The California Coastal Commission, which oversees seaside developments in the state, has barred SeaWorld from breeding whales at the facility, a ruling that could means the 11 orcas now at the park would be the last, reports CBS News.
The ruling could mark the beginning of the end for SeaWorld’s killer whale shows, the park’s top — albeit in recent years controversial — attraction. Shares of the company fell more than 5 percent on Friday. California regulators Thursday approved SeaWorld’s plan to construct larger quarters for its killer whales at its park in San Diego but with the no breeding condition.
“We are disappointed with the conditions they have placed on their approval,” Joel Manby, SeaWorld’s president and CEO, stated in a release. “Depriving these social animals of the natural and fundamental right to reproduce is inhumane and we do not support this condition.”
SeaWorld has been the target of animal welfare activists over the years but also enjoys a large body of support for its commitment to animals.
