Bill would ban SeaWorld orca shows

Associated Press

10 years ago

Organizers of the 2013 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade are the target of protests and a petition drive to drop a SeaWorld float over accusations in a new documentary that the parks treat killer whales poorly. (AP Photo/SeaWorld Orlando, Steve Szerdy, file)

SAN DIEGO — A state lawmaker wants to ban SeaWorld from using killer whales in its San Diego shows.

Assemblyman Richard Bloom, who unveiled the bill Friday, says orcas are too large and intelligent to be confined in small tanks for their entire lives.

His measure also would ban captive breeding and prohibit the import and export of orcas.

SeaWorld spokesman Dave Koontz says the company hasn’t seen Bloom’s legislation and can’t comment on it

U-T San Diego reports (http://bit.ly/1ovKWDK) that Bloom, a Santa Monica Democrat, was moved to act after watching the documentary “Blackfish,” which argues that killer whales in captivity become more aggressive to humans and each other.

SeaWorld has called the film propaganda.

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Information from: U-T San Diego, http://www.utsandiego.com