The proposed legislation would ban the captivity of whales and dolphins for entertainment purposes, associated captive breeding programs, and the trade of these creatures.
After a multi-year legislative battle, a bill to outlaw keeping cetaceans like whales and dolphins in captivity has cleared the Senate. The bill, S-203, was first proposed in 2015, and it was finally passed after three years of intense legislative battles. With the bill in effect, Canada has taken another step towards becoming more environmentally responsible.
The most uplifting thing about the bill is that there was support across the political parties. This means that environmental issues are not subject to party politics, and everyone is determined to take better care of our environment. Environmental issues shouldn’t be subject to party politics because, in the end, we all live on the same planet.
Bill S-203 bans the breeding of dolphins and whales in captivity, and it amends the current criminal code to include this as a crime, all but ensuring the end of a once-popular theme park attraction in Canada.
This means that Canadian marine parks like Marineland can still keep any cetaceans currently under their care, but they cannot breed a new generation or capture more in the wild. The bill also prohibits the importing of cetacean sperm, tissues, or embryos. The goal is to slowly phase out the practice of keeping dolphins and whales in captivity, and the government wants to discourage any further practices of the sort.
Fines of up to $200,000 could be imposed on parks flouting the law — a sum set deliberately high as a deterrent.
Activists are still lobbying for the transfer of the remaining 55 cetaceans in Marineland to an open-water sanctuary. Especially after the release of shocking documentaries like Black Fish, which documented some of the perils involved in holding whales, dolphins and porpoises in parks like Sea World. People are becoming more conscious of how their activities affect the environment.
Lobbying for changes on the government level is one of the key tools for changing the way we do things because individual activism can only go so far. With a law in place, more people will be inclined to follow suit.
Facts:
HSI/Canada has campaigned to end the captivity of cetaceans for years. Globally, HSI has been at the forefront of a powerful movement to protect cetaceans and end their cruel captivity through education, outreach, and legislative efforts.
Leading marine scientists agree that whales and dolphins suffer great psychological and physical harms in captivity, including isolation, chronic health problems, abnormal behaviour, high infant mortality and extreme boredom.
Currently, only two facilities in the country house cetaceans – the Vancouver Aquarium, and Marineland in Niagara Falls. However, the Vancouver Aquarium, will no longer keep cetaceans in captivity, due to public opinion and outrage over the practice.
Over three quarters of Canadians who have an opinion on cetaceans in captivity, disagree with the practice.
Canada has also passed Bill S-238, which bans the import of sharks’ fins. The country’s political parties may disagree on many things, but it is amazing to know that they all agree on enacting legislation that will protect the environment.
Canada is the world's third largest importer of shark fins, surpassed only by mainland China and Hong Kong, where shark fin soup is a popular delicacy among the wealthy. In 2015 alone, Canada imported over 144,000 kilograms of shark fins.
"Tens of millions of sharks are left to die every year for nothing but the prestige associated with a bowl of shark fin soup," MacDonald said.
Cetaceans can continue to swim happily knowing that they will no longer end up in a Canadian aquarium for the viewing pleasure of humans.
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