Overview

• Marineland warned it lacks funds to feed and care for 30 belugas and says euthanasia will follow without federal funding or export approval by Oct. 7.
• Fisheries Minister Joanne Thompson denied permits to send the whales to Chimelong Ocean Kingdom in China, saying she could not approve further exploitation.
• Thompson labeled the bailout request inappropriate and emphasized Ontario’s responsibility under provincial animal welfare oversight.
• Animal welfare groups and some politicians are urging Ontario to seize the whales to secure their care, with costs potentially recovered from any future sale of the property.
• No domestic sanctuary is operational to receive the belugas, the park is closed and up for sale, and records show 20 cetacean deaths at Marineland since 2019.