The last thing anybody wants around an aquarium is murky waters. But recent reports of a new aquatic attraction opening in San Antonio, Texas, are mired in controversy.
Concerns have arisen because of the owner’s recent history in the aquarium business.
Vince Covino says he wants San Antonio Aquarium to be the “best aquarium in the world for a 10-year-old.”
But the controversy and reports that emanate from his other aquariums, co-owned with his brother Ammon Covino, place that ambition in jeopardy. The Covino brothers co-own Portland Aquarium, Idaho Aquarium and Austin Aquarium.
Ammon Covino is currently in jail serving a one-year sentence for conspiring to bring illegally harvested spotted rays and lemon sharks to his aquarium in Boise, Idaho. The jail term is followed by a two-year ban on working with wildlife exhibits or purchasing animals. Former Idaho Aquarium director Chris Conk was also found guilty.
Meanwhile, at Portland Aquarium, the Oregon Humane Society was last year holding an investigation after staff leaked details of the alleged deaths of more than 200 animals. “We were investigating the Portland Aquarium based on complaints,” Barbara Baugnon, the society’s marketing communications director, told
Attractions Management. “We found no issues that violated the law so the case is now closed.” Vince Covino denied any maltreatment of animals at the Portland Aquarium in 2013.
He is planning to house 3,000 animals, with snakes, lizards and birds as well as fish and marine life at San Antonio. The site is currently a disused car dealership.
Despite his brother Ammon’s conviction, Vince Covino last month told the
San Antonio Express-News that the door was open for him to “become director or employee down the road.”
So far, none of the Covino attractions have AZA (Association of Zoos & Aquariums) accreditation.