Canada backs plan to move 30 belugas and 4 dolphins abroad

The Canadian government has endorsed a plan to relocate the last remaining captive whales from a shuttered theme park in Ontario to aquariums in the United States and Spain, potentially averting a threat of mass euthanasia. The tentative deal involves moving 30 beluga whales and four dolphins from Marineland in Niagara Falls to five marine parks: Oceanogràfic València in Spain, the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta, the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, and SeaWorld locations in San Diego and San Antonio.

The Department of Fisheries and Oceans has issued initial permits under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species and will issue final export permits closer to the transport date, pending final health checks. Officials stated the department is coordinating with the Canada Border Services Agency and Health Canada to ensure a safe and timely transfer. Fisheries Minister Joanne Thompson called the endorsement a positive step forward, while acknowledging more work remains.

The move concludes a protracted saga over the future of the whales following the park's closure to the public in the summer of 2024. Marineland, which was put up for sale in 2023, must relocate its animals...