Breeding and keeping killer whales in captivity is now permanently banned in California, as Governor Jerry Brown signed a bill on Tuesday. This law, which is the first of its kind in the United States, would take effect in 2017.
For years, there has been an uproar from animal rights groups and organizations against the use of killer whales or orcas for commercial entertainment. The California Orca Protection Act has finally put an end to all kinds of abusive acts to the marine mammals.
The new legislation states that whales that are in captivity can still be kept. However, they will now be displayed for "educational presentations" only and not for entertainment.
California Assembly member Richard Bloom is the author of this law, which also calls for rescuing killer whales for further rehabilitation as well as researching and supporting the release of whales back into their natural habitats as much as possible.
Now, any use of orcas and killer whales for entertainment in California is banned, and offenders can be fined up to $100,000.
The most popular marine theme park in California, SeaWorld Entertainment Inc., released a statement last month saying that the park will no longer host theatrical shows of orcas and would also end their killer whale breeding program in California. To date, there are 11 orcas remaining in the San Diego park. The park also revealed that most of their orcas were born under human care.