Marineland has threatened to euthanize 30 beluga whales if Canada’s federal government does not provide financial support for the embattled Niagara Falls amusement park. The warning comes after the country’s fisheries minister blocked the transfer of the captive whales to a theme park in China.
Marineland, an amusement park, zoo, aquarium and forest occupying nearly 1,000 acres (400 hectares) of land in Ontario, has endured mounting scrutiny over allegations the animals are living in poor conditions. The park, which once saw millions of visitors, did not open for the summer season and is winding down its operations in anticipation of a sale. In February, a lawyer for the park said it was planning to “expeditiously” remove the remaining animals still on the grounds.
The fate of the park’s beluga whales has long been an urgent concern for activists who argue the cetaceans should be transferred to a sanctuary – though few viable options exist. Twenty whales, 19 belugas and one orca, have died at the park since 2019, according to documents compiled by the Canadian Press.
Marineland says it had planned to send the whales to Chimelong Ocean Kingdom in the Chinese city of Zhuhai, but Joanne Thompson, Canada’s fisheries minister, blocked the export permit last week, saying she “could not in good conscience approve an export that would perpetuate the treatment these belugas have endured”.
Thompson added: “To approve the request would have meant a continued life in captivity and a return to public entertainment.”
In a letter from 3 October, Marineland warned the debt-ridden park is in “a critical financial state” and does not have the resources to “provide adequate care for the whales”. The company said that if the federal government is unable to fund the park or authorize the whales’ export by 7 October, Marineland will “face the devastating decision” of euthanizing one of the world’s largest captive whale populations.
“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 says.
Ontario’s premier, Doug Ford, said the province will “do whatever it takes” to give the remaining whales the “best life possible”, adding the state of the park was “just terrible”.
Under provincial law, Ontario has the power to seize the whales to ensure their safety – recouping any costs incurred when the park is sold.
“Marineland has spent decades profiting from keeping whales in miserable tanks, and is now sitting on hundreds of millions of dollars worth of property in Niagara Falls. Marineland has a moral obligation to fund the future care of these animals,” Camille Labchuk, lawyer and executive director of Animal Justice, said in a statement.
Marineland previously told the Guardian the whales “receive far better healthcare and around-the-clock attention than any human in the UK, or anywhere else”, and that the park, which was inspected “dozens” of times a year, had specialists that “care for the animals when they are sick and every effort to save them is made”.
The park also said that for decades, “animal rights activist have sought to equate any animal death with alleged ‘abuse’ by the facility caring for the animals” which was “effective as propaganda” for those groups to fundraise.
“This crisis didn’t appear overnight,” Labchuk added. “It’s the product of decades of neglect and cruelty. Marineland’s attempt to strong-arm the government into reversing its decision, even implying it may kill the whales, is reprehensible.”
