Marine Connection welcomes the news that the keeping of captive cetaceans in South Korea will eventually be banned due to a forthcoming amendment within the Zoo and Aquarium Management Act, which will not only ban the import/export and breeding of captive cetaceans but also stop new facilities being built.
Direct interactions such as offering customers the opportunity to ride on the back of a beluga whale (promoted as a ‘VIP ride experience’ at Geoje Sea World), plus hugging/kissing a dolphin will also be prohibited. Over 40 dolphins from Japan’s notorious drive hunts at Taiji were imported to South Korea over a seven-year period from 2010 – 2017, but in 2018 the Ministry of Environment banned the import of live Taiji dolphins due to the cruel nature of the hunts, a huge step forward for the country.
Although there are still many captive cetaceans on display in South Korea, the latest amendments to the Act will help end the shows and exploitation of these marine mammals.
