HOME | IMC UK | Editorial Guidelines | Mission Statement | About Us | Contact | Help | Support Us

SouthCoast Indymedia

Protesters victory over Brighton Sealife Centre

Protester | 12.08.2006 16:57 | Animal Liberation | South Coast

VICTORY has been won by animal rights protesters against the Brighton Sealife Centre.

(This statement is dated July 25, but it was news to me, and probably others outside Brighton, so I thought I would share it. Nice to hear some good news....)

After a campaign running for the last 5 months where protesters from Brighton Animal Action (BAA) held an info stall every weekend, gave out leaflets and decorated the whole area around the Palace Pier and Sealife Centre with banners, the Sealife Centre announced yesterday (24th July) that they will not be taking seals, otters and penguins into pools situated by the busy entrance. Our campaign has been really 'fluffy' and, apart from one demo outside the architect's office and another at the Town Hall for the planning application, has concentrated on informing the public about the Sealife Centre.

There are other creatures living within the building that we are not at all happy about - Lulu, a turtle captured from the wild over 60 years ago, has spent her life in a 'lagoon' there; according to inside info, ocotopi die regularly and are replaced; turtles from the Cayman Islands were recently bought in and a catfish lives in a tank which is much too small for it - even a fisherman complained to the staff who admitted that there were regular complaints from visitors (so why don't they do something about it?).

We have also heard that fish surface breaking to take feed from the public have been known to leap out of the tank and onto the floor. Public support has been great, we had the local Green Party councillors on our side as well as Born Free, Zoo Check, International Marine Rescue, the Captive Animal Protection Society & the RSPCA.


We are now reconsidering how to continue with the campaign but until further notice any demonstrations that were planned against the seal and otter pools have been cancelled. We are revamping the website and will be producing new literature and leaflets.


Here is the article from the local paper, The Argus. Members of BAA have already written letters complaining about the manager's use of the word 'extremist' and his idea that our protest wasn't legal.

Aquarium's seal pool plans scrapped
by Rachel Pegg

An aquarium has scrapped its plans to exhibit seals, penguins and sea otters. Brighton Sea Life Centre has shelved the idea of introducing the creatures at its site close to the Palace Pier. Earlier this year the centre won planning permission to build pools to display two seals, which would have been joined later by penguins and otters. The plans attracted opposition from animal rights groups. Today The Argus can exclusively reveal that the centre will no longer be taking the two seals, which have been rehoused at an unnamed site run by parent company Merlin Entertainments.

The centre, in Madeira Drive, said the decision was not taken because of protests but because Brighton and Hove City Council's planning process had lasted so long, forcing it to consider other options. But campaigners insisted their demonstrations had been successful. In a statement Toby Forer, senior general manager for the centre, said: "Brighton Sea Life Centre has postponed indefinitely its plans to develop a seal sanctuary in favour of alternative new attractions. "The long delay in gaining planning permission for the proposed sanctuary forced us to create a different new attraction for the current season and also prompted other ideas for the future. "The seals we intended providing a home for have been suitably rehoused. "While the seal facility would have been one of the best in the UK ... the alternate attractions now being planned will be just as exciting."

For five months protesters manned a stall near the centre every weekend, asking for signatures opposing the plan and handing out leaflets. Speaking exclusively to The Argus, Mr Forer denied they had shaped the decision. He said: "Merlin has never been and never will be influenced by extremist action or what they feel is lawful protest. It has not impacted on our business but we will not be sorry to see the protests ended." He said because of the delay in the planning process, the centre had started a new exhibition called Venom with sea snakes which was very popular. He would not say what other animals might be exhibited in future, nor where the seals had gone. He said: "Animal welfare is one of the most important things."

Campaigner Lisa Gooch, from Tilgate, Crawley, said: "This is brilliant. I can't believe it. I am over the moon. "I do think it is a result of the campaign. They have been absolutely sick of us. We have had so much public support." Miss Gooch is treasurer for Brighton Animal Action, which spearheaded the campaign with backing from the Born Free Foundation, International Marine Rescue, the Captive Animal Protection Society, the Green Party and the RSPCA. She said it may not be the end of the protests. She said: "There is a lot of animals in there that need saving."

Mike Nunn, from Seaford, who was heavily involved in the campaign but has now stepped down from Brighton Animal Action, said: "It is a result of the people of Brighton. We have received so much support. "More than 4,000 people signed our last petition."

Protester

Publish

Publish your news

Do you need help with publishing?

-->

Kollektives

Birmingham
Cambridge
Liverpool
London
Oxford
Sheffield
South Coast
Wales
World

Other UK IMCs
Bristol/South West
London
Northern Indymedia
Scotland

South Coast [navigation.actions2016]

South Coast [navigation.actions2015]

South Coast [navigation.actions2014]

NATO 2014

South Coast Actions 2013

G8 2013

South Coast Actions 2012

Workfare

South Coast Actions 2011

2011 Census Resistance
August Riots
Dale Farm
J30 Strike
Occupy Everywhere

South Coast Actions 2010

Flotilla to Gaza
Mayday 2010
Tar Sands

South Coast Actions 2009

COP15 Climate Summit 2009
G20 London Summit
Guantánamo
Indymedia Server Seizure
University Occupations for Gaza

South Coast Actions 2008

2008 Days Of Action For Autonomous Spaces
Campaign against Carmel-Agrexco
Climate Camp 2008
G8 Japan 2008
SHAC
Smash EDO
Stop Sequani Animal Testing
Stop the BNP's Red White and Blue festival

South Coast Actions 2007

Climate Camp 2007
DSEi 2007
G8 Germany 2007
Mayday 2007
No Border Camp 2007

South Coast Actions 2006

April 2006 No Borders Days of Action
Art and Activism Caravan 2006
Climate Camp 2006
Faslane
French CPE uprising 2006
G8 Russia 2006
Lebanon War 2006
March 18 Anti War Protest
Mayday 2006
Oaxaca Uprising
Refugee Week 2006
Rossport Solidarity
SOCPA
Transnational Day of Action Against Migration Controls
WSF 2006

South Coast Actions 2005

DSEi 2005
G8 2005
WTO Hong Kong 2005

South Coast Actions 2004

European Social Forum
FBI Server Seizure
May Day 2004
Venezuela

South Coast Actions 2003

Bush 2003
DSEi 2003
Evian G8
May Day 2003
No War F15
Saloniki Prisoner Support
Thessaloniki EU
WSIS 2003

IMCs


www.indymedia.org

Projects
print
radio
satellite tv
video

Africa

Europe
antwerpen
armenia
athens
austria
barcelona
belarus
belgium
belgrade
brussels
bulgaria
calabria
croatia
cyprus
emilia-romagna
estrecho / madiaq
galiza
germany
grenoble
hungary
ireland
istanbul
italy
la plana
liege
liguria
lille
linksunten
lombardia
madrid
malta
marseille
nantes
napoli
netherlands
northern england
nottingham imc
paris/île-de-france
patras
piemonte
poland
portugal
roma
romania
russia
sardegna
scotland
sverige
switzerland
torun
toscana
ukraine
united kingdom
valencia

Latin America
argentina
bolivia
chiapas
chile
chile sur
cmi brasil
cmi sucre
colombia
ecuador
mexico
peru
puerto rico
qollasuyu
rosario
santiago
tijuana
uruguay
valparaiso
venezuela

Oceania
aotearoa
brisbane
burma
darwin
jakarta
manila
melbourne
perth
qc
sydney

South Asia
india


United States
arizona
arkansas
asheville
atlanta
Austin
binghamton
boston
buffalo
chicago
cleveland
colorado
columbus
dc
hawaii
houston
hudson mohawk
kansas city
la
madison
maine
miami
michigan
milwaukee
minneapolis/st. paul
new hampshire
new jersey
new mexico
new orleans
north carolina
north texas
nyc
oklahoma
philadelphia
pittsburgh
portland
richmond
rochester
rogue valley
saint louis
san diego
san francisco
san francisco bay area
santa barbara
santa cruz, ca
sarasota
seattle
tampa bay
united states
urbana-champaign
vermont
western mass
worcester

West Asia
Armenia
Beirut
Israel
Palestine

Topics
biotech

Process
fbi/legal updates
mailing lists
process & imc docs
tech