Canada’s Fisheries Minister Joanne Thompson said Monday she has given conditional approval for the shuttered Marineland theme park to export 30 beluga whales and 4 dolphins to United States institutions. Thompson said she will issue final permits once Marineland provides additional required information, with a deadline of January 30. The conditional approval averts a threat by Marineland to euthanize the animals if export permits were not authorized by that date.
The decision caps a standoff between the financially struggling Ontario park and the Canadian government over the fate of the animals it can no longer afford to keep. It also averts what would have been a test of a 2019 law that banned whale and dolphin captivity in Canada.
The Decision
Canada’s conditional approval came after Marineland pleaded with Thompson, repeatedly stating the park was running out of money. The park had emphasized its precarious financial situation in discussions with the minister, warning that without export authorization it would have no choice but to euthanize the 30 belugas and 4 dolphins in its care.
“It was a constructive meeting, and I provided conditional approval for export permits,” Thompson said in a statement Monday. “I will issue the final permits once final required information is received from Marineland.”
Marineland responded with a statement expressing gratitude. “We extend our gratitude to the minister and the Canadian government for prioritizing the lives of these remarkable marine mammals,” the park said.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford supported Thompson’s decision. “They’re going to have a better home than where they are because it’s a terrible home they’re in right now,” Ford said of the animals. “It wasn’t large enough.”
U.S. Destinations
The park is in discussions with four U.S. institutions to receive the animals: Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta, Mystic Aquarium in Connecticut, and SeaWorld, which operates at several U.S. locations.
Marineland presented what it characterized as an urgent rescue solution to the federal government last week, detailing arrangements already underway with the potential recipient institutions.
The Broader Context
This conditional approval represents a shift from Marineland’s original export plan. In October, the park had applied for permits to move its whales to Chimelong Ocean Kingdom, an aquarium in China. Thompson denied that request, saying she would not subject the whales to a future performing in captivity.
That decision aligned with a 2019 Canadian law that banned whale and dolphin captivity in the country. Marineland’s existing animals were grandfathered into the law, meaning they could remain in captivity but no new animals could be captured or imported for that purpose.
The park’s decision to pursue export marks a continuing decline. Twenty whales — one killer whale and 19 belugas — have died at Marineland since 2019, according to a tally compiled by the Canadian Press based on internal records and official statements.
The conditional approval from Thompson provides a deadline: final permits will be issued once Marineland submits additional required information, but no later than January 30.