News Article

Oceans and marine life have been an integral part of human existence since time immemorial. All kinds of human activity directly impact marine life and its health. From food and medicine to providing job opportunities to humans, we depend on it for our survival. There are almost 3 billion people in the world who live within 200 km of a coastline. This figure might double in the next few years. In simple terms, it means that the economic and technological development of human beings is threatening marine ecosystems. A report from the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) has found that there has been a 50% decrease in marine life populations between 1970 and 2012. We have pushed oceans to their limits and any change in their ecosystems means it’s harder for marine life to survive and flourish. Overfishing has been a global problem for some time now and according to the WWF report, populations of tuna and mackerel have declined by 75%, while the Bluefin tuna is almost extinct in the Pacific.

Natural disasters such as Hurricane Katrina, which took over 1,800 lives, left not only humans helpless but also numerous animals in despair. Forest fires alone kill up to 1.25 billion animals, says Sentient Media. “Volcanoes, storms, and floods can kill marine animals directly, or cause long-term problems by depositing debris and affecting the temperature and salinity of water” (Animal Ethics). Disasters do not just affect animals' safety, but their environment as well, in terms of water quality, the air, and the resources in the area.

Can history be changed? One ill-fated orca named Lolita starred in the anti-animal cruelty movement in the 21st century. Half a century ago, Lolita was abducted from the wild, which was her only home. Since then she has been imprisoned, been alone, exploited for entertainment, and tired of life. 51 years ago, on August 8th, orca hunters kidnapped and sold baby Lolita to the Miami Seaquarium. Lolita was captured by money hungry people and has endured starvation and abuse. She constantly reminds us of the horrible evolution of animal entertainment. When did we turn this ruthless? Before being a prisoner, Lolita swam to her heart’s desire, around the globe. Now, at Miami Seaquarium she is forced to swim at the tank’s longest yet undesirable length, only 4 times her body length.

Serial killers and animal abuse correlate because most serial killers have a history of hurting animals before moving onto humans. In Romania, violence towards animals was so normalized that the people thought inflicting harm to others as well themself was common. Serial killers such as Ted Bundy and Albert Fish have a history of harming animals, meaning that animal mistreatment during adolescence can cause them to do horrendous things later as adults. If more awareness is raised on animal abuse, more people can realize their problems and recognize that these actions can lead to serious consequences in the future.

SeaWorld announced the end of its orca breeding in 2016; however as of 2021, there are twenty orcas in SeaWorld parks, and orca shows are continuing to be performed. These last remaining captive orcas are not being benefited by human care and should be released into seaside sanctuaries immediately.