After the announcement of the permanent closure of the Mar del Plata Aquarium, uncertainty grows about the fate of the animals that still remain in its facilities. Activists and organizations defending animal rights are calling for a demonstration next Sunday, March 30 at 11:00 a.m., demanding that they be relocated to marine sanctuaries instead of other aquariums or zoos.
The mobilization, organized by the Animal Activists of La Costa collective, adds to a campaign on the Change.org platform, which has already gathered more than 769,097 signatures in support of the cause. The petition, titled “Argentina Without Aquariums” (change.org/ArgentinaSinAcuarios), supports the Bill for the End of Shows with Marine Animals in Captivity, presented in the Senate in 2022 and pending in the Chamber of Deputies in 2023.
From the Aquarium, they stated that the animals, born under human care, will be relocated to national and international aquariums and zoos. However, several organizations rejected this measure, as they believe it perpetuates their life in captivity. “It is essential that these animals have the opportunity to live in a more suitable environment and not be sent to other aquariums where they will continue to be deprived of their freedom,” stated the Animal Activists of La Costa.
The demand is not new. The petition on Change.org emerged in 2015 with the goal of achieving the rehabilitation and reintegration of the orca Kshamenk, but over time it became a broader struggle to change the treatment of marine animals in Argentina. Since 2021, organizations like Proyecto Galgo Argentina and the Sandra Legal Team have taken legal actions to strengthen the protection of these animals.
An Urgent Issue
The closure of the aquarium highlights the need for a change in conservation and animal welfare policies. “Exhibition, forced breeding, training for shows, and the confinement of marine animals are outdated practices that must be left in the past,” say activists. The central demand is the creation of a legal framework that guarantees rehabilitation and relocation of the animals to specialized sanctuaries, where they can live in more natural conditions.
The demonstration will take place at the entrance of the Mar del Plata Aquarium, located at Av. de los Trabajadores 5600. Organizers invite the community to join in to demand concrete measures that ensure the welfare of the animals. “We do not want this closure to become a mere transfer of animals from one aquarium to another. We must move towards a true protection of marine fauna,” concluded the organization.
A Life That is Not Life
According to experts, animals living in aquariums need their environment to meet basic needs to ensure their well-being. An example of this is dolphins, who swim between about 60 and 100 kilometers a day, an activity that helps them stay healthy. However, when in captivity, they spend a lot of time swimming in circles or floating motionless on the surface, which causes them psychological suffering.
Moreover, captivity also causes physical discomfort to them, as the tanks where they are kept have chemically and artificially treated seawater. This results in excess chlorine and a lack of salt in the water, causing burns on the skin of these animals, not to mention that they are toxic to their health and can even cause blindness.
Furthermore, dolphins, trained by handlers to perform different circus tricks, end up completely dependent on their trainers for food. This is one of the reasons why training has a very damaging effect on dolphins. Experts say that as they learn to perform artificial behaviors such as hitting a ball with their nose or jumping through hoops, they forget their natural behaviors faster, making relocation to a sanctuary better than sending them back to their natural habitat.
Source: Change.org
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