Straits Times 26 Oct 06
Activists against having a whale of a time
by Krist Boo
Two bidders for Singapore's second casino resort expect visitors to have a whale of a time, but activists say keep the whales, dolphins and whale sharks out.
The animal rights groups and animal lovers have, in recent letters to The Straits Times' Forum page and in Web posting, argued that having those animals in captivity was harmful to them.
Not so, say the two bidders -- Kerzner International and Genting International.
Their ambitious resort oceanariums will be the world's largest when built. Both will feature whale sharks are one of their star attractions. But animal lovers are perturbed that the captivity of the world's largest marine mammal is a 'giant step backwards' in animal welfare.
In defence, both Kerzner and Genting point to the credentials of their marine experts -- a list of veterinarians and conservationists -- as well as their track records in conservation.
Genting and Kerzner, the only pair in the three-horse race to have shown their bids, made public their proposals with much fanfare last week. The third bidder is Eighth Wonder.
Arguing against having whale sharks in captivity, Forum page writer Thomas Paulraj Thamboo said last Thursday: "These creatures need to be in the open sea, and a body of water the size of a lagoon (even a big lagoon) would inevitably put constraints on their natural behaviour and mode of living".
Joining forces in a letter to the Forum last week were the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA), The Nature Society and the Animal Concerns and Education Society (Acres). The three groups jointly asked the Government not to approve the attractions.
In an interview, Acres president Louis Ng said on Monday: "We can progress with the two IRs, but there is no need to do so at the expense of the animals".
The two bidders were unfazed.
See also
http://www.wildsingapore.com/news/topics/sentosair.htm
