SeaWorld San Diego has been cited for allegedly failing to train workers to safely interact with its killer whales, according to the Los Angeles Times.
The four citations issued this week by the state Division of Occupational Safety and Health at the Department of Industrial Relations carry a total fine of $25,770.
The citation comes amid controversy about SeaWorld's treatment of orcas, spurred by the documentary Blackfish. (The documentary recounts the 2010 death of a veteran SeaWorld trainer, who was killed by a whale named Tilikum and suggests that Tilikum had been driven to madness by captivity.)
According to reports, SeaWorld plans to appeal, a spokesman said, adding the citations show a "fundamental misunderstanding of the requirements of safely caring for killer whales."
The theme park has come under fire from animal activists, including Jane Goodall, best known for her work with primates. She recently told Huffington Post that SeaWorld should be shut down. She is hopeful that with more awareness about the negative effects of animals in captivity, the public will stop supporting these parks.
"It's not only that they're really big, highly intelligent, and social animals so that the capture and confinement in itself is cruel," Goodall said, but also that "they have emotions like ours."
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