Canada’s remaining captive whales will stay at Marineland near Niagara Falls after the federal government rejected the zoo’s proposal to transport 30 belugas to China.
Fisheries Minister Joanne Thompson confirmed on Wednesday that the Canadian government would not issue an export permit for the whales to be sent to the Chimelong Ocean Kingdom aquarium.
She stated that this decision aligns with a 2019 law that prohibits the use of whales and dolphins in entertainment shows or their continued captivity.
“All whales belong in the ocean, not in tanks for entertainment purposes,” Thompson told reporters on Parliament Hill.
Since 2019, 20 whales – comprising one killer whale and 19 belugas – have died at the tourist attraction in Ontario, according to a database compiled by The Canadian Press news agency from internal documents and official statements.
Minister Thompson indicated that the future of the whales now rests with Marineland, which has expressed its “profound” disappointment with the federal government’s ruling.
“Following several years of work to find a permanent home for our belugas, the humane relocation to an accredited facility abroad was the only viable option to ensure our beloved whales remained alive and received the care they deserve,” the company said in an email.
Marineland added the decision “condemns these magnificent animals to an uncertain future at a closed facility, with no ability to pay for their continued feeding and care.”
Ontario Premier Doug Ford said he was disappointed the federal government would not sign off on the animals’ move. “We need a proper home for them, simple as that,” he said. “We gotta save the whales.”
Thompson said she agreed that “these whales deserve a good home, but Chimelong Ocean Kingdom theme park was not it.”
“I could not in good conscience approve the export of these whales for further exploitation. I would welcome all export requests that align with the Fisheries Act and would expeditiously review them,” she added.
Marineland announced it was for sale in early 2023 and closed to the public in late summer 2024. It did not open this year as it looks to sell the park and the vast swath of land it owns near Horseshoe Falls. No sale has yet been announced.
The law that banned whale captivity did not apply to the existing population of captive whales at Marineland, but the park had to comply with another part of the law that forbade breeding.
