Merlin refuses (again) to face whale show questions as the money rolls in

Merlin refuses (again) to face whale show questions as the money rolls in

Since April, over 6,300 people have called upon Merlin Entertainments, parent company of SEA LIFE aquariums to bring an end to the daily use of whales in circus-style shows in its Shanghai centre. Despite growing pressure, and despite the repeated promise of a “detailed announcement soon”, Merlin has refused to answer questions over its treatment of the whales as well as repeated requests from Freedom for Animals to be given the opportunity to share concerns in person.

In the meantime, it is estimated that the company …

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Merlin hopes to make “detailed announcement” soon on whale shows

A senior staff member at Merlin Entertainments, the UK company responsible for the daily exploitation of three beluga whales in circus-style shows in its Shanghai centre, has stated that the company is close to making an announcement about the future of the whales. A Freedom for Animals spokesperson said that an announcement to clarify the company’s position would be welcome, but that only an immediate end to the whale shows and a clear and deliverable retirement plan would halt the ongoing campaign.

Whale shows …

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Tongue-in-cheek video looks at Merlin’s whale circus

SEA LIFE targets youngsters with whale circus promotion

SEA LIFE targets youngsters with whale circus promotion

In the UK, SEA LIFE aquariums pretend to be opposed to keeping whales and dolphins in captivity. They even claim to be campaigning for an end to dolphinariums in Europe. But the farcical nature of these claims was exposed when a Freedom for Animals investigation revealed that the SEA LIFE centre in Shanghai, China, hosts three times daily shows with performing wild-caught beluga whales.

In correspondence with Freedom for Animals, SEA LIFE have claimed to be “concerned with” the fact that the whales are in Shanghai …

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SEA LIFE Australia under pressure as SEA LIES campaign spreads around the globe!

On the 4th June, SEA LIFE Aquariums hosted an evening entitled “Whales and Dolphins of the Southern Oceans” at its site in Melbourne, Australia. Touted as an “opportunity to do your bit to help protect the marine environment” and “with 100 per cent of ticket sales going directly towards conservation initiatives”, it presented itself as a great way to spend an evening, whilst helping cetaceans and other marine life.

But, despite promoting the experts who would “share the secrets on the dolphin and whale species that …

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Walk for whales: Walk away from SEA LIFE’s whale cruelty

Walk for whales: Walk away from SEA LIFE’s whale cruelty

CAPS’ campaign to call for an end to SEA LIFE aquarium’s cruel use of beluga whales in three times daily circus shows in the Shanghai SEA LIFE centre was launched six weeks ago. Since then, thousands have joined the call on the company to end the exploitation and retire the whales to safety. To-date those calls have been ignored as the company told Freedom for Animals it sees “no merit” in discussing the whales in Shanghai. The whales continue to perform to up to 6,000 …

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“My smile belongs to the ocean”: Shanghai students call for end to whale exploitation

“My smile belongs to the ocean”: Shanghai students call for end to whale exploitation

As the SEA LIES campaign gathers momentum, we were delighted to receive these photos from friends at Animals Asia as Students at the Maritime Shanghai University staged an awareness-raising demonstration against whale and dolphin captivity. The University is located just one hour’s drive from the Chang Feng SEA LIFE centre, which uses performing whales in shows three times a day.

The message from the students, who were photographed holding anti-captivity placards for the event, was simple. A large red banner behind them, which was signed by supportive …

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Freedom for Animals joins World Cetacean Alliance as the SEA LIES campaign moves up a gear

Freedom for Animals joins World Cetacean Alliance as the SEA LIES campaign moves up a gear

Freedom for Animals is delighted to announce that, following the launch of the SEA LIES campaign, which calls upon the world’s largest aquarium brand, SEA LIFE, to end its circus-style whale shows in its Shanghai centre, the charity has joined forces with the World Cetacean Alliance (WCA) to drive the campaign forward.

The WCA is comprised of over fifty partner organisations; all working with the shared aim of protecting cetaceans in their natural habitat and ending their use in captivity. Freedom for Animals Director, Liz Tyson, …

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Demonstrators demand that SEA LIFE aquariums “Empty the Tanks”

Demonstrators demand that SEA LIFE aquariums “Empty the Tanks”

Two very important events over the weekend have helped to encourage a surge in support for Freedom for Animals’ ongoing SEA LIES campaign, which calls for an end to the cruel exploitation of whales in circus-style shows by UK company SEA LIFE aquariums, which is owned by Merlin Entertainments.

The first was the worldwide “Empty the Tanks” day of action for captive cetaceans; an initiative now in its second year which saw peaceful demonstrations against the use of whales in dolphins in captivity being carried out …

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SEA LIFE aquariums still can’t get story straight on cetacean captivity

SEA LIFE aquariums still can’t get story straight on cetacean captivity

Since the 18th April this year, SEA LIFE aquariums, and their parent company, Merlin Entertainments, have come under fire for their secret use of whales in circus-style shows in their Shanghai centre. The company has refused to invest time in meeting with concerned parties to discuss their position and the ultimate fate of the whales – who continue to perform three times a day in the Shanghai SEA LIFE centre. Instead, said a Freedom for Animals spokesperson, SEA LIFE and Merlin have “spent time they …

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