Overview
- Marineland presented new export permit applications in a Wednesday meeting with Fisheries Minister Joanne Thompson, whose office said they will be reviewed expeditiously.
- Marineland aims to send the whales and dolphins to SeaWorld, Georgia Aquarium, Shedd Aquarium and Mystic Aquarium, according to sources, though U.S. facilities say it is premature to commit.
- Veterinarians and experts from the four AZA‑accredited institutions assessed the belugas at Marineland last week to evaluate health and social groupings.
- Several Marineland sources say a euthanasia plan exists and that the park has set an imminent deadline if permits are not approved.
- Thompson previously denied a 2025 export request to China’s Chimelong Ocean Kingdom under Canada’s 2019 law curbing cetacean captivity, as Marineland remains closed and seeks a land sale requiring the animals’ removal; 20 whales have died at the park since 2019.