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The Niagara Falls attraction has issued a warning to euthanize 30 beluga whales if Canada’s federal government does not provide financial support for the financially troubled amusement park. This ultimatum follows the recent decision by the country’s fisheries minister to block the transfer of the marine mammals to a aquatic park in China.

Growing Criticism and Park’s Decline

Marineland, an amusement park that includes a zoo, aquarium and forest, has endured mounting scrutiny over claims that the animals are kept in poor conditions. The formerly bustling park, which did not open for the peak tourist period, is phasing out its operations ahead of a ownership transfer. Earlier this year, a lawyer for the park stated plans to quickly remove the surviving creatures from the premises.

Critical Issue for Animal Welfare Advocates

The fate of the park’s beluga whales has long been a pressing concern for advocates who contend the whales should be moved to a protected habitat—however few viable options exist. Records gathered by a news agency indicate that twenty whales have perished at the park since 2019.

“To approve the request would have signified a continued life in captivity and a return to public entertainment,” the minister stated.

Financial Crisis and Looming Cutoff

In an October 3rd letter, Marineland warned that the financially distressed park is in a “critical financial state” and lacks the resources to “ensure proper welfare for the whales.” The company stated that if the federal government cannot support the park or permit the whales’ transfer by October 7th, Marineland will “confront the devastating decision” of euthanizing one of the world’s largest groups of confined cetaceans.

“The gravity of the financial emergency at Marineland is extreme; any additional postponement endangers the welfare and security of the whales, and we fear we are running out of time to act,” the letter states.

Official Reactions and Provincial Authority

Ontario’s premier, Doug Ford, announced the province will “take all necessary steps” to give the surviving animals the “best life possible,” adding the state of the park was “just terrible.”

Under provincial law, Ontario has the authority to take custody of the whales to ensure their safety—recouping any costs incurred when the park is transferred.

Ethical Responsibility and Advocate Comments

“Marineland has operated for years profiting from keeping whales in miserable tanks, and is now sitting on hundreds of millions of valuable real estate in Niagara Falls. Marineland has a ethical duty to fund the long-term welfare of these animals,” Camille Labchuk, lawyer and executive director of Animal Justice, said in a release.

“This crisis didn’t appear overnight,” Labchuk added. “It’s the product of long-term disregard and mistreatment. Marineland’s effort to pressure the government into reversing its decision, even implying it may euthanize the whales, is unacceptable.”

Park’s Defense on Whale Welfare

The park’s management earlier claimed the whales “receive far better healthcare and around-the-clock attention than any human in the UK, or globally,” and that the park, which was inspected “numerous” of times a year, had experts who “tend to the animals when they are sick and every effort to preserve their lives is made.”

The park also said that for many years, “animal rights activists have attempted to link any animal death with alleged ‘abuse’ by the facility caring for the animals” which was “successful as promotional material” for those groups to solicit donations.