A Singapore casino developer said it was considering alternatives to its plan to exhibit whale sharks, the world’s largest fish, which had run into strong opposition from animal welfare groups.
“We have started to explore plans for an alternative to a whale shark exhibit,” Krist Boo, the spokeswoman for Resorts World at Sentosa, told AFP.
Resorts World at Sentosa, one of two casino resorts being built in Singapore, had planned to import the whale sharks for its Marine Life Park (MLP) which is set to become the world’s biggest oceanarium upon completion.
The park however said its move was not due to pressure by the seven animal welfare groups which have launched an online petition that has gathered more than 9,000 signatures.
“The MLP team does not take its responsibilities to both conservation and Singapore lightly and as such, we spent the past two years doing much groundwork,” it said in a statement to AFP.
“We strongly believe that our action must be governed by the conservation of this species rather than what is dictated by fleeting public opinion.”
Alternative options to the whale shark exhibit being considered by the MLP were shown to the various animal welfare groups last month, it said.
“This proposal is still in the process of being refined for a further round of review,” the MLP said.
Any changes to the planned whale shark exhibit would have to get the final approval of the Singapore government.
Animal welfare groups welcomed the move by Resorts World at Sentosa to consider alternatives to exhibiting whale sharks, which can reach lengths of 12m, about the size of a bus.
“I think it’s very progressive in that they are considering other alternatives,” said Louis Ng, executive director and founder of the Animal Concerns Research and Education Society group.
Jaki Teo, the campaign coordinator behind the online petition (www.whalesharkpetition.com), hoped the authorities would consider the concerns raised by animal welfare groups about the whale sharks.
“A lot of the concerns are about the fact that they are not suited to be held in captivity,” she said.
(AFP)
新加坡某賭場開發商表示，他們正考慮更換原先計畫展出的鯨鯊展，鯨鯊是全世界最大的魚種；若干動物福利團體強烈反對展出鯨鯊。
「聖淘沙名勝世界」女發言人克莉絲特．巫對法新社表示：「我們已經開始尋求鯨鯊展的替代方案。」
「聖淘沙名勝世界」是新加坡興建中的兩處賭場度假村之一，該賭場原先計畫替附設的海洋生物館引進鯨鯊，這間海生館開幕後可望成為全世界最大的海洋生物館。
然而，該海生館否認他們這樣做是受到來自七個動物福利團體的壓力；這些團體日前在網路上發起了一項請願活動，結果獲得超過九千位網友連署。
該賭場發給法新社的一份聲明中說：「海生館不會草率看待其對保育及新加坡的責任，我們過去兩年來做了非常充分的準備。」
「我們堅信，我們的計畫必取決於對該物種的保育，而不是順應民眾一時的意見。」
聲明指出，海生館正在考慮的鯨鯊展替代方案，上個月已送交數個動物福利團體參考。
海生館表示：「這項提案仍在修訂以待進一步審核。」
這場規劃中鯨鯊展的任何變更都需得到新加坡政府的許可。
動物福利團體很高興「聖淘沙名勝世界」考慮以其他方案替代鯨鯊展；鯨鯊身長可達十二公尺，體積約等於一輛公車的大小。
關愛動物研究教育協會執行長暨創辦人路易斯．吳說：「我認為他們開始考慮其他替代方案，是一大進步。」
這場線上連署（www.whalesharkpetition.com）活動策劃人賈姬．張希望有關當局能顧及動物福利團體對鯨鯊的關注。
她說：「我們最大的顧慮是牠們並不適合被人類豢養。」
（法新社╱翻譯：袁星塵）
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