Animal captivity has become a controversial subject. Many believe that zoos and marine park aquariums serve as educational facilities and provide the public with opportunities to learn about species they may not have been able to learn about otherwise. As well, they can sometimes provide protective measures in terms of endangerment or rehabilitation efforts.
On the other hand, some find it unnatural and feel it can hinder a species, as they live in different environments than they do in the wild. Some consider it cruel when these species are purposely taken from their natural environments, as seen with the baby orcas in the film Blackfish. You will be analyzing and choosing a position on animal captivity in zoos and marine park aquariums.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the government agency responsible for the enforcement of the Animal Welfare Act (AWA)—the only federal law that governs the treatment of animals used in public exhibitions such as circuses, zoos, and marine park aquariums—is currently holding meetings to draft a new version of the AWA, which will include an amendment that will redefine the legality of the captivity of animals.
You are to write to the USDA and argue whether it should be legal for zoos, marine park aquariums, and circuses to keep animals captive. When determining your position, keep in mind that this amendment can make it wholly illegal for animals to be held in captivity, wholly legal for animals to be held in captivity, or legal dependent on several requirements (ranging from keeping animals captive only for rehabilitation purposes to the public exhibition of the captive animals being kept to a minimum or completely disallowed).
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