Marineland asked the federal government to permission to export the remaining Belugals
According to a federal government official, Niagara Falls, ONTS, now-a-clinked Parks and Zoo, Marinland have applied to the Enterprise Park and Zoo in Niagara Falls, now to export all 30 of all of their Belugans.
Chimelong Ocean Kingdom, a theme park in Zhuhai, China, told CBC News that they are still deciding whether to buy a whale or not.
For the first time in Marineland’s 60 years of history, outside the Covid-19 closure, the park did not open for its season this year, raising concerns about the future of animals living there.
Nineteen Belugus Death in the park since 2019The rest of the Orca, Kiska, died in 2023.
Staff members of Marineland were seen interacting with food, petting and Beluga and Dolphin in July late July, which is now in the theme park now closed in Niagara Falls, Onts.
CBC News captured drone footage in Marinland in late July and saw about a dozen employees feeding, petting and interacting with animals.
Under Bill S-203, Eliminating the imprisonment of the Whale and the Dolphin ActWhich came to the law in 2019, Cetaceans for breeding or entertainment in Canada – the use of whales, dolphins and porpoes – is illegal in Canada.
The export of cetaceans is also illegal, as long as the fisheries ministers issue a special permit for the purpose of scientific research or, “Keeping CETACEAN in captivity to do so if it is in the best interest of CETACEAN’s welfare.”
No seat -export permit has been released in Canada since May 2021, when the Mistic Aquarium was sold to five Beluga in Marinland in Connecticut. Three out of five died under various health conditionsWithin two years of this step.
‘Fedex is not as simple as calling’
Andrew Trights, director of the maritime mammal research unit at the University of British Columbia, says that the health of the whale would be an important factor in determining whether they can travel.
“Both will be assessed with blood work, to ensure that the animals are continuously feeding, for any reason for any reason, looking at the record of feeding records to ensure this.”
CBC News sent several requests to Marinland for more information about their request to export their Belugas, but the park did not respond.
A statement from Ontario’s Solicitor General’s office stated that inspectors with animal welfare services “conducted regular inspection of Marinland to ensure compliance with care,” and visited the park more than 220 since 2020.
If the applications of Marinland are denied and to stay in the whale park, the trights say that their care will be expensive.
He said, “You need engineers to maintain water quality, pump, filtration. You need to monitor their health and ensure that they are healthy and stress -free,” he said.
Trights stated that Marinland also requires animal care employees who train animals, prepare their food and interact with them on a daily basis to ensure that they are mentally and physically healthy.
If Beluga is approved for transportation, the trights say that there is a protocol to follow.
“It’s not as simple as calling Fedex and say,” Hey, I have received a shipment for you overnight, please. ” A lot of planning has to go into it because no one would want to do anything wrong. ,
Ontario TodayMarineland: Is it time for the government to step?
Our guests for the first half an hour are Phil Damers, a former Marinland trainer and now the anti -captivity advocate. We also hear about your call what you want to see in the park.
A test of the act
John Holer, who founded Marinland in 1961 and turned it into a popular tourist attraction, died in 2018. His wife, Mary Holer, took over the ownership after his death. He died last year.
This is not clear from the public records which currently owns Marinland. In a meeting of Niagra Falls City Council Committee on 18 February, the theme park lawyer Tom Richardson said the corporation was not yet sold.
Kemili Labchuk of Animal Justice, an organization advocating the National Animal Law, says that this upcoming decision on the applications of Marinland is a good test of the 2019 Act.
“The government must struggle with the question whether it is to be potentially to be sent to another aquarium in the interests of these whales, where re -exploitation can occur, can be reproduced again, entertainment shows.
Labchuk wants to see the whale going to a seaside sanctuary, which is at least in part, by Marinland. No such sanctuary is currently present in North America and is a proposed project in Nova Scotia. Stopped due to lack of consent from land owners,
On the question of whether Belugus can be released into the sea, the trights say that they have been put in a wild setting, which they do not customize is not a viable option.
“They are rejected by other animals and they are really looking at the life of starvation, loneliness,” he said. “After all, this is a death sentence.”
On Marinland’s applications, the federal official said that Fisheries Minister Joan Thompson is waiting on a report from his department before taking a decision, and it will be made in the best interest of animals, respecting the law.
