A beluga calf named Nala swims with its mother shortly after it was born at the Vancouver Aquarium on June 7, 2009. Nala died in June after its airway became blocked. (Darryl Dyck/Canadian Press)

The Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation has voted down a motion to hold a plebiscite on keeping whales and dolphins in captivity at the popular aquarium in the city's Stanley Park.

Parks board commissioner Stuart MacKinnon had proposed holding the non-binding plebiscite during next year's municipal elections.

But at a rowdy meeting Monday night, parks board chair Aaron Jasper said a plebiscite might open the city up to a lawsuit, because the board has an agreement with the aquarium not to review the issue until 2015. Jasper accused MacKinnon of failing to protect the interests of Vancouver taxpayers.

Margot Spence, the chair of the aquarium's board of directors, said the parks board needs to honour the agreement that was reached as part of the aquarium's 2006 expansion plans.

"Simply put, there has to be some stability and accountability," Spence said. "When things are decided and agreements are made, they need to be kept."

MacKinnon's motion, prompted by the death of a young beluga whale at the aquarium last month, was supported by one other parks board commissioner and the majority of the noisy crowd at the meeting.

In the end, the parks board voted 5-2 against the motion, saying the threat of a lawsuit was just too great. But Jasper did promise a plebiscite in 2015.

Defeat of motion not surprising

MacKinnon said the rejection was not surprising but that he is still confident the Vancouver Aquarium will eventually remove its displays of captive whales and dolphins.

Robert Light, a member of the advocacy group Free the Whales Vancouver, was one of many unhappy spectators who voiced their disappointment during the vote.

"They're being held in slavery, because they're captive and they have to work to make money," said Light, referring to the aquarium's beluga whales and dolphins.

On Tuesday morning aquarium officials issued a statement saying the outcome of the vote reflected the prevailing support for the aquarium in the community, which was reflected in the results of a 2006 community consultation process.

“The community has already spoken on this issue loudly and clearly during the extensive public consultation on both the aquarium’s expansion and the guidelines under which the aquarium can acquire and keep cetaceans,” said the facility's president, John Nightingale.

“We’re pleased with the parks board decision, which enables us to continue to focus on our conservation, education and research efforts,” he said.