Singapore - A group of Singapore and international animal welfare groups on Thursday launched an online campaign to oppose plans by the developer of a resort to bring whale sharks to his oceanarium on the city state's Sentosa Island. The groups launched a website, www.whalesharkpetition.com, and called on the public to sign a petition against the plans to import whale sharks for the Marine Life Park at Resorts World on Sentosa, which is still under construction.
"Whale sharks are vulnerable to extinction and have never done well in captivity," the petitioners said. "No man-made environment, no matter how large, could accomodate their needs."
Whale sharks "can grow as large as two city buses, migrate thousands of kilometers in the wild, and live up to a hundred years. It is just plain cruel to keep them in glass cages," said the groups, including the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.
Resorts World of Sentosa defended the plan to bring whale sharks to its Marine Life Park, which is supposed to become the world's biggest oceanarium upon completion, with 700,000 fish in 20 million gallons of water.
"The Marine Life Park ... has consistently pledged its commitment to develop a word-class facility that will set the standard in Asia for animal care, learning and education and the promotion of marine conservation," a spokesperson said.
Resort World of Sentosa had not finalized details for the Marine Life Park and continues to explore various options.
"We respect the views of this group of petitioners, although they may not be representative of the broader society," the spokesperson said.
