MPs table Early Day Motion to free Penguins from "dungeon-like conditions"

Earlier this month, Danny Chambers MP tabled an Early Day Motion (EDM) to support a campaign to free 15 Gentoo Penguins from ‘dungeon-like conditions at Sea Life London:

MP Danny Chambers has led the charge to get the issue of Sea Life keeping penguins in tiny basements onto the political agenda. Ask your MP to support the Early Day Motion! Thank you @DannyVet! #FreeTheGentoo15 https://t.co/NE2kLEvfOT pic.twitter.com/IPcR6z8ZrN

— Freedom for Animals (@freeanimalsuk) September 24, 2024

‘Cruel’ conditions at Sea Life for the Penguins

As the Canary previously reported, Global entertainment giant Merlin Entertainment is keeping Gentoo Penguins captive underground, with no natural light or fresh air. This is in its Sea Life centres. Animal rights activists have labelled the conditions as “dungeon-like” and “cruel”.

Freedom for Animals are calling for Sea Life to relocate all their Penguins to suitable sanctuary spaces:

THIS WEEKEND! Join incredible activists to stand up for the penguins kept in a tiny windowless basement at Sea Life London Aquarium! Placards/Leaflets provided!

Can’t make it? Sign the petition – #FreeTheFifteen https://t.co/p6EC0iW80V pic.twitter.com/sLyLhgt1aR

— Freedom for Animals (@freeanimalsuk) August 28, 2024

Now, Danny Chambers – Liberal Democrat MP for Winchester and veterinary surgeon – has tabled an EDM in support of Freedom for Animals campaign. Currently it also has the support of nine other MP’s.

An EDM means that a motion has been submitted to the House of Commons for debate – but no date has been fixed yet. Although very few EDM’s are debated, they can attract a large amount of public interest and media coverage.

Over the last four months, Freedom for Animals campaign has regularly been on the streets of London and has also made it to national press. In August, they published an open letter signed by Chris Packham and various other celebrities. The letter demanded that Merlin Entertainment address the issue of Penguin exploitation right across the Sea Life brand.

They are hoping for more representatives to back this motion to encourage a debate in the commons chamber. Ultimately, they want Merlin Entertainment and Sea Life to stop their exploitation of animals in their captivity.

False pretences

The IUCN currently list Gentoo Penguins as of ‘least concern’ on their red list. This means they are doing well in the wild and population levels are not in danger.

Whilst Freedom for Animals current work is around freeing the Gentoo Penguins in London, they are calling for Sea Life to relocate all their Penguins to suitable sanctuary spaces.

Sea Life also hold Penguins in captivity in four other UK locations, Birmingham, Great Yarmouth, Scarborough, and Weymouth. At Birmingham, Gentoo Penguins are living in equally devastating conditions.

Penguin breeding programmes, such as those seen at Sea Life, are based on false pretences.

It claims to have one of the most successful Penguin breeding programmes in the world. However, they are only breeding them for captivity. This is not conservation – but exploitation for entertainment, and therefore profit. It is clear that Sea Life is merely a money making scheme spearheaded by Merlin.

Previously, the Canary reached out to Sea Life for comment – and whilst they did respond, their evasiveness to specific questions was clear. We quizzed them on the amount they put into conservation each year – to which they didn’t directly respond. They claimed conservation was the “bedrock’’ of the company however they were unable to give any concrete examples of figures.

As Freedom for Animals notes on their website: