWorld is appealing their fines with OSHA and may get off scott free with their citations and fines along with what many feel are the correct ways to make sure another incident does not occur, to not be able to do waterworks with the Orca's. Which means everything many have tried to do to change this industry will again be dismissed, and SeaWorld again will be able to possibly keep conducting their unmoral and unethical treatments of these majestic cetaceans who deserve the same as many of their wild counterparts. A life without harassment, without exploitation, and to be free to swim hundreds of miles a day, as it should be.