Update from January 2015: This resolution got knocked off the Provincial Meeting agenda. But the fact that it carried at the 2012 Constituency Meeting is no small thing.

August 14, 2012 at 8:45pm

Anti Captivity Resolution Approved at Local Political Meeting
by Diane McNally on Monday, October 3, 2011 at 10:50pm ·

I brought this resolution to my local NDP constituency meeting to take forward to the national convention in Vancouver for consideration for national policy discussion and vote.

It had to first pass at the resolutions meeting,and then gets put in a priority sequence for sending forward for consideration at the National policy meeting.

It passed at the constituency meeting tonight [2011]! That’s step one.

Though I doubt that it will go anywhere I am elated that it got passed.

Anyone can bring a similar resolution to their local political constituency association, if they’re a member.

I had two more clauses re buying Marineland orcas that didn’t “belong to” SW, and releasing them to sea pens in appropriate locations for their culture, and stopping artificial insemination and semen collection, but I had incorrect references to how federal and provincial governments could work together so those 2 got amended out
in order for the main one to go forward.

So, I’m kind of excited to extend the captivity conversation to a political constituency meeting.
I handed out info there too, as background.

Captive orcas (captive cetaceans) resolution

Moved Diane McNally, seconded ____:

Whereas orcas / killer whales have been proven in research to be highly intelligent (as intelligent as humans), to have language and dialect, to have stable culture that is passed on though generations, to be bonded with their family unit (matriarchal society) for life (except for gene pool mixing amongst unrelated orcas, which they are careful to observe), to swim on average 160 kilometers a day, and

Whereas wild orcas are able to return to the wild and reunite with family after a period of time in captivity, and

Whereas captive bred orcas are often hybrids of two cultures, creating linguistic and bonding challenges, and captive intelligences who are bred to live as performers to generate money for captive facilities, and

Whereas Canada’s children resonate with humane education that aligns with their compassionate natures, and

Whereas captivity of intelligent beings is a social justice issue,

Be it resolved that BC NDP work to encourage the Government of Canada to legislate an end to orca captivity in Canada, and that future NDP governments in BC also work with the federal government to pass such legislation.