Marineland says it needs money from Ottawa or its belugas will be euthanized

Marineland, the defunct amusement park in Niagara Falls, Ont., says it is rapidly running out of money and urgently needs financial support from the federal government or it will have no choice but to euthanize the 30 beluga whales it still has in its possession.

The plea, in a letter sent Friday by the company to federal Fisheries Minister Joanne Thompson and obtained by CBC News, comes days after the minister denied Marineland's request for export permits.

Marineland planned to send the whales to Chimelong Ocean Kingdom, a theme park in China, but Thompson said she did not want to see the whales kept in captivity or used for entertainment purposes.

In an interview with CBC News this week, Thompson said she visited the facility and "looked the belugas in the eyes" and felt they belonged in the ocean.

WATCH | Marineland export permits denied:

Marineland’s request to export belugas to China denied by feds

October 2

Duration2:07

The Department of Fisheries and Oceans has denied Marineland Canada's request to export its 30 remaining beluga whales to the Chimelong Ocean Kingdom theme park in China. The decision is aligned with regulations to protect marine mammals from exploitation.

Marineland says it's in 'critical financial state'

Given those conditions, Marineland said there is no facility capable of housing the whales and a suitable ocean "sanctuary" does not exist.

In its letter, Marineland said it is in "a critical financial state," is "fully indebted" and does not have the resources to "provide adequate care for the whales."

If the federal government does not come through with some money or authorize the whales' export by Oct. 7, Marineland said it will "face the devastating decision of euthanasia."

"The gravity of the funding crisis at Marineland cannot be overstated; any further delay jeopardizes the welfare and security of the whales, and we fear we are running out of time to act," the letter says.

Marineland said euthanizing the whales, which were born in captivity, will be "a direct consequence of the minister's decision" to withhold export permits.

A source working with Marineland on this file told CBC News what's left of the company is teetering on the edge of bankruptcy after one of its lenders pulled funding amid the uncertainty over the export permits.

Caring for belugas costs $2M per month: source

The whales are costly to maintain — this source pegged the cost of feeding and caring for them at $2 million a month — and there's little cash coming in since the long-running attraction closed its doors to the public last year.

The facility has been the subject of controversy for years with animal rights activists and others vehemently opposed to its practices.

A federal law passed in 2019 that bans keeping whales, dolphins and porpoises for breeding or entertainment in Canada also stymied its business model.

Under that law, exporting these animals requires a special federal permit — something the fisheries minister can hand out if the animals are being used for scientific research or if keeping an animal in captivity elsewhere is found to be in its best interest.

While Thompson decided against issuing one for the export to Chimelong Ocean Kingdom, a senior government official speaking to CBC News on Friday said the minister is not necessarily against exporting the whales elsewhere.

The minister will review any new export requests as they come in and is open to approving them if they meet the strict standards set out under the Fisheries Act, said the official, who spoke on the condition they not be named because they are not authorized to speak publicly.

As for the request for money from Ottawa to care for these whales, the official alleged Marineland has mismanaged its finances and did not properly plan for what could happen to their business after the captivity ban bill was passed.

Province urged to use PAWS Act

Animal welfare is generally provincial jurisdiction and the minister met with officials from Ontario Thursday to discuss a path forward, the government official said.

Under the provincial PAWS Act, Ontario's chief animal welfare inspector can step in and care for a distressed animal and try to recuperate the associated costs from its owner at a later date.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford said this week he was "disappointed" the federal government denied the export permit, saying he wants the whales to live.

"If we want these whales to survive we have to move them somewhere. We need the federal government to sign off on it or these whales, they are on their hands," he said.

Colin Saravanamuttoo, the executive director of World Animal Protection Canada, called Marineland's conduct "morally reprehensible" and urged Ford to use his PAWS Act powers to "immediately step in and provide care" to the whales.

"Holding the Government of Canada hostage for making the right decision is grotesque manipulation. Marineland has lost all moral and ethical credibility to continue holding legal ownership of any animal," he said in a statement.

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