61 RESOLUTION _____ _
2 A Resolution of the Mayor and City Commission of the City of South Miami,
3 Florida, urging Parques Reunidos Servicios Centrales, S.A., the owner and
4 operator of Miami Seaquarium, to relocate the orca named Lolita to a sea pen in
5 the Pacific Northwest.
6 Whereas, orcas, also known as killer whales, are traditionally important to the Lummi
7 Nation, a Native American tribe in western Washington state; and
8 Whereas, the orca, "Lolita," was captured from Penn Cove, Puget Sound, Washington on
9 August 8, 1970 and sold to Miami Seaquarium for $20,000 in 2014. Miami Seaquarium was sold to
10 Palace Entertainment, a subsidiary ofParques Reunidos Servicios Centrales S.A.; and
11 Whereas, Lolita is now 20 feet in length, weighs 8,000 pounds, and has lived for over four
12 decades in a concrete tank measuring only 80 feet across at its widest point -just four times her body
13 length -and only 20 feet in depth at its deepest point; and
14 Whereas, during Hurricane Irma, Lolita was exposed to potential hurricane-force winds. If
15 Hurricane Irma had traveled its forecasted path along the eastern Florida coast, it could have led to
16 Lolita's injury; and
17 Whereas, Parques Reunidos Servicios Centrales, S.A. should work with a group of
18 experienced experts to transport, rehabilitate, and retire Lolita safely to Eastsound, Orcas Island in
. 19 Washington state for rehabilitation in a sea pen in her natural environment;
20 Whereas, on August 1,2017, the Lummi Nation passed the following motion regarding
21 Lolita, also known as Tokitae: "The Lummi Nation honors our connection to the Killer Whale (qw'e
22 fh' of me chen) as a culturally significant species and supports the work of the Lummi Nation's
23 Sovereignty and Treaty Protection Office in its efforts to bring the Killer Whale Tokitae home to her
24 family as soon as possible"; and
25 Whereas, the future health, safety, and welfare of the endangered orca Lolita is a matter of
26 great concern to the City of South Miami and to all who care about species whose populations are
27 threatened and endangered in some areas and their humane treatment.
28 NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE MAYOR AND CITY
29 COMMISSIONERS OF THE CITY OF SOUTH MIAMI, FLORIDA:
30
31 Section 1. The Mayor and City Commission of the City of South Miami hereby urge Parques
32 Reunidos Servicios Centrales, S.A. to retire Lolita, from her small tank at Miami Seaquarium, and
33 move her to a sea pen in the Pacific Northwest as soon as possible; and direct the City Clerk to
34 transmit a copy of this Resolution to all county mayors in the State of Florida and to the Florida
35 League of Cities.
36 Section 2. Severability. If any section clause, sentence, or phrase of this resolution is for any
37 reason held invalid or unconstitutional by a court of competent jurisdiction, the holding shall not affect
38 the validity of the remaining portions of this resolution.
39
40 Section 3. Effective Date. This resolution shall become effective immediately upon adoption.
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PASSED AND ADOPTED this __ day of _____ , 2017.
ATTEST:
CITY CLERK
READ AND APPROVED AS TO FORM,
LANGUAGE, LEGALITY AND
EXECUTION THEREOF
CITY ATTORNEY
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APPROVED:
MAYOR
COMMISSION VOTE:
Mayor Stoddard:
Vice Mayor Welsh:
Commissioner Harris:
Commissioner Edmond:
Commissioner Liebman: