Online travel megasite TripAdvisor isn't just giving advice about where to spend your vacation dollars anymore, at least when it comes to whale and dolphins.
In the latest refinement to its animal welfare policy, TripAdvisor announced it would no longer sell tickets to attractions that breed or import captive whales or dolphins for public shows, The Guardian reported.
"Our aim is not only to prevent future generations of whales and dolphins from being raised in captivity, but also to encourage the industry to move towards alternative models, like seaside sanctuaries, that will better provide for the needs of the current captive population," TripAdvisor's president of experiences and rentals, Dermot Halpin, said in a statement, according to CNN.
"We believe the current generation of whales and dolphins in captivity should be the last."
"They would have to have made a public commitment either to cease all breeding and importation of cetaceans for display with immediate effect or to develop alternative models, such as seaside-sanctuary environments, for the population of captive cetaceans already in their care," TripAdvisor's director of corporate communications, James Kay, told The Guardian.
TripAdvisor says that seaside sanctuaries house cetaceans in more natural environments, like a bay or cove along a coast, while providing veterinary care, protection, and oversight from qualified staff.
It also says that such sites must have a no-breeding policy, must not train animals to perform for audiences, and prevent physical interaction between them and guests.
"Seaside sanctuaries have enormous potential but they need more backing from the tourism industry," Halpin said. "As long as facilities with captive whales and dolphins continue to profit from keeping these animals in smaller, cheaper and less-natural living environments, then they don't have enough incentive to adopt serious change."
TripAdvisor still wants people to be able to share feedback about their experiences at these attractions, good or bad. However, the ticket sale ban is expected to come into full effect by the end of 2019.
Conservation groups have generally accepted TripAdvisor's move as a step in the right direction. "This sends a clear message to other travel companies that we must end this cruel industry once and for all," said Nick Stewart of World Animal Protection. "Together we can ensure this is the last generation of dolphins held captive for entertainment."
h/t: The Guardian, CNN
