The Canadian government blocked Marineland's attempt to export the animals to a park in China.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.zip/post/50739392

A Canadian amusement park is threatening to euthanise 30 beluga whales after the government blocked its request to send them to China.

The park is said to have told ministers that it was in a “critical financial state” and unable to provide adequate care for the whales

  • snoons@lemmy.caEnglish
    31·
    4 days ago

    It reportedly said this was “a direct consequence of the minister’s decision”.

    Well sure, but who the hell thought it was a good idea to have 30 captive whales is the first place?

    Maybe 3 or 4, if they are permanently injured and can’t live without human assistance.

    • That Weird Vegan she/her@lemmy.blahaj.zoneEnglish
      151·
      4 days ago

      This is the only captivity I support (that is, if they can’t live without human assistance). Zoos should be illegal. Imprisoning animals for the crime of being an animal

      • iegod@lemmy.zip
        61·
        3 days ago

        This mischaracterization of zoos needs to stop. They do important conservation, preservation, and public outreach work.

      • SaveTheTuaHawk@lemmy.caEnglish
        12·
        3 days ago

        This isn’t a zoo, it’s a shitty theme park.

        Criticisms of Marineland date back several years, and in 2020 Animal Welfare Services opened an investigation into the park. It found that 12 whales at the park had died over a two year period and declared all the park’s marine life to be under distress. Some 20 whales have died at the marine park since 2019 - five of them in 2024 - according to news agency the Canadian Press.

      • Communist@lemmy.frozeninferno.xyzEnglish
        3·
        3 days ago

        Zoos are necessary and should only contain animals that do not show signs of stress when in captivity, the fact is people don’t protect what they don’t love and they don’t love what they don’t know. This is one of the only ways to get people engaged with conservation.

        this one sucks though.

      • Oxysis/Oxy@lemmy.blahaj.zoneEnglish
        6·
        3 days ago

        You can make zoos that are ethical, it just that most are highly unethical. I was at a zoo earlier this year that only kept a few types of animals but they were given a lot of space to roam about and that properly mimicked their natural habitat. They had space to go to if they wanted to be away from people.

        Ethical care and treatment should be the standard but our world is designed to extract the maximum profit possible while minimizing everything else.