Friday, August 29, 2008

Environmental Hypocrisy

I read an article in the Straits Times today that Resorts World at Sentosa, the self styled Integrated Resort, otherwise named CASINO is planning to bring in whale sharks for its oceanarium. They claim that they 'will be loved and will receive top-class care'. Umm, exactly who are the people providing this care? Are they top class Oceanologists? Are the zoologists? What qualifications do they really have that qualifies them to provide 'loving top-class care' to an unknown number of Whale Sharks? Are they world renowned whale shark experts? Or are they Tampines fish farmers, hastily recruited by this casino to tend their over sized aquarium? And as, the SPCA has rightly asked...for whose benefit are we bringing in these gentle giants? Does keeping a whale shark in captivity really promote appreciation of aquatic diversity? How does one measure this? Or is it the same silly reason that over sized aquariums give for keeping animals that shouldnt be kept in captivity in the first place?
Here's the clincher though...Resorts World has launched a 'marine life fund' and has stated that shark's fin soup will not available on its menu....EXCEPT to high rollers. I guess everything, ultimately has a price!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whale_sharks


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