VANCOUVER — A debate on the future of whales and dolphins in captivity at the Vancouver Aquarium is set to stretch into a second night after more than 60 speakers signed up.
The Vancouver Park Board scheduled the special meeting following the aquarium's announcement last month it would bring in new belugas before phasing out its cetacean program over the next decade.
Aquarium president and CEO John Nightingale told the board Wednesday the deaths of a beluga and her daughter are particularly worrying.
Aurora and Qila died two weeks apart in November and the cause of death is still not known.
Park board chair Michael Wiebe says there are four possible options on the table, including leaving things as they are to holding a referendum on dropping the cetacean program.
A decision is expected once all the speakers have finished.
