Marineland’s Ultimatum Exposes a Broken Model and a Clear Path Forward for Canada

What has happened

On 1 October 2025, Canada’s Fisheries Minister, Joanne Thompson, denied Marineland’s request to export 30 beluga whales to Chimelong Ocean Kingdom in China. The decision was made in line with Canada’s 2019 legislation banning cetacean captivity for entertainment, which only permits exports when they can be proven to support welfare or legitimate scientific research.

Within days of the refusal, Marineland, which has been closed to the public since 2024 and is currently up for sale, announced that it may have to euthanise the belugas unless the federal government provides emergency financial assistance. The Minister quite rightly described this funding request as “inappropriate”.

The situation is all the more concerning given Marineland’s history. Since 2019, twenty whales have died at the facility, including nineteen belugas and one orca. Inspectors have previously documented animals in distress and water quality has repeatedly been cited as a cause for concern.

What Marineland’s request really means

Marineland’s plea is, in essence, an admission that it cannot meet its most basic duty of care. A private enterprise that has profited for decades from the exploitation of captive whales is now asking the Canadian public to shoulder the cost of its decline. Worse still, the park appears to be using the lives of its animals as leverage. This is ethically indefensible and entirely inconsistent with both Canadian law and public sentiment, which moved the country beyond the age of dolphin and whale shows in 2019.

Government intervention: what it is and what it isn't

The federal government was right to refuse an export for entertainment purposes. Under section 23.2 of the Fisheries Act, the Minister can only grant import or export permits where animal welfare or legitimate science is the intended outcome. That said, the government should remain open to facilitating welfare-based transfers, such as relocation to sanctuaries that meet the necessary standards of care.

At the provincial level, Ontario’s Provincial Animal Welfare Services (PAWS) Act grants inspectors the authority to intervene when animals are in distress. They can assume care, issue orders, remove animals if necessary, and recover costs from the owner, with the Crown having the right to pursue repayment if those costs go unpaid. This legal framework already provides the means to act swiftly in the whales’ best interests, without resorting to public bailouts.

In short, government intervention should exist to protect the whales, not to preserve the park. If any public intervention takes place, it should be protective and corrective, rather than financial.

Why a bailout would be the wrong solution

Providing Marineland with public funds would set a dangerous precedent.

First, it would create a perverse incentive. Rewarding a failing operator for poor management signals to other facilities that they can hold animals hostage for funding. It risks establishing a future in which financial threats against animal lives become an accepted form of negotiation.

Second, it would not address the underlying welfare issues. Years of evidence show that Marineland has repeatedly failed to meet acceptable standards of animal care. Money alone will not change that.

Third, it is a matter of public interest versus private gain. Marineland still controls valuable land and assets and Ontario already has the legal authority to ensure the animals are cared for immediately while recovering costs from the owner later.

The humane alternative: confiscation to care and sanctuary

The solution lies not in financial rescue, but in responsible removal and rehabilitation.

Free The Wild supports the following immediate steps:

• A rapid provincial welfare assessment and where welfare thresholds are met, the seizure of the whales into care under PAWS, with full transparency and court oversight.

• Independent veterinary triage and stabilisation for all belugas, overseen by neutral experts and made public.

• A federal fast-track for welfare-based transfers, enabling relocation to sanctuaries or rehabilitation centres, both in Canada and abroad, provided they meet the welfare standard.

• Accelerated sanctuary development, particularly in Nova Scotia where the Whale Sanctuary Project has expressed readiness to assist. This facility should receive priority support as a long-term solution.

What this means for the future of captive marine life in Canada

This crisis represents the first major test of Canada’s post-2019 stance on cetacean captivity. If handled properly, it could redefine how the country protects captive marine mammals for generations to come.

Decisive action now would set a precedent that, when facilities fail, the animals are protected through lawful seizure and owners, not taxpayers, bear the cost. It would also close any remaining loopholes that allow exports for entertainment and reinforce the principle that only welfare-based transfers will be considered.

Furthermore, it could prompt the creation of a national transition plan for the remaining cetaceans in captivity, including a fund dedicated to sanctuaries and independent care rather than outdated entertainment facilities. Introducing mandatory financial assurances, such as care bonds or trusts, would ensure that animal welfare is secured even if a facility collapses financially.

Our position

From Free The Wild’s perspective, Marineland’s ultimatum is both outrageous and revealing. If a facility publicly admits that it can no longer care for its animals, then the only appropriate response is to remove those animals from its control. Canada already has the legal and moral means to do exactly that.

We therefore urge:

1. The Province of Ontario to deploy its powers under the PAWS Act immediately where welfare thresholds are met.

2. The Federal Government to expedite welfare-based export permits for sanctuary and rehabilitation placements.

3. All parties to support sanctuary initiatives, independent expert care and full transparency, while embedding long-term safeguards into law to ensure that this situation is never repeated.

Canada made the right decision in 2019 when it banned cetacean captivity for entertainment. The next logical step is to guarantee that the last remaining whales living in tanks are moved to environments that truly prioritise their welfare, where they can finally live out their lives with dignity and peace.

It's now or never.

🧡

FTW