Beluga whales in theme park to be ‘euthanised’ if government don’t honour cash request

A Canadian theme park has laid out its plans to cull its beluga whales if its cash demands are not met.

Marineland, a theme park near Niagara Falls, has said it will have to 'euthanise’ 30 of its whales in captivity if it does not receive the emergency funds needed to keep them fed.

On 3 October, park management had penned to the government a letter asking for money that needed to be delivered by yesterday (7 October).

If it did not end up having the money wired, they shared there would be ‘consequences’, namely, the sea creatures being put down.

“If we do not receive a response by that date, we will have no choice but to presume that the answers to our inquiries are negative,” Marineland is said to have written.

Marineland has come under fire (Tara Walton/Toronto Star via Getty Images)

It added that a lack of funding would mean it would ‘face the devastating decision of euthanasia.’

However, the fate of the animals may have been sealed after the Canadian government denied the park’s request to export the whales to the Chimelong Ocean Kingdom theme park in China last week, but would hear offers to other parks.

The officials shared that in doing so, it ‘would perpetuate the treatment these belugas have endured’ in being used for entertainment.

The Canadian Press reported that there are 20 whales, including one killer whale and 19 belugas, that have died at Marineland since 2019.

In that same year, Canada had passed a bill known as the ‘Free Willy’ bill, making it illegal to keep a whale, dolphin or porpoise captive.

Leading the rejection, Joanne Thompson, Canada’s fisheries minister, also said no to the park's request for emergency funds, as per a New York Times report.

Thompson wrote of her decision that it was ultimately the failings of the park that led to this emergency need, but the government has no obligation to foot the bill.

She said: “The fact that Marineland has not planned for a viable alternative despite raising these whales in captivity for many years does not place the onus on the Canadian government to cover your expenses."

The belugas may end up culled if the park doesn't get funding (മിഖേല്‍/Getty Stock)

Since the park threatened to cull its belugas, animal rights groups have been furious.

Melissa Matlow, a Toronto-based animal welfare adviser at World Animal Protection, told The New York Times the threats were 'repugnant', she said: “Threatening to kill all their animals if they don’t get emergency funding is just repugnant.

"We need to take comfort that this is the last generation of whales and dolphins that will ever have to suffer again in Canada."

Now, this isn’t the first controversy the park has faced - far from it.

Marineland has previously faced scrutiny for the mistreatment of animals it cares for, as per The Guardian.

Reports claim the park has been attempting to sell its assets after permanently closing its doors to the public last year.

However, as it still has the beluga whales - the last captive belugas in the country - it has been called out for not appropriately planning for their care prior to its closure.

Tyla has contacted Marineland for comment.