Vancouver Aquarium 'deeply disappointed' with park board vote to ban cetaceans

The Vancouver Aquarium say it "disagrees" andis "deeply disappointed" withtheVancouver Park Board decision to ban the display of live cetaceans at the aquarium.

Park board commissioners voted unanimously last night in favour of a motion toamend bylaws "to prohibit the importation and display" of porpoises, whales or dolphins at the facility.

In a statement, aquarium CEO and president Dr. John Nightingale wrote, "aban on displaying all cetaceans at the Vancouver Aquarium will have a deep impact on the research we do and devastate our marine mammal rescue centre."

'Historic' decision

The parkboard categorized the vote as "one of the biggest decisionsthe park board has made," and called it "historic."

On Friday,park board's general manager Malcolm Bromley said the board will consider removing the three cetaceans still living at the aquarium: a false killer whale, Pacific white-sided dolphin and a harbour porpoise.

So many people signed up to to speak on the controversial subject that the park board meeting, which started Wednesday, had to be extended to Thursday night.

Whales in captivity at the aquarium haslong been a contentious issuein the city,but the deaths of two beluga whales last fall brought the debate to a tipping point.

AuroraandQila mother and calf died within nine days ofeach other in November, leaving the aquarium with no resident belugas. The cause of their deaths hasn't been determined, but aquarium officials saida toxincould be to blame.

In February, the aquariumannounced plans to bring belugas backbut because the park board holds the lease on the Stanley Park facility it has the ultimate say.