Marine Park Threatens to Euthanize 30 Whales if Canada Doesn’t Pay Up

A Canadian zoo, aquarium, and amusement park in Niagara Falls, Ontario, has threatened that it will have to euthanize 30 beluga whales. Marineland was seeking to rehome its whales and dolphins while looking for a new buyer, following controversies over its treatment of black bears and the deaths of twenty whales—19 belugas and one orca—since 2019. Initially, the park attempted to export the whales to China, but Canada’s fisheries minister, Joanne Thompson, rejected the request, citing a 2019 law that prohibits the use of whales and dolphins for entertainment purposes. “To approve the request would have meant a continued life in captivity and a return to public entertainment,” Thompson said. On Oct. 3, Marineland sent a letter to Thompson stating that the park is in a “critical financial state” and lacks the resources to “provide adequate care for the whales.” The letter further states that if the federal government does not authorize the export of the whales or provide funding by Oct. 7, Marineland will be forced to “face the devastating decision of euthanasia.” Ontario Premier Doug Ford has called on the federal government to “sign off” on Marineland’s proposal, describing the situation as “absolutely terrible.”