U.S. Government policy allows euthanasia of baby whales and dolphins.
Many marine mammal rehabilitators would rather kill a healthy baby whale
or dolphin, if that animal is deemed un-releasable by the National Marine
Fisheries Service (NMFS), than send it to a rehabilitation facility,
oceanarium, or aquarium. Many facilities are searching for just such
animals so they do not have to resort to wild capture. The NMFS
representatives seem to agree with the policy of killing healthy whales
and dolphins rather than seeing them go to an aquarium. These are
healthy animals, that due to age at stranding or other circumstances,
NMFS agents prefer euthanasia than actually sending these animals into
rehabilitation, no matter prognosis. Rehabilitated stranded animals teach
us, allow scholars to conduct research, educate and entertain the public;
all without catching from the wild. Should un-releasable but otherwise
healthy dolphins be allowed to live, or do you think they should be
sentenced to death?
Many animal activist believe that dolphins and whales are better off dead
than in an oceanarium or aquarium, no matter what. What prompted this
article was news this week that a baby pilot whale was rescued
rehabilitated and slated to go to an oceanarium, but government officials
intervened and demanded that the calf be reunited with its wild pod. So,
they took the baby whale and placed it in the ocean with its pod and the
baby swum away from the whales eventually being eaten alive by
sharks. This was considered by the government more humane treatment
than captivity.