(via NBC San Diego)

Professor Deborah Sivas weighs in on the likelihood that a ban on breeding of captive orcas at SeaWorld will stand in an article for NBC San Diego.

SeaWorld says denying orcas’ their ability to breed is cruel, but it was unclear Friday whether the corporation will fight such a ban at its California park and risk further hurting attendance.

Company officials said they were reviewing their options a day after the California Coastal Commission approved a $100 million expansion of the tanks SeaWorld uses to hold killer whales in San Diego — but banned breeding of the captive orcas that would live in them. The panel’s decision raised an array of questions, including whether the company would proceed with the project or raise a legal challenge, possibly on whether the commission overstepped its authority.

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Deborah A. Sivas, director of Stanford University’s Environmental Law Clinic, said she believes the ruling has a good chance of withstanding a legal challenge.