San Francisco Grants Whales and Dolphins the Right to Live Freely
San Francisco Grants Whales and Dolphins the Right to Live Freely
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The Cetacean Free and Safe Passage resolution, which was passed by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, supports the “free and safe passage of whales and dolphins in San Francisco’s coastal waters, San Francisco Bay, and its estuaries.”
More importantly, it states that whales and dolphins have the rights “to be free of captivity, and to remain unrestricted in their natural environment.”
The resolution cites a number of factors to support their right to freedom that range from scientific studies showing whales and dolphins to be highly intelligent, emotional and social animals who live in family groups for their entire lives to the high levels of psychological stress and mortality among captive marine mammals. It also notes that California’s coastal waters host a number of species of whales, dolphins and porpoises.
As people continue to recognize and accept the complexities of whales and dolphins and the problems captivity causes, San Francisco has set the bar a little higher by passing the first resolution of its kind legally recognizing their right to live free in the wild.
Needless to say supporters are thrilled that the city took this step for cetaceans and hope that other places will follow San Francisco’s lead.
Whales and Dolphins the Right to Live Freely
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