In a shocking move, Marineland Canada has reportedly threatened to euthanize its remaining 30 beluga whales after the government denied its request to export them to a marine park in China. These intelligent, social animals deserve protection, not punishment.
Sign now to demand that Canada build marine sanctuaries and make it illegal to randomly euthanize captive wildlife!
The Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) made the right call by rejecting Marineland’s request to ship the whales overseas, which would have condemned them to a lifetime of captivity and performance. But now, the whales’ lives are being used as leverage in a bid for money and leniency.
Canada’s 2019 Ending the Captivity of Whales and Dolphins Act banned the breeding and public display of cetaceans, but it left a glaring gap. What happens to the animals still in captivity? These belugas, many born in tanks, are completely dependent on humans for survival. Without a plan, their fate remains uncertain.
The solution is clear: Canada must invest in the creation of sea sanctuaries where former captive whales can live out their lives safely, and make it illegal to euthanize captive wildlife for financial or logistical reasons.
Sign the petition now to tell the Canadian government: protect these whales, build sanctuaries, and end the cruelty once and for all!
This article by Nicholas Vincent was first published by One Green Planet on 28 October 2025. Lead Image Credit: Proteck51/Shutterstock.
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