Marineland in Niagara Falls has issued an urgent plea to the federal government for emergency financial assistance, warning that without immediate support to feed and care for its remaining whales, euthanasia may become unavoidable.
In a letter sent Friday to Fisheries Minister Joanne Thompson, the park said that her recent decision to deny export permits for 30 beluga whales has left the facility with no viable relocation options. The whales were to be transferred to Chimelong Ocean Kingdom, an aquarium in China, but Thompson rejected the export request earlier this week, citing federal legislation passed in 2019 that prohibits subjecting the animals to a future of performance captivity.
Marineland said the decision “effectively prohibits” the whales’ export to any operational aquarium globally, leaving the park with limited options. “Our only options at this point are to either relocate the whales or face the devastating decision of euthanasia,” the letter stated. “This is an outcome we are desperately trying to avoid.”
The Niagara Falls tourist attraction currently houses 19 belugas and one killer whale. According to a database compiled by The Canadian Press, 20 whales have died at the park since 2019. Marineland has been on the market since early 2023 but has been unable to secure a buyer, with the presence of the marine mammals posing a significant barrier to any potential sale.
Financially, the park is in dire straits. “We are fully indebted and rapidly running out of resources to provide adequate care for the whales,” Marineland wrote. It has asked Ottawa for immediate operating funds to continue caring for the animals until a relocation solution is found.
A proposed marine sanctuary in Nova Scotia that could have served as a destination has stalled, and Marineland says no existing facility meets the stringent conditions set by the minister for exports. The park has also asked Thompson’s office for assistance in identifying any potential facilities worldwide that could meet those criteria.
Thompson, while reiterating her belief that whales belong in the ocean, said earlier this week she is open to “other decisions that really speak to the health and well-being of the whales.” She emphasized, however, that the next steps rest with Marineland.
The facility has given the minister until Tuesday to respond. “If we do not receive a response by that date, we will have no choice but to presume that the answers to our inquiries are negative,” Marineland warned. “In such an unfortunate scenario, we will inform all stakeholders and the public accordingly and proceed with actions that will be a direct consequence of the minister’s decision.”
In addition to the whales, Marineland is home to four dolphins, several seals and sea lions, and a number of bears and deer. A juvenile beluga died at the park in February, and another beluga and a harbour seal died in mid-August.
Thompson’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.