Vancouver park board staff is recommending a controversial breeding ban at the Vancouver Aquarium be delayed pending more public consultation.
A staff report published online Tuesday details the proposed ban, which the current Vision Vancouver-dominated board ordered in July, but advises commissioners to hold off on adopting it.
“There has continued to be much dialogue and more information has come forward in regard to the issues of breeding of cetaceans by the Vancouver Aquarium,” it reads.
“Therefore, staff have provided an additional recommendation for the Board if they so wish where further public consultation could be undertaken.”
The board is set to vote on the issue on Nov. 24.
The report also recommends the board delay creation of a proposed Vancouver Aquarium Oversight Committee, which would be tasked with reporting on the well-being of cetaceans in the aquarium’s care.
Aquarium officials have argued the committee would be redundant because the facility already has an animal care committee that operates under Canadian Council on Animal Care guidelines.
Park board commissioners voted unanimously in July to have staff create a bylaw amendment to ban cetacean breeding following months of debate about the aquarium’s operations.
The Non-Partisan Association, which won control of the park board in Saturday’s election, has already vowed to reverse a breeding ban if one is imposed.
To read the full report, click here.
