Torture in Tenerife - is this really the image we want to give as we go "up-market"?

[Michael]

And precisely why I didn't jump on the Morgan bandwagon on Facebook. 

[Janet]

and why I switch off comments on my website ...

having said that, I am extremely uncomfortable about cetaceans, dolphins and whales in particular, being in captivity. I don't care about the "circus tricks" issue because if they are unhappy in captivity they will be unhappy with or without the shows. I can only assume, and trying to avoid emotive words, that sentient and demonstrably intelligent free living creatures will feel stifled in the constrained environment of water parks.

I think too that there is some disingenuity going on in Wolfgang Kiessling's comments. In the main I agree with him, and my admiration for the LPF is on record ... but it is simply untrue to say that those who fight for "imprisoned dolphins" are only concerned with those in water parks. This is a blatant untruth, whether unwittingly or not, as the recent appalling Japanese slaughter in the Cove shows. Many of these "activitists" are members of organizations that very clearly campaign for dolphins in zoos and in the wild. Moreover, the head of the Free Morgan campaign at present is not a rabid activist, but a doctor of marine biology specialising in cetaceans (or something very much along those lines)!

That one untruth was unnecessary, and the disingenuity strikes a very discordant note for me that I wish wasn't there because it calls into question other claims. ...

[Janet]

Despite the PR exercise and open letter from Loro Parque, the tabloid press is not giving up on this story. The Daily Mirror now reports on "campaigners' fury as court says move of Morgan the whale to zoo was legal". The paper says that "activists have vowed to continue Sunday People-backed campaign to have killer whale released from Tenerife tourist attaction". The article is HERE, and again is in a source widely read by Tenerife's traditional British tourism market. Upmarket we might be going, and very successfully too, but for how long with this sort of publicity? Indeed, we must not throw the baby out with the bathwater here. We need the traditional holidaymakers in addition to the "quality niche market" tourists. At some point this clamour will surely become too loud to ignore. JA

[Guanche]

I can't help but wonder what the world would be like if 'Campaigners' got everything they wanted?
I lost all interest and sympathy in these 'tree huggers' after attending a number of Hunts (which I do not support) and the fact that they put poison meat down for Police dogs. They, or some of them claim to love animals yet seek to injure and kill some that get in their way?

[Janet]

My sympathy is constrained by their tendency to shout "animal hater" at the first sign of rational debate. Unless you are 100% for them, you are a monster who skins cats alive behind closed doors. I have sympathy for the animals, but no fellow feeling at all for the more rabid campaigners. I also have some sympathy for Loro Parque's argument that some of these campaigners care nothing for animals other than those which are the focus of their outrage. The problem, as always, is that the argument is overstated on that side too.

[Guanche]

My view is, given the choice of any zoo including Loro Park releasing one captive breed endangered animal into the wild and the life of an outraged campaigner I'll pick the zoo and the endangered animal every time. Whilst zoos do take they also give, whilst these tree huggers only point fingers, stamp and shout.

[Myrtle Hogan-Lance]

My sympathy is constrained by their tendency to shout "animal hater" at the first sign of rational debate. Unless you are 100% for them, you are a monster who skins cats alive behind closed doors. I have sympathy for the animals, but no fellow feeling at all for the more rabid campaigners. I also have some sympathy for Loro Parque's argument that some of these campaigners care nothing for animals other than those which are the focus of their outrage. The problem, as always, is that the argument is overstated on that side too.

Reference the political correctness thread...

[Janet]

I lost all interest and sympathy in these 'tree huggers' ...

And I am getting there. I get put under some pressure to "help" because I have a widely-read website and I'm useful, but while they are very vocal when it is I who am putting the info out, they suddenly become mute when I get them an avenue to express themselves personally and directly to the authorities.

On my FB timeline, where most of the more vocal anti-Loro Parque campaigners like to sound off, I posted a link from the Tenerife tourism authorities specifically asking for opinions. How many replied? Not one.

[Michael]

On my FB timeline, where most of the more vocal anti-Loro Parque campaigners like to sound off, I posted a link from the Tenerife tourism authorities specifically asking for opinions. How many replied? Not one.

All mouth and no trousers. 

[Perikles]

I lost all interest and sympathy in these 'tree huggers' after attending a number of Hunts

I've had enough of their company from being in West Wales. An enormous number of English do-gooders, organic farming (never tried actually to farm),  animal rights campaigners, vegetarians/vegans who say you should plough up all the grassland used for sheep and grow cereals instead (never tried growing cereals on 2 inches of topsoil) and so on. They were all the same. They move very slowly, speak very slowly, and every time they enter a room they roll a joint very very slowly. If they have a car, it is falling to bits with no insurance.

And all living off benefits, so supported by those actually trying to make a living.