Marineland Threatens Euthanasia of 30 Belugas Without Government Funding

Marineland, a Canadian marine theme park near Niagara Falls, has threatened to euthanize its 30 beluga whales unless the federal government provides emergency funding or permits their export to a Chinese marine park, Chimelong Ocean Kingdom. Canada's fisheries minister, Joanne Thompson, has denied the export permit, citing a 2019 law banning the use of captive whales for entertainment and condemning the continuation of captive conditions for the belugas. Marineland has closed its amusement operations and is in financial distress, claiming it lacks resources to care for the whales and faces running out of time, with euthanasia as the last resort. The park has been under scrutiny for animal welfare issues, with 20 whales having died there since 2019 and inspectors reporting poor conditions. Animal rights groups advocate for sanctuaries rather than transfer to another marine park, but Marineland argues no sanctuary with sufficient capacity exists. The government refuses to fund the park's costs, stating Marineland should have viable alternatives planned, while experts warn captive-bred whales cannot be easily returned to the wild due to lost survival skills.