It’s official: with the help of animal rights organizations, the Parliament of Canada has passed legislation that holding or breeding whales and dolphins in captivity is now considered a criminal offense.
Fines for keeping these cetaceans in captivity will be up to $200,000.
Whales or dolphins that are currently held in captivity will be allowed to remain, or those who have been injured and are in need of rehabilitation.
This is considered a big step in the animal activist community, and in the wake of many stories of marine mammals being mistreated and unhappy, this is considered a very timely development.
The only remaining establishments that currently hold dolphins, porpoises, or whales in Canada are Marineland in Niagara Falls, Ont., and the Vancouver Aquarium in B.C.
With these glorious animals finally finding their ways out of their watery ‘jails’, is this something that you’re happy about?
Or, are you disappointed that there will no longer be beluga whales and dolphins at the Vancouver Aquarium?
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