14 Dec 2018
DoJ’s SeaWorld investigation “concluded” with no action to be taken
BY Andy Knaggs
SeaWorld says that the US Department of Justice’s (DoJ) criminal investigation into its response to a highly critical 2013 documentary has been closed, with no charges brought against either the organisation or any individuals.
The Blackfish documentary criticized SeaWorld’s treatment of orca whales, sparking animal rights campaigners into action. SeaWorld has subsequently endured four consecutive years of declining revenue growth, with attendances down and its share price taking a hit, losing 33 per cent of its value in a single day in August 2014.
The DoJ investigation was looking at whether comments from former executives had misled investors about the documentary’s impact on the business. In September 2018, SeaWorld Entertainment and its former CEO James Atchison agreed to pay more than US$5m (€4.42m, £3.97m) to settle Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) fraud charges.
Now, in a SEC filing dated 12 December 2018, SeaWorld Entertainment Inc says that it has been informed by the DoJ that no action is to be taken against the company or any individuals. “The Company considers the DoJ matter concluded,” it added.
SeaWorld has taken a number of steps to repair its public image, including ending the decades-long practice of breeding orcas in captivity. Its latest financial results showed a 10.4 per cent increase in revenues in Q3 2018 compared to Q3 2017. Attendance in Q3 2018 was up by 9.7 per cent compared to the same period last year, with an extra 700,000 guests, making a total of 8.3 million visitors across its dozen theme and water parks.
Plans for the future include a Sesame Street themed land at SeaWorld Orlando in 2019 and a world-first “duelling” roller coaster at SeaWorld San Diego in which two trains will run from opposite ends of a figure of eight.
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