A Vancouver Parks councillor wants to take the issue of keeping whales and dolphins in captivity to the masses and is calling for a citywide plebiscite into the matter.
Green Comm. Stuart MacKinnon said his motion, calling for a non-binding citywide vote during the 2011 civic election, spawned after the recent death of a beluga calf at the Vancouver Aquarium.
“It’s a matter of democracy and letting people have their say,” MacKinnon said.
The aquarium issued a brief statement saying it opposed MacKinnon’s plebiscite motion and would address it at Monday’s board meeting.
MacKinnon said the parks board is scheduled to review its captive cetaceans bylaw in 2015.
The fall 2011 election might be the only time a plebiscite could be held as the province may change the occurrence of civic elections from every three years to every four.
