LOS ANGELES, Oct. 16 (UPI) -- SeaWorld San Diego said it will sue the California Coastal Commission over its ban of killer whale breeding in the marine theme park.
SeaWorld Entertainment said the commission's Oct. 8 decision is "overreaching" and only the federal government has the authority to impose restrictions on marine mammals.
The commission approved the theme park's $100 million expansion but said SeaWorld cannot breed any of its 11 orcas in captivity in California.
SeaWorld contends the orca show, the park's signature attraction, would eventually end when all of its killer whales die in captivity. SeaWorld said the commission "overstepped both federal and California law."
"It simply defies common sense that a straightforward land-use permit approval would turn into a ban on animal husbandry practices -- an area in which the commissioners have no education, training or expertise," Joel Manby, president and chief executive of SeaWorld Entertainment, said.
The Alliance of Marine Mammal Parks & Aquariums issued a statement in support of SeaWorld, calling the commission's decision "stunning."
"It is disturbing to see a state regulatory body make a decision like this that would have such a chilling effect on zoos and aquariums across the country, and we believe SeaWorld should prevail in this challenge," the organization said. "The ban is clearly not in the best interests of animal welfare. It would deprive SeaWorld's 11 orcas of an important and natural part of their lives and deny them the enrichment of offspring."
SeaWorld has come under intense scrutiny since the 2013 documentary Blackfish, which demonstrated the conditions orcas live under in the park. The film focused on Tilikum, a 12,000-pound orca at the park's Florida location, and the death of trainer Dawn Bracheau in 2010.
