The federal government has denied Marineland Canada’s request to export 30 beluga whales to a theme park in China, citing animal welfare concerns and Canada’s laws against marine mammal exploitation.
This decision follows Marineland’s earlier application, reported last month when the Niagara Falls attraction sought approval amid its financial collapse. Read our previous report on Marineland’s beluga export request.
Fisheries Minister Joanne Thompson said she could not “in good conscience” approve the application, which sought to transfer the whales to Chimelong Ocean Kingdom. “To approve the request would have meant a continued life in captivity and a return to public entertainment,” Thompson said.
Thompson revealed she personally visited Marineland last month. “It was obvious to me that whales belong in the ocean,” she said. “To see 30 belugas in contained spaces was very difficult.”
Legal and financial crisis
Canada’s Ending the Captivity of Whales and Dolphins Act (2019) bans keeping whales and dolphins for entertainment or breeding. Export permits can only be approved for scientific research or welfare grounds.
Marineland, however, is now on the brink of bankruptcy, sources told CBC. The park spends about $2 million a month caring for its remaining whales, and without export approval, officials warned they may hand the animals over to government authorities, raising fears of euthanasia.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford expressed disappointment at the decision, urging Ottawa to reconsider: “I’m encouraging the federal government to allow us to make sure these whales survive in a new home. We don’t have to move all 30 at once. We want them to survive.”
Calls for sanctuary
Animal welfare groups praised the denial, arguing that sending the whales to China would perpetuate exploitation. Chimelong has an active breeding program and uses whales in shows—activities that are illegal in Canada.
Advocates instead called for the acceleration of a proposed whale sanctuary off Nova Scotia or for Marineland to become a palliative care facility for the whales under independent oversight.
“This is a defining moment,” said Colin Saravanamuttoo of World Animal Protection. “Ontario must show leadership and ensure these animals receive the best possible care. We should not export our animal welfare problems.”
Thompson said she would be open to reviewing future applications focused on the whales’ health but emphasized that Canadians expect her to act in their best interests: “Under difficult circumstances with regrettable outcomes, that is what I have done.”
