In brief
The Canadian amusement park Marineland has announced plans to euthanize 30 beluga whales following the government's refusal to allow their relocation to a theme park in China. The decision comes amid ongoing financial issues and a lack of viable alternatives for the animals, which have faced persistent animal welfare criticisms over the years. Animal welfare advocates are outraged, urging the provincial government to ensure better care for these marine mammals.
A Canadian amusement park is threatening to euthanise 30 beluga whales after the government blocked its request to send them to China.
Marineland in Ontario had hoped to offload the cetaceans on a theme park in Zhuhai, after suffering years of animal welfare concerns and financial woes.
But their transfer was denied by the Canadian government last week over concerns they would face similarly substandard treatment as public entertainment.
In the absence of funding as it winds down operations, Marineland has now said it may have to put the belugas to sleep, according to the New York Times and CBC News.
It reportedly said this was a direct consequence of the minister's decision. The park is said to have told ministers that it was in a critical financial state and unable to provide adequate care for the whales, having being closed over the summer while it removed the animals still there.
Marineland had hoped to send the belugas to Chimelong Ocean Kingdom in Zhuhai, which sits in between Hong Kong and Macau in China, but Fisheries Minister Joanne Thompson denied its export permit, saying the strengthening of fisheries legislation in 2019 that made it illegal to use whales and dolphins for entertainment prohibited the move.
Critics highlighted the park's troubled history, including an ongoing investigation by Animal Welfare Services after several whales died under its care.
Animal welfare campaigners have expressed outrage at Marineland's conduct and the possibility the whales could be killed. Camille Labchuk, executive director of Canadian animal rights group Animal Justice, stated that Marineland had a moral obligation to fund the future care of these animals, adding that threats to euthanise them were reprehensible.
World Animal Protection has called on the provincial government to seize the belugas, emphasizing the need to ensure these animals receive the best possible care.
