Eager to land 2 orcas, French government gets more details about Nova Scotia proposal

French government officials met in Paris on Monday with a U.S.-based group that wants to move France’s last two captive whales to a proposed coastal refuge in Nova Scotia.

No decision was made as French officials are still considering transferring the orcas, Vicki and her son Kijo, to Spain’s Loro Parque Zoo on the Canary Islands – a proposal previously rejected by the Spanish government.

At the conclusion of Monday’s meeting, France’s ecological transition minister said a final decision would be taken by the end of March.

“The state is acting responsibly and in an orderly manner,” Mathieu Lefevre said in a statement. “No decisions will be taken without concrete guarantees regarding animal welfare, respect for the law and consideration of social issues and local communities.”

Lefevre said the meeting allowed the French government to analyze the Whale Sanctuary Project (WSP) proposal, which seeks to create a 40-hectare seaside pen on Nova Scotia’s rugged eastern coastline.

The size of 50 football fields, it will consist of a circle of floating net extending from the ground. Experts say whales raised in captivity cannot be returned to the wild because they lack the skills needed to survive.

Needs $15 million from private donors

The WSP proposal was first announced in 2020, and the group was granted provincial approval in October last year. But the non-profit group has not yet begun construction and also needs a translocation license from the federal Fisheries Department before it can bring any whales to Canada.

Additionally, it will need to raise approximately $15 million from private donors in a short period of time.

Funding is needed to renovate an old pier and build a barge, which will be anchored at the bottom of the bay near Vine Harbour, NS, a three-hour drive east of Halifax.

It is important to accomplish this in the warmer months because the two whales, accustomed to the mild Mediterranean climate, will need a few months to acclimatize before winter begins.

The French government’s decision to work with WSP is a reversal of a decision taken in January 2025, when officials rejected WSP’s proposal, saying the proposed sanctuary would not be ready in time. Concerns were also raised about the cold temperatures of the ocean.

However, in December 2025, Lefevre announced that Vicki and Keijo would be sent to Nova Scotia, calling it “the only ethical, credible and legally compliant solution” proposal.

But there was no agreement at that time. Also, the whales’ owners – Marineland Antibes in the south of France – have opposed the move.

“This committee is an important step toward addressing this particularly sensitive issue,” LeFevre said Monday. “Given the lack of consensus among stakeholders, the Ministry also wishes to put into discussion the solution proposed by Loro Parque in Spain.”

In April 2025, Spanish authorities halted the transfer to the zoo on the island of Tenerife after a scientific agency ruled that the facility did not meet minimum size standards.

Meanwhile, the Paris meeting included scientific experts, state representatives, local officials and the operator of Marineland Antibes, which is scheduled to close in January 2025 to comply with a 2021 French law that bans keeping whales and dolphins in captivity for entertainment purposes.

Canada had imposed a similar ban in 2019.

Officials at Marineland Antibes have said the old pools where the whales are being kept are in poor condition. Photos from the park show two whales swimming in water that has turned green due to algae growth.

As for the people behind the whale sanctuary project, they released a statement last week saying they are aware that Marineland Antibes wants the orcas moved to Loro Parque Zoo.

On Monday, the group said it was “committed to supporting a responsible transition process,” adding that the whales would need to undergo a health assessment before being transferred.

“We look forward to collaborating with the French government and Marineland Antibes to support the welfare of Vicky and Keijo,” the statement said.

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