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USDA requirements for marine mammals have been final up to date in 1984.
Roughly 1,400 marine mammals are being held in captivity in the US.
Lawmakers urge USDA to mandate the animals be supplied extra space to roam.
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Within the wild, a beluga whale may dive greater than 2,000 ft below water. In captivity, present federal requirements require solely that they be given 7 ft — and that speaks to the necessity for “pressing motion” to enhance their residing circumstances, in line with a letter despatched Wednesday by greater than three dozen lawmakers.Addressing US Division of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, the lawmakers, all Democrats, observe that federal requirements for the care of captive marine mammals, resembling orcas and different whales, haven’t been up to date since 1984.”Since then,” the letter states, “important progress has been made in marine mammal biology and ecology, which ought to inform federal care rules, resembling growing minimal house necessities, establishing species-specific ambient temperature ranges, and mitigating the consequences of noise.”Round 1,300 marine mammals are presently being held in captivity, the lawmakers observe.
Signatories embrace California Democratic Sens. Dianne Feinstein and Alex Padilla, in addition to Rep. Adam Schiff, whose state is house to a SeaWorld location.Some teams, resembling The Humane Society, argue there aren’t any moral technique of holding marine mammals in captivity. Bottlenose dolphins, for instance, within the wild have “house ranges” of greater than 62 miles. In captivity, below present federal requirements, two dolphins will be held collectively in a tank that’s simply 24 ft lengthy and seven ft deep.Nonetheless, the group argues, “Even within the largest services, a captive dolphin’s room to maneuver is decreased enormously, permitting the animals entry to lower than one ten-thousandth of 1 p.c of their regular habitat measurement.”Have a information tip? Electronic mail this reporter: cdavis@insider.com
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