Paul McComb, the employee accused by Peta of being a spy, was placed on administrative leave by SeaWorld last year but has now returned to work. SeaWorld did not admit at the time that the espionage had been sanctioned by the company. Joel Manby, SeaWorld’s CEO, said in a conference call on Thursday that he would end the practise of spying on groups like Peta. "The board has directed that the company's management team end a practise in which certain employees posed as animal rights activists," he said. He added that the practise had been instituted as part of an effort "to maintain the safety and security of company employees, customers, and animals in the face of credible threats that the company had received." Peta issued a statement in response, noting that its suspicions had been confirmed, and criticising what it considers the continuing mistreatment of animals at the parks. "SeaWorld's latest report confirms not only that the company has employed more than one spy to infiltrate and agitate at Peta but also that it values its spies more highly than the executives who have had their heads chopped off in droves, as at least one of the spies is still working at the company," the statement reads. “SeaWorld's finances continue to flop as animals continue to be found dead in its tiny tanks, with one death every single month since November. If SeaWorld had business savvy or common sense, it would modernise its business with coastal sanctuaries and virtual reality displays instead of building more roller coasters and dolphin prisons." SeaWorld takes issue with such characterisations of its parks, and has placed increased emphasis on the welfare of its animals. Mr Manby said the practise of employees posing as activists had been ended "to ensure that all of our security and other activities align with our core values and ethical standards." SeaWorld has approximately 11 million visitors per year, but attendance and profits have fallen in recent years. Blackfish - which the company has called “inaccurate and misleading” - is believed to have played a significant role in the decrease in popularity.
SeaWorld, a US chain of marine amusement parks, has admitted that its employees infiltrated animal rights groups in order to spy on them. The company has been the target of protests for years over allegations from animal welfare groups that large mammals displayed in the park are mistreated. Protests have grown more frequent since the 2013 documentary “Blackfish” raised questions over the conditions under which the company keeps killer whales. SeaWorld has now acknowledged that employees were sent to those protests posing as animal rights activists. The admission came after People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) accused a park employee of spying on them. SeaWorld has said the practice will now cease.