CNN
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Miami-Dade County instructed the Dolphin Firm, which runs the Miami Seaquarium, in a letter on Thursday that the county is terminating the corporate’s lease for the property due to violations in how it’s maintained.
Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava mentioned in a information convention that terminating the lease is the very best path ahead for the security of the animals, residents and guests.
The Dolphin Firm has been instructed it should vacate by April 21.
The Seaquarium is dwelling to roughly 500 animals that embrace fish, birds, reptiles and marine mammals, Levine Cava mentioned. It’s positioned on the island of Virginia Key in Biscayne Bay.
All of the animals are owned by the Dolphin Firm, and it’s as much as them what occurs to them, she mentioned. The mayor added that the county is engaged on contingency plans in case any animals are left behind when the corporate vacates.
Eduardo Alberto, CEO of the Dolphin Firm, posted on social media platform X through the mayor’s information convention that “we’re exterior and something she haas [sic] to say about @MiamiSeaquarium now we have the suitable to listen to and be heard. … Ready exterior your workplace mayor. Dare to talk in entrance of us.”
“The present state of the Miami Seaquarium is unsustainable and unsafe,” Levine Cava mentioned through the information convention. “In the meantime, our primary precedence continues to be the security and wellbeing of the animals, and transferring ahead we’ll do the whole lot we are able to to make sure that they’re nicely cared for.”
The Seaquarium has failed to take care of the Flipper Stadium, Manatee Tank Space and Dolphin Stadium, the county mentioned. Different violations embrace a number of constructions not being maintained property, and harmful circumstances have resulted in accidents to some animals, the county mentioned.
There are additionally decaying animal habitats, lack of veterinary workers and lack of expertise by some workers dealing with the animals, Levine Cava added.
In assertion despatched to CNN late Friday afternoon, Albor contested lots of the violations.
He mentioned that on March 11, “the tenant will ship proof to the owner that not one of the defaults or violations occurred, have been cured, or are within the strategy of being cured through the interval specified within the contract.
“Consequently, there are not any grounds for lease termination, and the tenant will preserve possession and operation of the Miami Seaquarium for the remaining period of the lease settlement, or till a court docket ruling dictates in any other case.
“We’re assured that upon receiving our response with proof of compliance, the owner will honor the lease settlement,” the assertion mentioned.
The Seaquarium was dwelling to Lolita, a killer whale that was taken from the ocean in 1970.
Final 12 months, Lolita was set to be launched again into the ocean after animal welfare activists fought for her launch. Lolita died earlier than she may very well be launched.
The advocacy group Individuals for the Moral Therapy of Animals (PETA) celebrated the information in a posted assertion on its web site on Thursday.
“After greater than 50 years of depressing animals and false guarantees to scrub up its act, the Seaquarium’s impending shutdown is overdue,” mentioned PETA Vice President Tracy Reiman. “And PETA seems to Miami-Dade County authorities to maintain up the nice work by making certain that these animals are despatched to respected amenities the place they’ll get the care they so desperately want.”
CNN’s Rebekah Riess contributed to this report.