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The Negative Side of Captive Breeding Programs for Marine Mammals

The Negative Side of Captive Breeding Programs for Marine Mammals

Written by Leisure Pro Staff
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Published on October 21, 2014

Editor’s note: This is the continuation of a two-part series discussing the positives and negatives of captive breeding programs for marine mammals. You can see the positive arguments here.

Now more than ever is the world divided when it comes to captive breeding programs for marine mammals. Some specialists tout these programs as one of the last options for protecting certain species and others believe them to be ineffective at best and cruel at worst. While any program will have its own pros and cons, here is a look at some of the major downfalls of captive breeding.

One of the primary concerns for captive breeding programs is not just providing an animal with a physically healthy environment, but creating an environment that will allow them to thrive. Countless hours of research have gone into the biological needs of marine mammals, but this only scratches the surface of what an animal needs to grow properly. Many of these animals cannot develop socially or psychologically due to the man-made environment that they are raised in.

While captive breeding programs do have the potential to provide the scientific community with answers to a variety of important questions, the results can be convoluted. Almost everything that is observed about these animals while in captivity can be misleading. Studies now show that everything from their vital signs and metabolism to their daily habits will change within just a few short months of being in captivity, and this problem is even larger for animals born in captivity.

Finally, some studies have shown that inexplicable medical issues tend to pop up in captive breeding programs for almost every marine animal. From belugas to dolphins, these programs show a much higher rate of digestion issues, oral diseases, and erratic behavior that can be harmful. This could be the result of a wide variety of factors such as their limited mobility, an inappropriate diet, and their stress levels which are often through the roof.

When all is said and done, captive breeding programs have saved a number of marine and land species from going extinct as well as helped the scientific community answer some important question. Unfortunately, these programs do also come with some distinct disadvantages, many of which make this an impractical option for quite a few marine mammals.

Leisure Pro Staff

Leisure Pro Staff

Marketing Director for LeisurePro