On June 10th, the Canadian House of Commons voted in favor of Bill S-203, legislation that will ban the captivity of whales and dolphins.
The new law will make it illegal to hold whales, dolphins, and porpoises for entertainment, as well as bar the trade, capture, breeding or possession of these animals. Violators will face fines of up to 200,000 Canadian dollars.
“Canadians have been clear, they want the cruel practice of keeping whales and dolphins in captivity to end,” said Green Party leader Elizabeth May, who sponsored the bill. “With the passage of Bill S-203, we have ensured that this will happen.”
Marineland in Niagara Falls and the Vancouver Aquarium are the only places in Canada that currently keep cetaceans in captivity. These two facilities will continue to hold the animals they have, but will not be able to breed or import any new animals.
Marineland holds nearly 60 cetaceans, including 51 beluga whales, bottlenose dolphins, and a 40-year-old orca. The Vancouver Aquarium only has a lone dolphin and had already announced last year they would stop displaying cetaceans.
First introduced in 2015 by Senator Wilfred Moore and later sponsored by Senator Murray Sinclair, the bill was supported by more than 20 top marine scientists and animal advocacy organizations. It will take effect as soon as it receives royal assent.
“Whales and dolphins don’t belong in tanks, and the inherent suffering these highly social and intelligent animals endure in intensive confinement can no longer be tolerated,” said Humane Society International/Canada Executive Director Rebecca Aldworth. “We congratulate the sponsors of this bill and the Canadian government for showing strong leadership in responding to public will and sound science on this critical issue.”
India, Switzerland, France, Barcelona, and Croatia all have similar bans, with India even acknowledging cetaceans as “non-human persons.”
While the United States still allows cetaceans to be held in captivity, Maui, Hawaii, and North Carolina have local laws banning the practice.
We applaud Canada for making this landmark decision to protect the incredible marine mammals of our planet and hope that other countries follow their lead.
What’s New…
Great news, but what about the 60 remaining prisoners at MarineLand & the lonely dolphin at Vancouver Aquarium?
It is a good thing that they can be left in their own environment and not held captive for “people” to view them in the enclosures that they have been confined to. Leave the animals to be – this is not our place to constantly be involving ourselves in their lives.
Thank You Canada ! No captivity for Whales and Dolphins ! Now let’s do this kindness for all animals in all cruel situations everywhere !
Thank you Elizabeth May for bringing this issue to the public awareness & standing for the innocent animals who cannot speak for themselves. CANADA CALLS THEMSELVES a DEVELOPED COUNTRY. BUT THE PRACTICES THEY USE FOR PROTECTION OF THEIR FELLOW ANIMAL SPECIES WHO ARE ALSO CANADIANS, ARE A JOKE.
At least finally these intelligent massive animals who are supposed to be freely swimming in the seas will have a freedom once again.
Such a long time these animals have been SLAVES & PRISONERS to some greedy subhumans who sees ONLY the dollar sign without considering the animals pains & sufferings.
MY BIOLOGY TEACHER A l00 YEARS AGO WOULD NOT DO THIS IN HER CLASS!!!!
sensational news!
YEAH for Canada!!!
Thank you!
Well done Canada! Leave all animals out of cruelty. HUMANS…KILL EACH OTHER IF YOU NEED TO KILL SOMETHING OR SOMEONE!!!
Good for you Canada, you should Pat yourself on the back for not keeping whales in captivity but how about all the baby seals that are clubbed to death each year, you’re brutal sadistic country with that horrific practice on going. So come and tell me how wonderful you are when you stop the clubbing of innocentbaby seals
Does that mean Marine Land will finally close down and they will release all whales and dolphins that have been in captivity? They should be free not performing stupid human tricks for money.
It is a bittersweet victory.. all the prisoners will remain prisoners till they die. Some will live for decades in their tubs..
Great news for dolphins and whales now to be set free….yeah…and then the Japanese kill them.
The World is out of balance due to most people inhabiting it 😌
Gosh Bab you are SO RIGHT
Brilliant news! Well done and thank you so much.
Thank You !
Good!!! About time!
Bravo! Now let Canada stop the seal hunts!
Great news. Well done Canada.
OH I AM SO DELIGHTED. :SIMPLY GOES TO SHOW ONE HOW SUCCESSFUL A CAMPAIGN CAN BE WITH WORLD WIDE EXPOSURE AND PERSISTENCE!!!!
Not done yet either…going to push to have Marineland reduce theirs even further.
Thank you Wilfred, Murray and Elizabeth. And thanks to all those who pushed hard for this!
Now we need Australia to follow this decision!!!