Thirty beluga whales could be euthanised after the Canadian state of Ontario blocked their export to Zhuhai’s Chimelong Ocean Kingdom theme park, citing concerns the mammals would suffer being used for public spectacle.
Financial struggles and ongoing animal welfare scrutiny meant their current home – an amusement park named Marineland, located near Niagara Falls – can no longer keep the whales, the BBC reports. Marineland had hoped to send them to Chimelong, located just over 20 kilometres from Macao.
Canadian fisheries minister Joanne Thompson denied the export permit, citing Canadian laws prohibiting the use of whales and dolphins for entertainment. “I could not in good conscience approve an export that would perpetuate the treatment these belugas have endured,” she said, adding that the move would have condemned the animals to continued captivity.
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Since the government has also rejected funding the whales’ care, a cash-strapped Marineland has said euthanasia may be the only viable option. Animal rights groups condemned that course of action. One group said that the park has “a moral obligation to fund the future care of these animals” and called killing the whales “reprehensible.”
The Ontario park has faced years of controversy over animal deaths and living conditions. A 2020 investigation by Animal Welfare Services found 12 whales had died over two years and concluded all remaining marine life was distressed. According to local media, 20 whales have died at Marineland since 2019, including five in 2024.
In February, the park secured court approval to remortgage its property to finance animal relocations as it searched for a buyer. Visitor numbers have plummeted amid public criticism and animal welfare campaigns.
