| An animal rights activist holds a photo of a beluga whale that died in an aquarium in Yeosu, South Jeolla Province, in a protest rally in front of the building of Hanwha Group, the operator of the aquarium, in central Seoul in this July 24, 2020 photo. Courtesy of Korean Animal Welfare Association |
By Bahk Eun-ji
Animal rights activists have urged the immediate release of a beluga whale kept in an aquarium in Yeosu, South Jeolla Province, after the deaths of two others there.
Thirteen animal and environmental advocacy groups, including the Korean Animal Welfare Association (KAWA), held a demonstration in front of Aqua Planet Yeosu, Wednesday, demanding the company and the provincial government release the animal immediately.
“A beluga whale died recently only 10 months after another died last July. Now there is only one whale left in the aquarium, and we have to send the remaining one back to its natural habitat before it dies, too,” KAWA said in a statement.
“Although beluga whales have a lifespan of 30 years, the two died at the age of 12. The death of two out of three in the same facility can never be a coincidence. It shows how their life inside the tank of the aquarium is unsuitable for them,” the group said.
These whales were brought from Russia in April 2012 ahead of the Yeosu Expo. The beluga whale, an endangered cetacean species, has a maximum body length of 4.5 meters, a weight of 1.5 tons, and an average lifespan of 30 to 35 years.
The protesters also demanded the central government's active engagement to release the remaining whale, and said the aquarium and the Expo 2012 Yeosu Korea Foundation, the organizer of the expo, have been trying to avoid taking responsibility.
Aqua Planet Yeosu, run by Hanwha Group, has been operating the facility after being commissioned by the foundation through a contract lasting until 2042.
“The actual owner of the aquarium is the government as the foundation is an affiliate of the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries. It means the government is in a position to make the decision on whether to release it,” the groups said. “In addition to the immediate release of the whale, the government should also audit the foundation.”
Aqua Planet Yeosu claims that it has no right to decide on the release as it has no ownership rights to the whale. On the other hand, the foundation, which owns the animal, said Aqua Planet is responsible for managing the animal.
“It's true that we hold ownership rights to the whale, but Aqua Planet Yeosu manages everything as we entrusted it with operating rights from the beginning,” an official of the foundation said.
An official of Aqua Planet Yeosu said they will follow the decision made by the foundation.