Question Period Note: Cetacean Export

• Canada takes its role in protecting marine mammals seriously.
• The Minister of Fisheries has provided conditional approval for the export of the remaining whales from Marineland.
• There are no other options available at this time for these belugas and dolphins. It is either export or death.
• Our priority is the animals, and it is our view that exporting these marine mammals to these U.S. facilities is in their best interest.
If pressed: What conditions have you placed on Marineland?
• The health of the animals is our top priority and that’s why there are conditions in place for this conditional approval.
• Fisheries and Oceans Canada requires confirmation that a registered veterinary professional, with accreditation in Canada, has conducted animal health assessments for each animal, and that the veterinarian assessments confirm it is appropriate to proceed with animal transport.

Recent decision pertaining to Marineland:
On January 21, 2026, Marineland categorically expressed to the Minister of Fisheries that the current complement of beluga whales and dolphins at Marineland, in Niagara Falls, Ontario, are at imminent threat of euthanasia and if Marineland cannot export the cetaceans currently at their site, they would have no choice but to euthanize the animals.
They further communicated that they have been working with US-based aquariums (i.e., Mystic Aquarium, Connecticut; Georgia Aquarium, Inc.; Shedd Aquarium Society; and SeaWorld Entertainment, Inc.) to determine if any may be viable homes for the animals.
On January 26, 2026, the Minister of Fisheries conditionally approved the export of all of the animals on the basis that: DFO is provided with the:
• Missing information in the permit applications, including the specific location where each animal is to be relocated; and
• Transport plan, along with any subsequent updates to that plan.
Additionally, prior to export, Marineland must confirm in writing that a registered veterinary
professional, with accreditation in Canada, has conducted animal health assessments for each
animal, and that the veterinarian assessment confirms it is appropriate to proceed with animal
transport.
Conditional authorization is only for the US-based facilities Marineland has identified, and any additions to that list will be subject to further review.
Previously, in October 2025, the Minister of Fisheries denied Marineland's request for permits to export 30 belugas to the Chimelong Ocean Kingdom theme park in China. The proposed destination facility did not meet the policy requirement to commit to not breeding the animals. Further, the belugas, if exported, would have likely been used for public entertainment purposes. On this basis, the request was denied.
Media coverage has heightened public concerns regarding the future welfare of the cetaceans at Marineland, including reports on Marineland’s transition to new ownership; that it is seeking to relocate the marine mammals currently held at its facility; and the recent death of a beluga whale and harbour seal at Marineland. Marineland is the only aquarium in Canada that currently holds cetaceans.
While some animal rights groups have looked to the federal government for action, the jurisdiction related to cetaceans in captivity is a shared one, as aquatic parks and zoos, animal care, and private property aspects are under provincial jurisdiction in Canada.
While the whale sanctuary project in Nova Scotia is still in development and in the planning phase, animal rights groups have expressed their desire to see both federal and provincial governments support and expedite the creation of sanctuaries to allow for the transfer of Marineland’s belugas. Globally, whale sanctuaries have had limited success.

Canadian legislation aimed at ending the captivity of cetaceans:
In June 2019, the Fisheries Act and the Criminal Code were amended to, among other things, end the practice of keeping cetaceans in captivity in Canada.
Simply put, the 2019 amendments to the Criminal Code created offences respecting cetaceans in captivity, including (among others) offences for keeping cetaceans in captivity, breeding cetaceans in captivity, and the use of cetaceans for entertainment purposes, unless otherwise authorized.
The 2019 Criminal Code amendments included a grandfather clause such that it is not an offence for a person to keep a cetacean in captivity where that person held that cetacean in captivity on the day the amendments came into force.
Process for applying for a permit to export a living cetacean:
The Minister may issue a permit for the export of a living cetacean under subsection 23.2(2) of the Fisheries Act only if the export is for the purpose of a) scientific research; or b) of keeping the cetacean in captivity if it is in the best interest of the cetacean’s welfare to do so.
Fisheries and Oceans Canada’s Policy for Obtaining a Ministerial permit authorizing the import or export of a living cetacean indicates that any application must, among other things, be supported by commitments from the destination facility to uphold animal welfare practices that are consistent with Canada’s values and interests, such as a commitment that the destination facility will not breed or impregnate the cetacean being exported from Canada.

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