PETA Responds to OSHA’s $75,000 Fine for SeaWorld
An Animal Rights Article from All-Creatures.org

FROM

Robin Lawless on This Dish Is Veg
August 2010

OSHA should be lauded for concluding that SeaWorld acted willfully in Dawn Brancheau's death…the only thing that will prevent misery and death in the future is for SeaWorld to stop capturing and confining wild marine mammals and to let these orcas go.

In response to news that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has fined SeaWorld $75,000 in safety violations stemming from the death of trainer Dawn Brancheau, PETA is calling on SeaWorld to release Tilikum, the whale responsible for her death. Releasing Tilikum, PETA says, is the only way that SeaWorld can show “that it cares more about its staff and the well-being of ocean-going life than it cares about money.”

While PETA believes that OSHA’s investigation and subsequent fines are good, they also believe more needs to be done to protect the trainers and the animals. PETA is calling on Florida’s Governor Charlie Crist to appoint a special prosecutor to investigate SeaWorld’s actions.

OSHA’s investigation found that SeaWorld acted with “plain indifference” and “intentional disregard” to employee safety and health by failing to enact changes that would protect its employees from harm. Despite the fact that Tilikum was considered dangerous, and trainers were not allowed in the water with him, trainers were still allowed to get close to him and even touch him.

"OSHA should be lauded for concluding that SeaWorld acted willfully in Dawn Brancheau's death…the only thing that will prevent misery and death in the future is for SeaWorld to stop capturing and confining wild marine mammals and to let these orcas go," says PETA President Ingrid E. Newkirk. "The list of human beings…who have been killed or maimed by captive killer whales and the list of orca families torn apart by SeaWorld's greed will otherwise only continue to grow."

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