A MARINE park has refused to send its beluga whales to a sanctuary after threatening to kill all 30 of them unless the government provides a last-minute cash lifeline.
Marineland, a defunct theme park in Niagara Falls, Ontario, has issued a chilling ultimatum – warning that it will euthanise all of its remaining whales if Ottawa doesn’t step in to help.
A marine park in Canada is threatening to kill 30 beluga whalesAlamy
This is if the government gives it a last-minute cash lifelineAP
The abandoned marine park has issued a chilling ultimatumSWNS
The park said it has run out of money to feed or care for the snow-white mammals and has set a government deadline to either approve their export or send emergency funding.
It comes after Canada’s federal fisheries minister Joanne Thompson denied Marineland’s request to ship the whales to Chimelong Ocean Kingdom, a theme park in China.
Thompson said she did not want to see the animals kept in tanks “for entertainment” and warned that sending them abroad would only lead to “further exploitation”.
Marineland said the decision leaves it with no options to rehome the whales.
In a letter sent Friday and obtained by CBC News, the company said it is in “a critical financial state,” is “fully indebted” and cannot “provide adequate care for the whales.”
The letter set an October 7 deadline, warning that if the government failed to act, the park would “face the devastating decision of euthanasia.”
“The gravity of the funding crisis at Marineland cannot be overstated; any further delay jeopardizes the welfare and security of the whales, and we fear we are running out of time to act,” the letter said.
The whales are costly to maintain – a source close to Marineland said feeding and caring for them costs $2 million a month.
Since the park closed to the public last year, income has dried up, pushing the company to the brink of bankruptcy after a lender pulled out.
The park insists that exporting the whales to China is the only viable option left.
But Fisheries Minister Thompson said she would “love to see the whales in a sanctuary” instead.
Marineland has rejected that idea – refusing to send the belugas to a planned whale sanctuary in Nova Scotia and claiming to have “a dozen reasons why”.
The park will it will euthanise all of its remaining whales if Ottawa doesn’t step in to helpSWNS
The park says it has run out of money to feed or care for the snow-white mammalsAFP
The Whale Sanctuary Project (WSP) has proposed a coastal refuge near Wine Harbour, N.S., but Marineland says the site is too polluted and has seen no progress since it was announced in 2020.
“Serious environmental issues that remain unresolved, along with a total lack of proven financial viability, precludes any further consideration of the WSP as an appropriate site,” Marineland said in a report.
It argued that “based on the apparent lack of progress to date, it is not possible to estimate any date by which the WSP facility may be capable of receiving cetaceans.”
Charles Vinick, CEO of the Whale Sanctuary Project, hit back – saying Marineland made the same claims in 2021.
“We have completed all of the environmental analysis of the site – both on land and in the water – that are required by the government,” he said.
He explained that the planned 40-hectare floating net enclosure could house eight to ten belugas once complete.
On Marineland’s claim about waste from historic gold mining, Vinick said a mitigation plan had already been approved and water sampling showed no contamination.
He added that lobstering and other fishing happens regularly in the area and “no issues have been found.”
On the financial front, Vinick said the non-profit group is continuing to raise money from private donors.
“We do not have all of the funds today,” he admitted. “[But] we’re seeing tremendous outreach from the public, from other organizations and from people who want to help these specific animals.”
He also made clear that the WSP will not pay Marineland for the whales.
“We don’t believe that the buying and selling of whales is something that should continue and we’re not in a position, either philosophically or financially, to consider that,” he said.
The sanctuary plan has also been stalled by local landowners, whose unanimous consent is required for the project to go ahead.
Some residents have raised concerns about losing access to the water or increased traffic near the site.
Even if that opposition is resolved, the project still needs multiple government approvals, including a Crown lease and federal permits for the whale transfers.
Earlier this year, the French government rejected WSP’s bid to take in two killer whales from Marineland Antibes, citing concerns about ocean temperatures and the project’s readiness.
Meanwhile, Marineland’s financial collapse has deepened.
According to Canadian Press figures, 19 belugas, one killer whale and one dolphin have died at the park since late 2019.
The company has long defended its record, saying the deaths were part of “the natural cycle of life”.
Animal rights groups have blasted Marineland’s conduct.
Colin Saravanamuttoo, of World Animal Protection Canada, called it “morally reprehensible” and said: “Holding the Government of Canada hostage for making the right decision is grotesque manipulation.
“Marineland has lost all moral and ethical credibility to continue holding legal ownership of any animal.”
Ontario Premier Doug Ford has publicly urged the federal government to act.
He said: “We need a proper home for them, simple as that. We gotta save the whales.”
The federal government says it is open to reviewing new export requests if they meet strict standards under the Fisheries Act.
For now, Marineland’s deadline has passed – and there has been no comment on whether Ottawa has stepped in.
The whales are costly to maintain – a source close to Marineland said feeding and caring for them costs $2 million a monthAlamy
The sanctuary plan has also been stalled by local landowners, whose unanimous consent is required for the project to go aheadAP Published: [#item_custom_pubDate]
