Today, Richard Branson announced the Virgin Pledge and he confirmed that Virgin businesses will only continue to work with suppliers that pledge to no longer take sea mammals from the wild. He goes on to say: “We also looked into the issue of ending captivity, which is a cause of great importance to many. We didn’t find any easy answers, as simply releasing captive or captive-born cetaceans into the wild is currently not supported by most scientists concerned about the welfare of the animals. We will follow this debate very closely as it evolves.
In the last few weeks, our team has visited suppliers around the world to discuss critical issues and build support. We are releasing the names of those that have signed the Virgin Pledge on the Virgin Unite website today.
This is of course just the start of our journey. I am encouraged that Virgin Holidays have initiated a conversation that has education, conservation and the highest standard of care for these magnificent creatures at its heart.
We will also continue to champion other causes that advance ocean conservation, such as ending drive hunts and unregulated fisheries, or the creation of more marine protected areas.”