Greens oppose Brighton captive seal and penguin plan
12 January 2006
Green activists in the city are alarmed at plans to build accommodation and a pool for captive seals and penguins at the Brighton Sea Life Centre on Marine Parade.
They say the planning application for a seal and penguin pool at the centre, to be considered by Brighton and Hove City Council in the next month, would open the door to “entirely unsuitable conditions” for the animals.
Greens say the animals should be left free in the wild or in marine sanctuaries rather than the “zoo-style” confined conditions of the Brighton Sea Life Centre which also houses an aquarium.
Green city councillor and animal rights activist Georgia Wrighton said: “This would be a backwards step for animal rights in the city. I know that many residents of Brighton and Hove will feel strongly about this and will campaign against it. It’s really being proposed to boost sales at the Sea Life Centre, not for the benefit of the animals.
"There’s now a widely-held objection to the use of wild animals in entertainment, and that’s what this is about. Releasing them into the wild should be a priority.
"If that’s not possible, there are many more suitable locations for accommodating these animals, with open, natural, aspects,where they have a chance to see the open sea and experience some of the openness and wild character of their natural habitat.”
She added: “These mammals and birds should not be enclosed in a gloomy semi-basement location in one of the busiest and most exposed tourist and entertainment hotspots in the country. Such zoo-style conditions are entirely unsuitable for these beautiful animals.”
Cllr Wrighton also wants the planning application to be “called in” to ensure that elected members of the council planning committee consider the application rather than planning officers acting under delegated powers.
National Green Party Animal Rights Spokesperson Sue Dickens said: “It's sad it's Brighton and Hove of all places, where people are so concerned and active against animal cruelty, that this proposal has been made.
“The site is totally inappropriate – being surrounded by busy traffic-choked roads and the centre of the city’s night life. We’ll be campaigning to stop this proposal.”
The site originally housed dolphins, which were removed after a long-running campaign by animal rights activists in the 1980s. Animal rights groups will be organising a protest shortly.
Notes to editors:
For more information please contact the Green Party Office on 01273 766 670[ENDS]
