It was announced in press yesterday that Merlin, the parent company of SEA LIFE aquariums, had been given an award for its “Community and Environmental Action” by a group of private investment companies. The move came as a surprise to campaigners, as the company has recently been exposed for the cruel exploitation of wild-caught beluga whales in its Shanghai centre. Director of Freedom for Animals, Liz Tyson, said:

“Those that have followed our recently-launched SEA LIES campaign might be surprised to hear that this commercial company, which takes animals from their natural habitat to stock its tanks and promotes degrading circus shows with wild-caught marine mammals, has been recognised for its environmental work. We certainly were. Despite numerous requests, Merlin has failed to confirm just how many of the animals held captive in its SEA LIFE aquariums have been stolen from their wild homes, or how it uses its multi-million pound income to support conservation efforts”.

Freedom for Animals have contacted the judging panel for the awards in order to understand the criteria against which the company was assessed.

The CEO of Merlin was also named “CEO of the Year” for the South West by the British Private Equity and Venture Capital Association (BVCA).

Ms Tyson added:

“We don’t dispute that Merlin is a successful business. Indeed, it announced increased profits just yesterday. Sadly, from the information that we have gathered and the responses we have received from the company itself to concerns raised it seems clear that profits come before the animals”.

The SEA LIES campaign has been running for one month and has garnered support from around the world. A petition calling upon Merlin to end its use of cetaceans in shows has now exceeded 5,000 signatures and Freedom for Animals is in talks with a number of different parties in order to develop plans to take the campaign forward.

Those concerned about Merlin’s animal exploitation are encouraged to sign and share the petition below: